Don't Mess with Bill
| "Don't Mess with Bill" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Marvelettes | ||||
| from the album The Marvelettes Greatest Hits | ||||
| B-side | "Anything You Wanna Do" | |||
| Released | November 26, 1965 | |||
| Recorded | Hitsville USA; June 1965 | |||
| Genre | Soul, pop | |||
| Length | 2:51 | |||
| Label | Tamla T 54126 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Smokey Robinson | |||
| Producer(s) | Smokey Robinson | |||
| The Marvelettes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Don't Mess with Bill" is a million-selling Gold-certified 1966 single recorded by The Marvelettes for Motown Records' Tamla label.[1] Written and produced by Smokey Robinson, "Don't Mess with Bill" features a lead vocal by Wanda Young. The single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1966, and at number three on Billboard's R&B singles chart. "Don't Mess with Bill" was the Marvelettes' final Top 10 single.[2][3]
The titular "Bill" referenced in the song is not an allusion to the song's author, Bill "Smokey" Robinson.[1] Robinson reports that he chose the name because it fit the lyrics, not because it was his. [citation needed] "Don't Mess With Bill" has also been recorded and released by Monalisa Young. It was also included as part of The Spinners "Superstar Medley" and released on the 1975 "Spinners Live!" album.[4]
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Wanda Young Rogers
- Background vocals by The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers[5]
- Bass – James Jamerson
- Congas – Eddie "Bongo" Brown
- Drums – Benny Benjamin
- Guitar – Robert White
- Organ – Earl Van Dyke
- Baritone Saxophone – Andrew "Mike" Terry
- Tenor Saxophone solo – Norris Patterson
- Trombone – Don White, Paul Riser
- Trumpet – Floyd Jones, John Trudell
- Vibraphone – Jack Ashford
References
- ^ a b The Complete Motown Singles Vol 5: 1965 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 379.
- ^ Don't Mess with Bill at Allmusic
- ^ The Spinners Live! LP
- ^ Liner notes. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965, Hip-O Select – B0006775-02, USA, 04 Aug 2006
External links
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