Black Coffee was written by Ike and Tina Turner. It originally recorded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner for their 1972 album Feel Good.
The Humble Pie version was released in 1973. It was on the double album Eat It that peaked at #13 in the Billboard 100. Each side of this double album is different: Side 1 features Steve Marriott penned rock and roll; Side 2 has classic R&B covers; Side 3 is a collection of acoustic Steve Marriott songs; finally Side 4 features Humble Pie live in concert.
Steve Mariott contacted Venetta Fields and asked her to find two other women to form a trio of backup singers. Fields chose Clydie King and Billie Barnum. The toured with Humble Pie and they were called the Blackberries.
Steve Marriott: “I just sang it ‘cos I loved the song and it was an interpretation of somebody else’s lyrics. People should have known that I’ve been into black music for years anyway.”
Black Coffee
Black coffee is my name
Black coffee is not a thing
Black coffee, freshly ground and fully packed
Hot black coffee, boys, mmm that’s where it’s at, mean it.
Way back you all know since I don’t know when
See I got hungover before I was 10
You see my skin is white but my soul is black
So hot black coffee, that’s where it’s at.
(Black coffee) That’s what I’m talkin’ about boys
(Black coffee) That’s what I mean
(Black coffee) Ooh you’ve got to feel it in your hand
(Black coffee) Hmm yeah
(Black coffee).
Well you hear that
Some black tea, well it can’t compare with me
Black tea (can’t compare with me) that’s right
Black tea, well it’s as good as, it’s as good as, it’s as good as it can be
But it’s a cup of black coffee that a working man needs to see, yeah.
In America, well it’s the land of the free
You can get what you want if you’ve got some do re me
Well travelling far and I work like a slave
Now I’m independent, and you know I get laid.
I got me a job and I build me a place
I got a spit of black coffee, oh how good it tastes
I said a dime is all it costs in the States
For a cup of black coffee, how good it tastes
(Black coffee) Alright
(Black coffee) Oh
(Black coffee) It’s what I want now, it’s what I need
(Black coffee) To suit my soul, to suit my soul now
(Black coffee) It’s what I want, it’s what I need
(Black coffee) It’s where it’s at, it’s where it’s at
(Black coffee) Oh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eat_It_(album)
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well, I think I like Everlast’s “Black Coffee” and Squeeze’s “Black Coffee in Bed” better, but now there’s a whole little “morning wake me up” theme set! thanks for sharing an obscure (to me at least)one!
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I really like Humble Pie…they rocked that is for sure so this is a little different. They lacked that one song to put them over the top.
You will see them next week again.
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I like those lines
In America, well it’s the land of the free
You can get what you want if you’ve got some do re me
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Cool bass playing on this.
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I remember reading an interview with Steve Marriott in *Circus* magazine (like most of the music magazines that flourished in the ’70’s, it was gone by the ’80’s) around the time *Eat It* came out, and Marriott seemed quite pleased with the way the album turned out. “Black Coffee” got lots of airplay on FM radio in Chicago, and it’s a great track.
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It seems they didn’t have that one song that put them over the top. I love a lot of their stuff like Thirty Days in the Hole… Plus like the Small Faces they got bad management. Marriott came face to face with John Gotti in the mid seventies…the guy had the perfect rock and roll voice but always seem to lose out….but they were a great band.
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Sounds so black like the songtitle. It isn’t so bad, this little excursion from Humble Pie into the gospel-category.
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Ah…I love me some Humble Pie. Just straight ahead hard rock with a great rhythm section. Steve Mariott was an outstanding rock singer as well as fine musician. Good tune.
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Thanks Pam…I’m on a Marriott kick right now. Next week I’m doing a “drug songs week” and they will be on there again…and you know the one.
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Drugs IN the song or bands ON drugs?
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No songs that reference drugs. Look up the words to 30 Days in a Hole… Love that band.
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You’ll be busy. Don’t forget Snowblind, Journey to the Center of the Mind, Toy Soldiers, White Rabbit, Semi-Charmed Life, I Want a New Drug, Cocaine, Purple Haze, Mother’s Little Helper, She Talks to Angels, Ashes to Ashes, White Punks on Dope, One Toke Over the Line, Light Up, Rocky Mountain High (I dare you)…LOL!
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One of those…not telling you which one but one I have written up..but many of the others I already did…I’m only repeating one that I already did….and that is Humble Pie…because it’s the most sleaziest drug song you can get.
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There’s no arguing that it came from Ike and Tina Turner, is there? The Humble Pie version is really good.
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Sounds pretty cool, Max! I like the gospel-like backing vocals. I don’t think I’ve heard the original, so need to check that out.
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Yea I’m on a Steve Marriott kick this week. Such a great singer.
We were talking about this stuff the other day…if you get time…take a listen to this and you can see where Plant was influenced.
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Holy moly. I’ve never heard the Small Faces like this. It sounds quite different from “All Or Nothing” and “Sha La La La Li”!
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Yea…and Plant admitted on getting some influence from their live shows. Page wanted Marriott but his manager at the time threaten to break Pages fingers lol…Don Arden
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Yikes!
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Yea he would have been the singer of Zeppelin…
yea Marriott influenced Paul Rodgers, Robert Plant and many singers.
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Holy Crap! Plant just copied him… I like Zep’s music better, though but, MAN…
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Well this was just playing with a riff…but Marriott was the man…yea Plant has admitted it
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I’ve never heard this but, it definitely sounds Motown-ish.
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That white man’s voice is not close to black, but I appreciate him trying. The Blackberries sound great though.
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That was interesting on Marriotts part. Bringing a gospel feel to a hard rock band.
You will be seeing them again Monday in drug week lol.
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LOL
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I think I used to have a Humble Pie 8-track. Was there an album cover with a white mask on it?
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I just looked to be sure..no I don’t think so. They sounded a little like The Faces…
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I think we’ve talked about how good this band sounds as the years go by. Same as The Small Faces. This is such a great cover. Steve puts some passion in it. Just the sound of this band is so cool.
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The guitars had a great fat sound…his voice…yea one of the best.
I have a post coming up if I can figure how to do it…”Build a Band”…. I pick my fantasy band…Steve is the singer usually always.
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Very cool giving Steve his due.
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