"Feelin' Alright?", also known as "Feeling Alright", is a song written by Dave Mason of the English rock band Traffic for their eponymous 1968 album Traffic. It was also released as a single, and failed to chart in both the UK and the US, but it did reach a bubbling under position of #123 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2][3] Joe Cocker performed a more popular rendition of the song that did chart in the U.S. Both Traffic's and Cocker's versions appear in the 2012 movie Flight. The song was also featured in the 2000 film Duets, sung by Huey Lewis.
| "Feelin' Alright?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Traffic | ||||
| from the album Traffic | ||||
| B-side | "Withering Tree" | |||
| Released | September 1968 | |||
| Recorded | 1968 | |||
| Genre | Funk rock[1] | |||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Dave Mason | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Miller | |||
| Traffic singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Traffic version credits
edit- Dave Mason – lead vocal, guitar
- Chris Wood – tenor saxophone, backing vocal
- Steve Winwood – piano, bass, backing vocal
- Jim Capaldi – drums, percussion, backing vocal
Joe Cocker version
edit| "Feelin' Alright?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Joe Cocker | ||||
| from the album With a Little Help from My Friends | ||||
| B-side | "Sandpaper Cadillac" | |||
| Released | May 1969 | |||
| Recorded | 1968 | |||
| Genre | Blue-eyed soul | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Mason | |||
| Producer(s) | Denny Cordell | |||
| Joe Cocker US singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Joe Cocker recorded it to lead off his debut album With a Little Help from My Friends in 1969. He also amended the title of the original from "Feelin' Alright?" to "Feeling Alright". Released as a single in 1969, it reached #69 on the US singles chart,[4] and #49 in Canada.[5] In a 1972 re-release, it reached even higher to #33 on the same chart,[6] and #35 in Canada.[7] A live version was included in his double album Mad Dogs & Englishmen of 1970. Cocker performed a 'duet' of this song with John Belushi imitating Cocker on the third episode of Saturday Night Live's second season, which aired on October 2, 1976. Cocker also performed the song with Huey Lewis on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which aired on 19 July 2012.
Joe Cocker version credits
edit- Joe Cocker – vocals
- Artie Butler – piano
- David Bennett Cohen – guitar
- Carol Kaye – bass
- Paul Humphrey – drums
- Laudir de Oliveira – percussion
- Merry Clayton, Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway – backing vocals
Other versions
editIt has also been recorded by:[8]
- 1969 - Three Dog Night (as the B-side to "Celebrate"), Rare Earth, David Ruffin, and Rustix. Mongo Santamaría released it on Atlantic Records in November 1969; his version titled "Feeling Alright" reached #95 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[9]
- 1970 - Lulu, Lou Rawls, Chairmen of the Board, Hubert Laws, The 5th Dimension.
- 1971 - Gladys Knight & the Pips; The Jackson 5 with lead vocals by Jermaine, Marlon, Michael and Jackie Jackson. Later they recorded the song again with Diana Ross.[10] Wade Marcus, Maceo Parker, Jr. Walker & the All Stars.
- 1971 - Grand Funk Railroad released it in May 1971 as "Feelin' Alright," which reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11] It was included in the band's 1971 album Survival.
- 1972 - Dave Mason on the album Headkeeper.
- 1973 - Dave Mason on Dave Mason Is Alive, Isaac Hayes, The Undisputed Truth, and Mother's Finest.
- 1975 - The mexican psychedelic funk Evolución recorded a version for their self-titled only album
- 1978 - The Bar-Kays.
- 1985 - A Little Milton recording from 1970 released on the album The Checker Days 1961-1970.[8]
- 1992 - Paul Weller on the Above the Clouds EP in 1992.[12]
- 1994 - Kate Ceberano recorded a version for her 1994 album, Kate Ceberano and Friends.
- 1997 - Craig Chaquiço (guitarist) in the album Once in a Blue Universe.[13][14]
- 2001 - Juliette Lewis for the closing song in the movie Picture Claire.[15]
- 2003 - Gail Ann Dorsey on the album Rude Blue[16]
- 2006 - Ohio Players as a bonus track in Pain album reissue.[17]
- 2010 - Nuno Mindelis in the album Free Blues.
- 2016 - Lauren Bush on All My Treasures.
- 2017 - Alice Fredenham on Under The Covers.
- 2020 - Dave Mason And The Quarantines (Pandemic release) (Featuring Mick Fleetwood, Sammy Hagar, Michael Mcdonald, Pat Simmons, John McFee, Tom Johnston)
- 2022 - Elle King on DreamWorks Animation's The Bad Guys.
Other artists who released their covers are Freddie King, Widespread Panic and The Black Crowes. A steel drum version by Trinidad Oil Company was reissued on the dancefloor jazz compilation Blue Juice 2.
References
edit- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 5, 1968. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ Traffic, "Feelin' Alright?" Chart Position Retrieved 20 March 2015
- ^ "Traffic – Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ Joe Cocker, "Feeling Alright" 1969 Chart Position Retrieved 20 March 2015
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - July 21, 1969" (PDF).
- ^ Joe Cocker, "Feeling Alright" 1972 Chart Position Retrieved 20 March 2015
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - February 26, 1972" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Original versions of Feelin' Alright written by Dave Mason". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ Mongo Santamaría, "Feeling Alright" Chart Position Retrieved 20 March 2015
- ^ "Jackson 5 & Diana Ross | Feelin' Alright (1971)". Jackson5abc.com. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ Grand Funk Railroad, "Feelin' Alright" Chart Position Retrieved 20 March 2015
- ^ "Paul Weller - Above The Clouds (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 28 September 1992. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ "Once in a Blue Universe overview". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
- ^ "New Age - November '97 - Winter Solstice VI". Music-Reviewer.com. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
- ^ "Picture Claire (2001) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ "Rude Blue - Gail Ann Dorsey | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ "Ohio Players - Pain (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 25 November 2013.