Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me
by Crow

Album: Crow Music (1969)
Charted: 19
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Songfacts®:

  • Crow was a Blues-Rock group from Minneapolis originally known as South 40. After changing their name and landing a record deal in 1969, they released three albums before breaking up in 1972. Their first album, Crow Music, contained their only hit: "Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me." With the lyrics, "You want me to claim this child you bore, but I know that it was he, not me," we learn that this is a very evil woman indeed.

    Crow bass player Larry Wiegand told us: "It was not a fictional story but had the same inspiration as Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Both tell the story of a guy who was accused of being the father of a gal's baby. He claims he isn't the father. 'Evil woman, don't play those games with me' is his response to her accusations. Not an uncommon story for young folks - then or now. All the Crow songs were about what young folks had to deal with at one time or another. I like to think each song is a snapshot of what was happening to us at the time."

    Regarding how the song came together, Larry says, "My brother Dick (the band's guitarist) and I were working on that song's chord progression, and Dave Wagner, our lead singer, was in the next room listening. He started writing down lyrics and we put them together."
  • This was the second single for the group, following "Time To Make A Turn," which tanked. "Evil Woman" first got airplay in Seattle and became popular around the country. It was never especially popular the band's home state of Minnesota.
  • A cover of this song was Black Sabbath's first single. It was released only in the UK and didn't chart, and was included on their self-titled 1970 album, but left off North American releases.

    Also in 1970, Ike and Tina Turner recorded the song for their album Come Together, with the title changed to "Evil Man" since Tina was singing it.
  • Crow's record label, Dunwich, had them add horns to this track even though the band didn't have a horn section. Larry Wiegand explained, "We didn't know they were going to add the horns. Dunwich did what they thought was right about getting a successful record out. I find it funny about what's been said on the internet about us not liking the horns. Those guys did a great job of playing the charts. Our only problem was that we didn't have a horn section when we toured, so we couldn't reproduce the sound when we performed live."
  • Drummer Dennis Craswell was previously a member of another one hit wonder band, The Castaways. Their 1965 single "Liar Liar" peaked at #12 on the Hot 100 in 1965.

Comments: 3

  • Robbie Walsh from Scranton PennsylvaniaWhen my first band- ninth grade- played in the school talent show, which was the first time playing anywhere, we did Evil Woman, after we played ( some how), Toad from wheels of fire. All went well until I opened my mouth to sing it...... That was something else!!!!! Anyway you need to start somewhere and eleven years later, I played on American Bandstand, Solid Gold and Friday’s live, all with Chubby Checker- as fate would have it. Eight years later, toured with Noel Redding.Not huge stuff, but reasonably nice. All about the stories, and I never forgot Evil Woman. A few years after the talent show, we met a fellow who said he played in Crow and we said” you did!!!?. It was not THAT Crow. Love, Peace and Happiness to the whole world!!
  • Robert from FloridaA great memory from my senior year. The bass player was awesome. The whole arrangement was good. Anyone else graduate in 1970? If so, you will remember driving your car home and hearing this on your radio!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 18th 1969, "Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games with Me" by Crow entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #88; and eleven weeks later on January 4th, 1970 it peaked at #19 {for 2 weeks} and spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
    The Minneapolis-based quintet had two other Top 100 records, "Cottage Cheese" {peaked at #56 in 1970} and "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" {reached #52 in 1970}.
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