Couldn't Get It Right

"Couldn't Get It Right"
Side A of the UK single
Single by Climax Blues Band
from the album Gold Plated
B-side"Fat Maybellene" (most countries)
  • "Sav'ry Gravy" (US and Canada)
ReleasedOctober 1976 (UK)
February 1977 (USA)
RecordedAugust 1976
GenreBlues rock, soft rock, funk rock[1]
Length3:18
LabelBTM (UK), Sire (US)
Songwriter(s)Pete Haycock, Colin Cooper, Richard Jones, Derek Holt, John Cuffley
Producer(s)Climax Blues Band[2]
Mike Vernon (B-sides)[3]
Official audio
"Couldn't Get It Right" on YouTube

"Couldn't Get It Right" is a 1976 song by the Climax Blues Band. The song was written after the band's label told them that their 1976 album Gold Plated lacked a standout track and asked them to "try and write a hit".[3] They then wrote it, in the words of its bassist Derek Holt, "from absolutely nowhere",[3] and it hit #10 on the UK Singles Chart.[4]

About

The song was recorded for their eighth studio album, Gold Plated, which was named after Pete Haycock's Veleno guitar and produced by Mike Vernon. The song was specifically written and produced after the manager of the band, Miles Copeland III, demanded that the band append a radio-friendly song to the track listing. The band at the time had released eight albums and although that had translated into fame, they did not have a great impact on the charts.[5] Copeland suggested a cover version of an Elvis Presley song; this suggestion was ignored, and instead the band came up with an original composition[6] "from absolutely nowhere". It was simply a case of sitting in the studio, conjuring up a rhythm, appending the traditional dual vocals for which Climax Blues Band were known, and coming up with a couple of hooks. The sudden emergence of the song irritated the producer, as he thought the band had been withholding a hit from him.[3]

In an interview with Songfacts, Derek Holt explained that the song was "just a lucky moment in time", and that it is about being on the road in America. The chorus "kept on looking for a sign in the middle of the night" referred to searches for Holiday Inn signs, the sight of which meant that beds had been found for the night. When the band's career first started in America, they used to fly everywhere, in some cases involving up to three flights just to get to one place. Their itineraries meant that getting to any one place was difficult and involved arriving in a town, getting into a car, getting to the gig just in time to perform the sound check, performing the gig, re-entering the car and then looking for a bed. The final few years of the band's life were easier as they switched to using tour buses. This enabled them to leave the gig, enter the bus, get a bed, drive extended distances (in Holt's words, "1,000 miles or whatever") and turn up at the next gig refreshed.[3] The saxophonist Colin Cooper sang the baritone lead on this song, with the bassist Derek Holt, guitarist Pete Haycock and drummer John Cuffley singing harmony.[3]

B-sides

While in most markets "Couldn't Get It Right" was released with "Fat Maybellene" as the B-side (although it did not appear on the album),[7] in the United States and Canada the song was backed with album track "Sav'ry Gravy".[8] Both tracks were produced by album producer Mike Vernon.[3]

Critical reception

In an obituary for band member Pete Haycock, The Independent said that the song "transcended the clichés of the road-song genre and incorporated several of their trademarks, including the vocal harmonies of Haycock and Holt behind Cooper's lead, and Haycocks guitar being played in unison with Cooper’s saxophone, to create a concise gem of a single equal to the best work of the Doobie Brothers or Ace."[6]

Chart performance

The song was originally released by RCA Records in early 1976. Although the song did not make the UK Singles Chart until October 1976 it did manage to crack the top ten, entering at #47 and departing from #18 in early December 1976, having been at positions #10 and #11 the weeks before.[4] It reached #8 in Canada[9] and #29 in New Zealand.[10]

Later on that year, the song was picked up by Sire Records and the following year it made #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[11] Later that year, the song was ranked #32 on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977.[12]

Climax Blues Band performed the song live twice for Top of the Pops.[24][25] In addition, the song was used as background music in the TV series Fringe, episode "Subject 9".[26]

Brad Jones' 2010 online film The Hooker with a Heart of Gold used the song as background music.[27]

Episode 7 of Top Gear series 10, in which the presenters put three 1970s British cars through their paces to commemorate British Leyland's 40th anniversary, used the song when James May played it on the radio of his 1978 Leyland Princess while on his way to Cowley.[28]

The song was featured in the opening credits to Bob the Butler,[29] as well as appearing in Blow Dry.[30]

The song was featured on Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and was used on the Xbox and PlayStation game Sleeping Dogs.[5]

In 1987, the song gave its name to a hits package. Whilst commended for being "near-definitive", it was blasted by reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine as it omitted everything earlier than 1974, which he described as being "the closest they ever got to the blues".[31]

The adultery website Ashley Madison did a parody of the song for one of their commercials in 2014. It was the most complained about commercial that year with the Advertising Standards Bureau of Australia.[32]

References

  1. ^ "Explore: Soft Rock | Top Songs | AllMusic". AllMusic. 2011-11-12. Archived from the original on 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  2. ^ "Couldn't Get It Right". Discogs. 1976. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Couldn't Get It Right". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  4. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 110. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ a b "Climax Blues Band|Couldn't Get it Right". ColinCooperProject. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  6. ^ a b Pierre Perrone (2013-11-22). "Pete Haycock: Guitarist with the Climax Blues Band who went on to write film music for John Badham and Franc Roddam – Obituaries – News". The Independent. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  7. ^ "Gold Plated – Climax Blues Band". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  8. ^ "Couldn't Get It Right / Sav'ry Gravy". Discogs. 1976. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  9. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (17 July 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  10. ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Allmusic ((( Climax Blues Band > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))".
  12. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1977". Archived from the original on 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5248a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1977-07-02. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  15. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Couldn't Get It Right". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  16. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1978-05-28. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  17. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Couldn't Get it Right (song by Climax Blues Band)". Music VF.com. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 5/28/77". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  21. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  23. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1977". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  24. ^ Top of the Pops. 21 October 1976. BBC1.
  25. ^ Top of the Pops. 4 November 1976. BBC1.
  26. ^ "Fringe". 4. 11 October 2011.
  27. ^ The Hooker with a Heart of Gold. 4 February 2011.
  28. ^ "Top Gear". 10. 25 November 2007.
  29. ^ Bob the Butler. 14 January 2012.
  30. ^ Blow Dry. 30 March 2001.
  31. ^ the Climax Blues Band. "Couldn't Get It Right – Climax Blues Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  32. ^ "Record number of ASB complaints in 2014 - AdNews".

Read other articles:

Daftar kota di Hungaria

Kota dan desa di Hungaria Berikut adalah daftar kota di Hungaria: Abádszalók Abaújszántó Abony Ács Adony Ajka Albertirsa Alsózsolca Aszód Bábolna Bácsalmás Badacsonytomaj Baja Baktalórántháza Balassagyarmat Balatonalmádi Balatonboglár Balatonföldvár Balatonfüred Balatonfűzfő Balatonkenese Balatonlelle Balkány Balmazújváros Barcs Bátaszék Bátonyterenye Battonya Békés Békéscsaba Bélapátfalva Beled Berettyóújfalu Berhida Biatorbágy Bicske Biharkeresztes Bodajk...

 

Unione Sportiva Fiumana

US FiumanaCalcio Segni distintivi Uniformi di gara Casa Trasferta Colori sociali Rosso cardinale, giallo, blu Dati societari Città Fiume Nazione  Italia Confederazione FIFA Federazione FIGC Fondazione 1926 Scioglimento1945 Stadio Comunale del Littorio(8.000 posti) Palmarès Si invita a seguire il modello di voce L'Unione Sportiva Fiumana, meglio nota come Fiumana, fu una società polisportiva italiana di Fiume, città oggi in Croazia; era nota per la sua sezione calcistica ma prese...

 

جزر مبعثرة في المحيط الهندي

جزر مبعثرة في المحيط الهندي    علم شعار   الإحداثيات 22°20′38″S 40°22′02″E / 22.343888888889°S 40.367222222222°E / -22.343888888889; 40.367222222222[1]  [2] تاريخ التأسيس 2007  تقسيم إداري  البلد فرنسا[3]  التقسيم الأعلى أراض فرنسية جنوبية وأنتارتيكية  التقسيمات الإ�...

Pablo Montero

Mexican singer and actor This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: Pablo Montero – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template messa...

 

Balti (popolo)

Questa voce o sezione sull'argomento storia è priva o carente di note e riferimenti bibliografici puntuali. Sebbene vi siano una bibliografia e/o dei collegamenti esterni, manca la contestualizzazione delle fonti con note a piè di pagina o altri riferimenti precisi che indichino puntualmente la provenienza delle informazioni. Puoi migliorare questa voce citando le fonti più precisamente. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Distribuzione delle tribù baltiche, XIII secol...

 

Ortenau

Cet article est une ébauche concernant la géographie de l'Allemagne. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. Vignobles en Ortenau. L'Ortenau, à l'origine appelé Mortenau[1], est une région historique dans le Land de Bade-Wurtemberg en Allemagne dont la ville principale est Offenbourg. L'Ortenau, située entre le Rhin et la Forêt-Noire, est limitée au nord par l'Oos et la Murg et confine dans le su...

Agostino Petitti Bagliani di Roreto

Agostino Petitti Bagliani di Roreto Fonctions 3e et 8e ministre de la Guerre 4 mars 1862 – 8 décembre 1862(9 mois et 4 jours) Monarque Victor-Emmanuel II de Savoie Prédécesseur Alessandro Della Rovere Successeur Alessandro Della Rovere 10 avril 1867 – 27 octobre 1867(6 mois et 17 jours) Monarque Victor-Emmanuel II de Savoie Prédécesseur Alessandro Della Rovere Successeur Ignazio de Genova di Pettinengo (it) lieutenant-général des troupes alpines 1866 – 1...

 

Sergio Modón

Questa voce sull'argomento calciatori argentini è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Sergio Modón Nazionalità  Argentina Altezza 178 cm Peso 73 kg Calcio Ruolo Difensore Squadra  Ind. Rivadavia Carriera Squadre di club1 2010-2013 Estudiantes10 (0)2013-2014→  Aldosivi11 (0)2014-→  Ind. Rivadavia7 (1) 1 I due numeri indicano le presenze e le reti segnate, per le ...

 

Limahl

British pop singer LimahlLimahl in 2016BornChristopher Hamill (1958-12-19) 19 December 1958 (age 65)Pemberton, Wigan, Lancashire, EnglandOther namesLimahlOccupationSingerYears active1978–presentPartnerSteve Evans (1994–present)Musical careerGenres Pop synth-pop new wave Instrument(s) Vocals keyboards percussion Labels EMI Bellaphon Formerly of Kajagoogoo Vox Deus Crossword Brooks Musical artistWebsite www.limahl.com Christopher Hamill (born 19 December 1958), known professi...

Robert Bonfil

Israeli historian You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Hebrew. Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-q...

 

Bridge near Kemer

Bridge in Lycia, TurkeyBridge near SeydikemerThe western ramp of the Bridge near KemerCoordinates36°41′36″N 29°21′43″E / 36.693333°N 29.361944°E / 36.693333; 29.361944CrossesXanthos river (Koca Çayı)LocaleNear Xanthos, Lycia, TurkeyCharacteristicsTotal length500+ mWidth4.5 mHistoryConstruction endPresumably 3rd century ADLocation The Bridge near Seydikemer was a Roman segmental arch bridge near the ancient city of Xanthos in Lycia, in modern-day southwest...

 

العلاقات القبرصية الكوبية

العلاقات القبرصية الكوبية قبرص كوبا   قبرص   كوبا تعديل مصدري - تعديل   العلاقات القبرصية الكوبية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين قبرص وكوبا.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين البلدين هذه مقارنة عامة ومرجعية للدولتين: وجه المقارنة قبرص كوبا المساحة (�...

VA-83 (AL AS)

Skadron Tempur 83Emblem VFA-83AktifApril 1950 - SekarangNegaraAmerika SerikatCabang AL ASTipe unitPenempurPeranClose air supportAir interdictionAerial reconnaissanceBagian dariCarrier Air Wing 3MarkasNaval Air Station OceanaJulukanRampagersMotoRam On!PertempuranPerang TelukOperation Southern WatchPerang IrakPesawat tempurPesawat serbuA-4 SkyhawkA-7 Corsair IIPesawat tempurF4U CorsairF8F BearcatF9F PantherF7U Cutlass F/A-18C Hornet F/A-18 Super Hornet VA/VFA-83, yang juga dikenal dengan nama R...

 

Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) 2004 video gameKingdom Under Fire: The CrusadersCover art used in the Western worldDeveloper(s)PhantagramPublisher(s)NA: ...

 

Caen

Caencomune (dettagli) Caen – VedutaProfilo della città con le torri LocalizzazioneStato Francia Regione Normandia Dipartimento Calvados ArrondissementCaen CantoneCantoni di Caen AmministrazioneSindacoJoël Bruneau (LR) dal 5-5-2014 TerritorioCoordinate49°10′N 0°22′W49°10′N, 0°22′W (Caen) Altitudine8 m s.l.m. Superficie25,7 km² Abitanti105 354[1] (2017) Densità4 099,38 ab./km² Altre informazioniCod. postale14000 Pref...

The Bachelor Girl

1922 novel by Victor Margueritte This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: The Bachelor Girl – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (March 2024) Click [sh...

 

Olivetti Programma 101

Questa voce o sezione sull'argomento informatica è ritenuta da controllare. Motivo: Ampio uso di fonti primarie in altre parti del testo, alcune frasi senza alcuna fonte (per quanto probabilmente corrette). Partecipa alla discussione e/o correggi la voce. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Programma 101computerEsemplare di Programma 101 esposto al Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci di MilanoTipoComputer da tavolo[1] Paese d'origine...

 

مشعل كهربائي انضغاطي

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (أبريل 2018) مشعل غاز يستخدم مبدأ الكهرباء الانضغاطية المِشْعَل البيزوي أو مشعل الكهرباء الانضغاطية أو مسدس الغاز هو نوع من المشاعل التي تستخدم في بعض الأفران أو  بعض ...

8th Air Support Operations Squadron

8th Air Support Operations SquadronSquadron members, soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and Italian army paratroopers Board a CH-47 ChinookActive1942–1945; 1984–1991; 1994-2004; 2006–2013Country United StatesBranch United States Air ForceRoleClose air support operationsSizeSquadronMotto(s)Sparare Avanzere Communicare (Italian for 'Shoot, Scoot, Communicate') (After 2006)EngagementsEuropean Theater of OperationsDesert Storm[1]DecorationsAir Forc...

 

Gnome-Rhône 14M

Gnome-Rhône 14M MarsUn Gnome-Rhône 14M05 MarsDescrizione generaleCostruttore Gnome et Rhône Tipomotore radiale doppia stella Numero di cilindri14 Alimentazionecarburatore Bronzavia Schema impiantoCilindrata18,92 L Alesaggio112 mm Corsa116 mm DistribuzioneOHV 2 valvole per cilindro CombustioneCombustibilebenzina 87 ottani Raffreddamentoad aria Compressorea singolo stadio a velocità fissa UscitaPotenza700 hp (522 kW) a 3 030 giri/min (al decollo e a 5 150 m di quota) Potenza speci...