Sorrow (The McCoys song)
| "Sorrow" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Amsterdam" (Brel, Shuman) |
"Sorrow" is a song first recorded by The McCoys in 1965 then by The British Merseybeats in 1966. It became a big hit in the United Kingdom in a version by The Merseys, reaching number 4 in the UK charts on 28 April 1966. A version by David Bowie was also a hit in 1973.
The song contains the lyric "with your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue", which reappears as a musical quote on the The Beatles' track "It's All Too Much" from Yellow Submarine.
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008) |
David Bowie version
David Bowie's remake of "Sorrow" was the only single released in the UK from the Pinups covers project, reaching UK #3 and staying in the charts for 15 weeks. The B-side, “Amsterdam”, was a cover of a Jacques Brel song (originally called “Port of Amsterdam”), had been performed live by Bowie since 1969, and was recorded in 1971 for the Ziggy Stardust album. It was dropped from the final release of the album, but was used as the single B-side as it fitted with “Sorrow”. In France, it was billed as the A-side of the single. "Sorrow" was featured in the 2008 John Cusack film War, Inc.
Track listing
- "Sorrow" (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) – 2:53
- "Amsterdam" (Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman) – 2:39
The Spanish release of the single had "Lady Grinning Soul" as the B-side.
Production credits
- Musicians:
- David Bowie: vocals, guitar (saxophone on “Sorrow”)
- Mick Ronson: guitar on “Sorrow”
- Trevor Bolder: bass on “Sorrow”
- Mike Garson: piano on “Sorrow”
- Aynsley Dunbar: drums on “Sorrow”
- Ken Fordham: saxophone on “Sorrow”
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 77 |
| UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 2 |
| German Singles Chart | 39 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
Other releases
- It also appeared on the following compilations:
- Chameleon (Australia/New Zealand 1979)
- Best of Bowie (1980)
- Sound and Vision box set (1989)
- The Singles Collection (1993)
- The Best of 1969/1974 (1997)
- Best of Bowie (2002)
References
Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5