I'm Tore Down
"I'm Tore Down" or "Tore Down" is a blues song first recorded in 1961 by Freddie King (who was then known as "Freddy" King) for Federal Records. Pianist Sonny Thompson, who played on several early King songs, is credited as the songwriter.[1] When Federal released it as single in 1961, with the instrumental "Sen-Sa-Shun" as the B-side, it reached number five on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides singles chart.[2]
| "I'm Tore Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Freddy King | ||||
| from the album Freddy King Sings | ||||
| B-side | "Sen-Sa-Shun" | |||
| Released | October 1961 | |||
| Recorded | 1961 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | Federal | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sonny Thompson | |||
| Freddy King singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Federal parent company King Records included the song on King's first album Freddy King Sings (1961).[1] In 1971, King recorded a longer version for his Shelter Records album Getting Ready... As a popular tune with guitarists, it has been recorded by many blues and other musicians. Freddie King's brother and bandmate, Benny Turner, also recorded this song (with special guest Otis Clay) and it appears on his 2017 release My Brother's Blues - a tribute to Freddie.[3]
Eric Clapton's version
| "I'm Tore Down" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Promotional single by Eric Clapton | |
| from the album From the Cradle | |
| Released | 1994 |
| Genre | Blues |
| Length | 3:02 |
| Label | Reprise |
| Songwriter(s) | Sonny Thompson |
| Producer(s) |
|
English rock musician Eric Clapton recorded "I'm Tore Down" for his highly successful 1994 blues tribute album From the Cradle.[4] For his recording, Clapton uses an arrangement close to King's original, including the falsetto vocal phrases and guitar fills.
To promote the album, Reprise Records released two singles. A promotional single in 1994 on compact disc format reached number five on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart[5] A second promotional was released in 1995 with two additional From the Cradle tracks, "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Someday After a While" (another King song, co-written by Thompson).
References
- Bedard, George. "Freddy King Sings – Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 241. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- My Brother's Blues, Nola Blue, Inc., 2017-09-15, retrieved 2018-05-06
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: From the Cradle by Eric Clapton". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- "Eric Clapton: Chart History – Mainstream Rock". Billboard.com. Retrieved April 2, 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)