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"Hard to Handle" is a 1968 song written by American soul singer Otis Redding along with Al Bell and Allen Jones. Originally recorded by Redding, it was released in 1968 as the B-side to "Amen" (shortly after the singer's sudden death in 1967). The song also appears on the 1968 album The Immortal Otis Redding. Redding's version reached No. 38 on the Billboard R&B charts and No. 51 on the pop charts.[1]

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"Hard to Handle"
Song by Otis Redding
from the album The Immortal Otis Redding
Released	June 1968
Recorded	1967
Genre	Soul, funk
Length	2:17
Label	Atco
Songwriter(s)	Allen Jones Al Bell Otis Redding
Producer(s)	Steve Cropper
Official audio
Hard To Handle (Official Lyric Video) on YouTube

The Black Crowes covered the song on their 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker and it became their first hit single.

The Black Crowes version

"Hard to Handle"
Single by the Black Crowes
from the album Shake Your Money Maker
B-side	"Waitin' Guilty" "Jealous Again" (acoustic) "Sister Luck" (live)
Released	August 13, 1990 (1990-08-13)
Length	3:08
Label	Def American
Songwriter(s)	Allen Jones Al Bell Otis Redding
Producer(s)	George Drakoulias
The Black Crowes singles chronology
"Jealous Again" (1990) "Hard to Handle" (1990) "Twice As Hard" (1990)

American rock band the Black Crowes covered the song for their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. Two versions of the song exist: the original album version and the hit single remixed with an overdubbed brass section.^{[citation needed]} The album version was first released as a single in the United Kingdom in August 1990 and was issued in the United States later the same year.

The song peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. Following the success of the band's first top-40 hit, "She Talks to Angels", the song re-entered the Hot 100 and peaked at number 26 in August 1991, becoming the Black Crowes' highest position on the chart. The same month, the song was re-released in the UK and reached a new peak of number 39.

Track listings

Charts

Chart (1990–1991)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[13]	79
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14]	40
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15]	56
UK Singles (OCC)[16]	45
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 1991 re-release	39
US Billboard Hot 100[18]	26
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[19]	1

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	August 13, 1990	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl cassette	Def American	[20]
	August 28, 1990	12-inch picture disc		[21]
United States	1990	7-inch vinyl cassette
United Kingdom	August 12, 1991	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD		[22]

Other versions

• Sunshine Pop group, Harpers Bizarre covered the song in their unique style on their 1969 LP Harpers Bizarre 4
• Reggae artist Carl Dawkins recorded a cover, produced by Lee Perry in 1969 as a 7" A side.
• Soul artist King Floyd covers this song on his 1973 studio album "Think About It" (Atco Records)
• Reggae artist Capleton used the ascension / descension for "Wings of the Mourning" (remix) 1992 on the Def Jam label
• Masta Ace samples this song's bass line for "Four Minus Three", a song from his debut album Take a Look Around.
• The Lemon Jelly 2001 song "Rock", from a rare limited edition (1000 copies) single called "Soft/Rock" (which came in a pair of Levi's jeans with a condom in the pocket), features sampled elements of "Hard to Handle".
• The hip-hop producer Marley Marl sampled the five-note ascension and descension intro for his song "The Symphony" from his 1988 album In Control, Volume 1. This was re-sampled for the 1992 Wreckx-N-Effect song "Hard" and the 1999 Snoop Dogg song "Ghetto Symphony" from his 1999 album No Limit Top Dogg.
• Rapper Frankie Cutlass also uses the five ascending notes^{[clarification needed]} on his song "The Cypher Pt III" from his 1997 album Politics & Bullsh*t.
• German hip-hop band Fünf Sterne deluxe used the melody and samples in their 1998 song "Willst du mit mir gehn"
• The Grateful Dead performed the song on occasion in the late 1960s and early 1970s, typically sung by keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. The song appears on the Grateful Dead live albums History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice), Fallout from the Phil Zone, Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead, Dick's Picks Volume 35, Dave's Picks Volume 6, Dave's Picks Volume 10, Dave's Picks Volume 19, and Dave's Picks Volume 30.
• Serbian hard rock band Cactus Jack included a cover of the Black Crowes version on their 2002 live album DisCover.
• Gov't Mule covered the song for their 2007 album Mighty High.[23] They fused blues and reggae to produce this dub-style cover.
• Mae West, as Leticia Van Allen, sings the song in the 1970 film Myra Breckenridge.^{[citation needed]}
• British R&B/rock band Snafu included the song on their 1975 album All Funked Up[24] and performed it for John Peel on his show of 4 September 1975.[25]

References

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