Humble Pie – I Don’t Need No Doctor

It’s an R&B song written by Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Jo Armstead. First released by Nick Ashford on Verve in August 1966 and covered by many but the most popular version is probably by Humble Pie.

It sounds like they turned the amps up to 11 and just like overdrive carry the song which is the way I like hard rock songs. Steve Marriott and a rocking Peter Frampton were in this band at this time together.

Humble Pie contains one of my favorite rock singers ever…in Steve Marriott. He rarely gets brought up by anyone because he is sadly not remembered as well as he should be. I’ve listened to Marriott for years and the guy still amazes me. He could sing blues, R & B, Rock, and Pop. He could do anything because not only was he a great singer a good songwriter and he was a very good guitar player. Robert Plant has said he was an influence and you can tell.

He was with the Small Faces and then left them to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. Rod Stewart took his place in the Small Faces and they became The Faces. Humble Pie was known as a great live act but never had a huge identifiable song. Personally, I like 30 Days in a Hole, Black Coffee, Natural Born Bugie, and this one. 

This song peaked at #73 in the Billboard 100 in 1971. It was on a live album called Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore  It reached #21 on the Billboard 200, #32 in Canada, and hit the UK Top 40.

 

I Don’t Need No Doctor

I don’t need no doctor ’cause I know what’s ailing me
I don’t need no doctor ’cause I know what’s ailing me
Yes I do, all I need is my baby
You don’t know I’m in miseryI don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

I don’t need no doctor
My prescription tells me that
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

I don’t need no doctor
My prescription tell me that
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

All I need is my baby
You don’t know [?]
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

Well, the doctor said I need rest
He put me on the critical list
Keeping me safe from harm
All I need is her sweet charm

He gave me a medicated lotion
That wouldn’t do
My emotion

I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
No doctor
No doctor

I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
[?]

I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

[?]
Had a good time
Had a good time
Had a good time

I don’t feel good
I don’t feel good
I don’t need no doctor

I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor

I don’t, I don’t feel
I don’t, I don’t feel

I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need no doctor
I don’t need

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

23 thoughts on “Humble Pie – I Don’t Need No Doctor”

    1. Thanks Jim that was good. That was their downfall it seems. The Faces had Stay With Me but Humble Pie never had that one song…plus terrible management. Marriott was dragged in front of John Gotti at one point when he complained about money.

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  3. Off Topic Max – I see Sunday morning MLB Network is showing highlight films from the late 40’s and 1950’s- Yankees vs Dodgers World Series. I have already set up the DVR-… also a lot of Dodger games seem to be on for the next 3 or 4 days..

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      1. They are showing highlights of 1981 season right now- a few moments ago they showed Rick Monday’s home run vs Expos…
        50 years ago today—you know what happened..

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      2. That Rick Monday homerun…or Blue Monday excited me to no end…I have that game…I just got it a few months ago…finally!

        Yes…a dark day when Paul publicly put an end to it all.

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  4. We have Humble Pie Rockin the Filmore. The whole album is really great, this song in particular, of course. We also have Smokin’ and On to Victory. I always thought Fool For a Pretty Face should have been a big hit. Anyway, love Steve Marriott.Tragic how the industry treated him–and the way he died.

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    1. They seemed to lack that one identifiable song…like Stay With Me was to the Faces. I’ve heard that album…it is a joy. I know why they were known for a live band.

      He had horrible managers through his career…Don Arden and then in Humble Pie was hauled in front of John Gotti when asking about money…his death was awful and at such a young age.

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      1. Yes. Don Arden was a very scary guy. I know you know that he’s Sharon Osborne’s father. I’ve heard some very bad things about her as well…though I think she and her father were estranged for years. I’m not sure about that. But I’ve heard she’s very ruthless.
        Anyway, I thought Thirty Days in the Hole was pretty signature, but it’s more of an obscure AOR hit. “…No Doctor,” even more so.

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      2. She has said that her father called the dogs on her when she came by…whether that is true I dont’ know. I’ve never been a fan of Sharon.

        My favorite song by them is 30 Days in a Hole…Steve lists about every street name for drugs in that song.

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  5. to me they are like Led Zep’s less successful cousin… take that as a compliment or an insult as you will. Lots of talent, but from what little I know of them, not great material. But mainly I make the comparison because like Zep, when I was a kid, I’d see that name Humble Pie on shelves and on the “album top 10” the local AM station added on to the top 30 singles chart, but never heard their music. Maybe if I’d listened to FM when I was 6,7 I would have. But unlike Zep, they never became mainstays of “classic rock” radio.

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    1. They never had THAT song that they were remembered by.
      Page wanted Marriott to be the singer of Zeppelin and he could done a great job…He also was considered to replace Mick Taylor in the Stones….Keith loves his guitar playing but Mick refused…

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      2. Oh of course…I am glad Plant admitted he wanted to be Steve…that was cool of him to acknowledge that.

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  8. Ashford & Simpson! Cool.

    I’ve never heard this before but, I knew Frampton was in this band. I like 30 Days.

    Yeah. Marriott and Plant are very similar. Marriott appears to have the stronger voice.

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    1. They paid a huge price…some aren’t here to pay it anymore.
      Some like McCartney did it in moderation but never the heavy stuff…how Keith Richards…all joking aside…is still walking about is a miracle.

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