Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Album: Time & Changes (1967)
Charted: 5
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Songfacts®:

  • This song was originally an instrumental Jazz song recorded by saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley; his version peaked at US #11 a few months before the Buckinghams' vocal version. It was composed by Joe Zawinul and lyrics were later added by a variety of lyricists. The Buckinghams' version contains lyrics by Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Larry Williams. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jerro - New Alexandria, PA

Comments: 9

  • C.g. Dee from Big D, Texas, UsaPeople of a certain generation may not realize that American acts in the mid-1960s pretended to be British in order to make it in the music biz. In many cases, it Worked.

    https://tinyurl.com/yd4zfk7j
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 4, 1967, 'Cannonball' Adderley performed "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"* on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time the song was in it's second of two weeks at #11 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, that was also it's peak position on the chart, plus it spent eleven weeks on the Top 100...
    The following week it peaked at #3 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart...
    Besides "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", the Florida native had four other Top 100 records, "African Waltz" {#41 in 1961}, "The Jive Samba" {#66 in 1963}, "Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)" {#73 in 1967}, and "Country Preacher" {#86 in 1970}...
    Julian Edwin 'Cannonball' Adderley passed away at the young age of 46 on August 8th, 1975 {cerebral hemorrhage}...
    May he R.I.P.
    *Three other versions of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" also charted in 1967; the Buckinghams {#5}, Marlena Shaw {#58}, and Larry Williams & Johnny Watson {#96}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 27, 1967, the Buckinghams performed "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV network Saturday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    Two weeks later on June 11th the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at #81; eight weeks later it would peak at #5 {for 1 week} and it spent 12 week on the Top 100..
    Seems many artists like the word 'Mercy':
    Three other versions of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" also charted in 1967; Cannonball Adderley Quintet {#11}, Marlena Shaw {#58}, and Larry Williams & Johnny Watson {#96}...
    Other Top 100 records containing just only the word 'Mercy':
    "Mercy" by the Ohio Express {#30in 1969}
    "Mercy, Mercy" by Don Covay & the Goodtimers {#35 in 1964}
    "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" by Phoebe Snow {#52 in 1981}
    And three other 'Mercy' records; "Mercy, Mercy Me" by Marvin Gaye {#4 in 1971}, "Have Mercy Baby" by the Bobbettes {#66 in 1960}, and "Somebody Have Mercy" by Sam Cooke [#70 in 1962}...
    Of course all of the above songs are available on You Tube.
  • Larry from BostonRegarding the first couple of lines of the lyrics in the lyric posting: I hear it as "My baby she made out of love / Like one of those bunnies out of the Playboy Club" NOT "My baby she may not a-look / Like one of those bunnies out of a Playboy Club."
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 11th 1967, "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" by the Buckinghams entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #81; eight weeks later on August 6th, 1967 it would peak at #5 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for 12 weeks...
    Between 1966 and 1968 the Chicago quintet had seven Top 100 records; three made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "Kind of A Drag"* for 2 weeks on February 18th, 1967...
    They just missed having a fourth Top 10 record when "Susan" peaked at #11 {for 2 weeks} in January 21st, 1968...
    * "Kind of a Drag" ended the Monkees seven week reign at #1 with "I'm A Believer".
  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny
    * Double Lucky Elevens *

    On January 1st 1967, "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" by Cannonball Adderley entered the Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 19th it peaked at #11 (for 2 weeks) and also spent 11 weeks on the Top 100...
    Three months later on March 5th Marlena Shaw's covered version charted, it reached #58 and stayed on the Top 100 for 5 weeks...
    Then three months later Buckingham's covered version entered the Top 100 on June 10th; it peaked on August 6th at #5 (for 1 week) and remained on the Top 100 for 12 weeks...
    Also in 1967 the duo of Larry Williams & Johnny 'Guitar' Watson released their version, it peaked at #96 on the Top 100...
    R.I.P. Mr. Adderly, born Julian Edwin Adderley, (1928 - 1975) and Ms. Shaw, born Marlina Burgess,
    celebrated her 71st birthday four months ago on September 22nd.
  • Matthew from Toronto, OnGreat change-of-pace hit for the Buckinghams. They tried to get away from their easy-going sweetness here. I'm not sure the vocal performance is up to say, Ray Charles, but it's a damned good attempt & a great song to sing along with.
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaGreat horn arrangement by Jimmy Guercio?
    : )
    shades of things to come(BS&Tears,and Chicago
  • Kevin from Syracuse, UtIt makes perfect sense that Joe Zawinul composed this. It has that same, bright jazz feel as "Birdland," another timeless Zawinul composition.
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