I Fought the Law (album)

Last updated
I Fought the Law
IFoughttheLawLP.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 1966
Recorded1965
Genre Rock and roll
Label Mustang
Mustang M-901 (mono)
MS-901 (stereo)
Producer Robert Keane
The Bobby Fuller Four chronology
KRLA King of the Wheels
(1965)
I Fought the Law
(1966)
The Bobby Fuller Memorial Album
(1968)
Singles from I Fought the Law
  1. "I Fought the Law" / "Little Annie Lou"
    Released: October 1965
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

I Fought the Law is the second and final studio album by The Bobby Fuller Four. It was released by Mustang Records in February 1966 in stereo and mono. Its title comes from the title track, "I Fought the Law", which had recently become a hit single for the group, eventually charting at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 . [3]

Contents

Background

The album was released as a response to "I Fought the Law"'s impressive chart performance, featuring a re-recorded version of the song on stereo copies of the album (in which Fuller slyly inserts a certain four-letter word in place of the word "fun"). The song was written by Sonny Curtis and had been previously released on The Crickets first album without Buddy Holly, In Style with the Crickets . In addition, the album recycles seven songs from Fuller's previous album KRLA King of the Wheels , including the band's previous hit single, "Let Her Dance" and "I Fought the Law"'s B-side, "Little Annie Lou". Many songs are also reworkings of older songs recorded by Bobby Fuller in his home studio in El Paso, including "I Fought the Law", "Julie" and "Only When I Dream" are new songs. "She's My Girl" is listed on the front cover but does not appear on this album as it did on the first.

I Fought the Law became the group's only Billboard charted album, peaking at #144 in April 1966. [4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bobby Fuller, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let Her Dance" 2:28
2."Julie" Chip Taylor 2:20
3."A New Shade of Blue" 2:53
4."Only When I Dream"Bobby Fuller, Mary Stone Huffman2:15
5."You Kiss Me"Bobby Fuller, Mary Stone Huffman2:32
6."Little Annie Lou"Bobby Fuller, Randy Fuller1:59
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Fought the Law" Sonny Curtis 2:17
2."Another Sad and Lonely Night" 2:15
3."Saturday Night" 1:40
4."Take My Word" 2:05
5."Fool of Love" 2:35
6."Never to Be Forgotten"Bobby Fuller, Randy Fuller2:54

Personnel

The Bobby Fuller Four

Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Fuller</span> American rock musician (1942–1966)

Robert Gaston Fuller was an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for "Let Her Dance" and his cover of the Crickets' "I Fought the Law," recorded with his group The Bobby Fuller Four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bobby Fuller Four</span> American rock & roll band

The Bobby Fuller Four was a popular mid-1960s American rock & roll band started by Bobby Fuller. First formed in 1962 in Fuller's hometown of El Paso, Texas, the group went on to produce some of its most memorable hits under the Mustang Records label in Hollywood, California. The band's most successful songs include "Let Her Dance", "I Fought the Law" and "Love's Made a Fool of You".

<i>Magic Bus: The Who on Tour</i> 1968 compilation album by the Who

Magic Bus: The Who on Tour is a compilation album by English rock band the Who. It was released as the band's fourth album in the United States by Decca in September 1968 to capitalize on the success of their single of the same name. It is a compilation album of previously released material, and was not issued in the UK, although the album was also released at approximately the same time in Canada. It peaked at #39 on the Billboard 200.

"I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, becoming a top-ten hit for the band in 1966. Their version of the song was ranked No. 175 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, and the same year was named one of the 500 "Songs that Shaped Rock" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<i>Hi Infidelity</i> 1980 studio album by REO Speedwagon

Hi Infidelity is the ninth studio album by American rock band REO Speedwagon, released on November 21, 1980, by Epic Records. The album became a big hit in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200, spending 15 weeks at number one. It went on to become the biggest-selling album of 1981, eventually being certified 10 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>The Monkees</i> (album) 1966 studio album by the Monkees

The Monkees is the debut studio album by the American band the Monkees. It was released on October 10, 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band's second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies.

<i>Changes</i> (The Monkees album) 1970 studio album by the Monkees

Changes is the ninth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1970 by Colgems Records. The album was issued after Michael Nesmith's exit from the band, leaving only Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones to fulfill the recording contract they had signed in the mid-1960s. Changes was their last new album for Colgems Records and the group's last album of all new material until Pool It!, released in 1987.

<i>Made in the Shade</i> 1975 greatest hits album by The Rolling Stones

Made in the Shade, released in 1975, is the third official compilation album by the Rolling Stones, and the first under their Atlantic Records contract. It covers material from Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St. (1972), Goats Head Soup (1973) and It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (1974).

<i>Instant Replay</i> (The Monkees album) 1969 studio album by the Monkees

Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. Issued 11 months after the cancellation of the group's NBC television series, it is also the first album released after Peter Tork left the group and the only album of the original nine studio albums that does not include any songs featured in the TV show.

Sonny Curtis is an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly's death. Curtis's best known compositions include "Walk Right Back", a major hit in 1961 for the Everly Brothers; "I Fought the Law", notably covered by the Bobby Fuller Four and the Clash; and "Love is All Around," the theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do You Want to Dance</span> 1958 song by Bobby Freeman

"Do You Want to Dance" is a song written by American singer Bobby Freeman and recorded by him in 1958. It reached number No. 5 on the United States Billboard Top 100 Sides pop chart and No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart. Cliff Richard and the Shadows' version of the song reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom in 1962, despite being a B-side. The Beach Boys notably covered the song in 1965 for their album The Beach Boys Today!. Retitled "Do You Wanna Dance?", their version reached No. 12 in the United States. A 1972 cover by Bette Midler with the original title restored reached No. 17.

"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" is a rock song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. It was first recorded by the English band the Liverpool Five in early 1966 but remained unreleased before summer of that same year. In the meantime, the American band Paul Revere & the Raiders recorded the song which appeared on their album Midnight Ride, released in May 1966.

<i>Kinkdom</i> 1965 studio album by the Kinks

Kinkdom is a studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released as their fourth album in the United States. It was issued by Reprise Records on 24 November 1965 in both mono and simulated stereo formats. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard album chart.

<i>Family Tradition</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Hank Williams Jr.

Family Tradition is a studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released in April 1979 by Curb Records, his third studio album for the label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love's Made a Fool of You</span> 1959 single by The Crickets

"Love's Made a Fool of You" is a song co-written and originally performed by Buddy Holly. It was later re-recorded by Sonny Curtis and the Crickets, with the lead vocal by Earl Sinks, and famously covered by the Bobby Fuller Four.

"Let Her Dance" is a song by the Bobby Fuller Four. It was the group's fourth single under Del-Fi Records, and the first to achieve national attention.

<i>KRLA King of the Wheels</i> 1965 studio album by The Bobby Fuller Four

KRLA King of the Wheels is the debut studio album by The Bobby Fuller Four. It was released by Mustang Records in November 1965 in stereo and mono. It was released in promotion of the local Los Angeles radio station, KRLA.

<i>In Style with the Crickets</i> 1960 studio album by The Crickets

In Style With the Crickets is a rock and roll album by the Crickets. Although it was the band's first release following the departure and subsequent death of their front man, Buddy Holly, it still contains many of the band's most memorable songs and many tracks have also been featured on numerous compilations over the years. Originally released as an LP record on December 5, 1960, the album remained out of print for some time until it was re-released on CD in 1993, with bonus tracks not featured on the original album.

<i>The Who Hits 50!</i> (album) 2014 compilation album by the Who

The Who Hits 50! is a compilation of singles by the English rock band the Who, released in 2014 by Polydor Records. The two-disc set contains every single released by the band in the United Kingdom, with the exceptions of: "A Legal Matter" and "La-La-La-Lies" from 1966; and "Long Live Rock" and the remake of "I'm One" from 1979. At the same time it also contains every single by the band released in the United States throughout their career, with the exceptions of: "The Real Me" from 1974; the reissue of "Substitute" from 1976; and "Long Live Rock" from 1979. A condensed single-disc standard edition appeared as well, both versions in conjunction with the band's 50th anniversary and associated tour of the same name. The album is notable for containing singles generally not included on other compilation albums, such as the band's Rolling Stones cover "The Last Time" done as an act of solidarity while Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were facing jail time, along with other lesser-known singles "Dogs" and "Call Me Lightning".

<i>Take Me for What Im Worth</i>

Take Me for What I'm Worth is the fifth studio album by the English rock band The Searchers and the group's first LP which missed the official Record Retailer Top 20 album chart in the United Kingdom. Released in the end of 1965 it was the last album by the Searchers before the leader of the band Chris Curtis left. Album included some songs written by members of the band as well as cover versions of some well known tracks originally recorded by The Ronettes, Fats Domino, Marvin Gaye or Ian and Sylvia. The title track, written by P. F. Sloan, was the last Top 20 hit for the band in the UK.

References

  1. AllMusic review
  2. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 633.
  3. "Bobby Fuller Four Charts". Billboard . Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  4. "Billboard Chart April 2, 1966". Billboard . Retrieved May 28, 2017.