Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 8, 2016

DEAR JERRY: Though very few answer songs ever become hits, I enjoy collecting them.

With most 1960s answer songs, it is easy to know which song they are responding to.

I have one titled "I'm Not Mixed Up Anymore," by Betty James (Chess 1837), that I'm guessing was inspired by "I'm a Mixed-Up, Shook-Up, Girl," by Patty & the Emblems.

Do those two go together?

Approximately, how many answer songs came out in the '60s?
—Clint Carpenter, Des Moines, Iowa

DEAR CLINT: Suspecting that "I'm a Mixed-Up, Shook-Up, Girl" (1964) would generate a response of "I'm Not Mixed Up Anymore" (1962) makes sense, were it not for the latter song coming out two years earlier.

Betty James was actually answering her own recording, from 1961, "I'm a Little Mixed Up" (Chess 1801).

My plan was to find at least one answer song for each year of the 1960s, which I did.

In the process, I documented 61 for you, so we know there are at least that many.

Years shown are for the original, and the answer likely came along within a year.

Titles within the same year are alphabetical:

1959: "Long Black Veil" (Lefty Frizzell) / "My Long Black Veil" (Marijohn Wilkin)
1959: "Oh! Carol" (Neil Sedaka) / "Oh, Neil" (Carole King)
1960: "Are You Lonesome To-night?" (Elvis Presley) / "Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight" (Dodie Stevens); "Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight" (Thelma Carpenter)
1960: "Burning Bridges" (Jack Scott) / "You Burned the Bridges" (Bobbie Jean)
1960: "Chain Gang" (Sam Cooke) / "The Sound of My Man (On the Chain Gang)" (Theola Kilgore)
1960: "He'll Have to Go" (Jim Reeves) / "He'll Have to Stay" (Jeanne Black)
1960: "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" (Hank Locklin) / "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling, Too" (Skeeter Davis)
1960: "Save the Last Dance for Me" (Drifters) / "I'll Save the Last Dance for You" (Damita Jo); "You're Having the Last Dance With Me" (Townsmen)
1960: "Shop Around" (Miracles) / "Don't Let Him Shop Around" (Debbie Dean)
1960: "Tell Laura I Love Her" (Ray Peterson) / "Tell Tommy I Miss Him" (Marilyn Michaels)
1960: "There's Something on Your Mind" (Bobby Marchan) / "There's Nothing on My Mind" (Teen Queens)
1961: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Shirelles) / "Yes I Will Love You Tomorrow" (Jon E. Holiday); "Not Just Tomorrow, But Always" (Bertell Dache)
1961: "Big Bad John" (Jimmy Dean) / "Small Sad Sam" (Phil McLean)
1961: "Daddy's Home" (Shep and the Limelites) / "Sorry, Daddy" (Sweethearts)
1961: "Fool #1" (Brenda Lee) / "No, You're Not the Fool" (Marc Stewart)
1961: 'Calendar Girl" (Neil Sedaka) / Calendar Boy (Stacy Ames)
1961: "Hello Walls" (Faron Young) / "Hello Fool" (Ralph Emery)
1961: "Hit the Road Jack" (Ray Charles) / "Well, I Told You" (To Hit the Road Jack)" (Chantels); "Come on Back, Jack" (Nina Simone)
1961: "I Like It Like That" (Chris Kenner) / "I Don't Like It Like That" (Bobbettes)
1961: "I'm a Little Mixed Up" (Betty James) / "I'm Not Mixed Up Anymore" (Betty James)
1961: "Jimmy's Girl" (Johnny Tillotson) / "I'm No Longer Jimmy's Girl" (Betty Jayne and the Teenettes)
1961: "Little Sister" (Elvis Presley) / "Hey Memphis" (Lavern Baker)
1961: "Mother-in-Law" (Ernie K. Doe) / "Son-in-Law" (Blossoms)
1961: "Runaround Sue" (Dion) / "I'm No Run Around" (Ginger Davis and the Snaps); "Stay-at-Home Sue" (Linda Laurie)
1961: "Stand By Me" (Ben E. King) / "I'll Be There" (Damita Jo)
1961: "Take Good Care of My Baby" (Bobby Vee) / "He Takes Good Care of Your Baby" (Carole King); "You Should Know I'm Still Your Baby" (Sammi Lynn); "I'll Take Good Care of Your Baby" (Ralph Emery)
1961: "Tossin' and Turnin'" (Bobby Lewis) / "Walkin' and Talkin'" (Venus)
1961: "Tower of Strength" (Gene McDaniels) / "You Don't Have to Be a Tower of Strength" (Gloria Lynne)
1961: "Walk on By" (Leroy Van Dyke) / "I'll Just Walk on By" (Margie Singleton)
1961: "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" (Barry Mann) / "I Put the Bomp (In the Bomp Bomp Bomp)" (Frankie Lymon)
1961: "Wooden Heart" (Elvis Presley) / "(I Know That) Your Heart's Not Made of Wood" (Terri Dean)
1961: "Wooden Heart" (Joe Dowell) / "(I Know That) Your Heart's Not Made of Wood" (Marie Ann)
1962: "Come Back Silly Girl" (Lettermen) / "I'll Never Come Back (Silly Boy)" (4 Cal-Quettes)
1962: "Bobby's Girl" (Marcie Blane) / "Stay Away From Bobby" (Sherry Sisters)
1962: "Bring It on Home to Me" (Sam Cooke) / "I'll Bring It on Home to You" (Carla Thomas)
1962: "Charlie's Shoes" (Billy Walker) / "The Answer to Charlie's Shoes" (Jonie Mosby)
1962: "Duke of Earl" (Gene Chandler) / "Duchess of Earl" (Pearlettes)
1962: "Good Luck Charm" (Elvis Presley) / "Don't Wanna Be Another Good Luck Charm" (Jo of Judy & Jo)
1962: "Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello" (Elvis Presley) / "Just Tell Him Jane Said Hello" (Gerri Granger)
1962: "Please Don't Ask About Barbara" (Bobby Vee) / "Is It True What They Say About Barbara?" (Mike Regal)
1962: "Roses Are Red (My Love)" (Bobby Vinton) / "Long as the Rose Is Red" (Florraine Darlin)
1962: "Sherry" (4 Seasons) / "Jerry (I'm Your Sherry)" (Tracey Dey)
1962: "She's Got You" (Patsy Cline) / "She Can Have You" (Judy of Judy & Jo)
1962: "Wolverton Mountain" (Claude King) / "I'm the Girl from Wolverton Mountain" (Jo Ann Campbell)
1962: "You Beat Me to the Punch" (Mary Wells) / "You Threw a Lucky Punch" (Gene Chandler)
1963: "Detroit City" (Bobby Bare) / "Why Don'tcha Come Home" (Shirley Ray)
1963: "Easier Said Than Done" (Essex) / "I'll Believe It When I See It" (Sierras)
1963: "500 Miles Away From Home" (Bobby Bare) / "He's Comin' Home" (Mary Taylor)
1963: "It's My Party" (Lesley Gore) / "Judy's Turn to Cry" (Lesley Gore)
1963: "My Boyfriend's Back" (Angels) / "Your Boyfriend's Back" (Bobby Comstock & the Counts)
1963: "Sugar Shack" (Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs) / "Sugar Shack Queen" (Georgia Lynn)
1964: "Mr. Lonely" (Bobby Vinton) / "Little Miss Lonely" (Mikie Harris)
1964: "Dang Me" (Roger Miller) / "Dern Ya" (Ruby Wright)
1965: "Eve of Destruction" (Barry McGuire) / "Dawn of Correction" (Spokesmen)
1965: "King of the Road" (Roger Miller) / "Queen of the House" (Jody Miller)
1965: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (James Brown) / "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own" (Anna King)
1965: "This Diamond Ring" (Gary Lewis and the Playboys) / "(Gary, Please Don't Sell) My Diamond Ring" (Wendy Hill)
1966: "Almost Persuaded" (David Houston) / "He Was Almost Persuaded" (Donna Harris)
1966: "Evil on Your Mind" (Jan Howard) / "Evil Off My Mind" (Burl Ives)
1966: "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" (Napoleon XIV) / "They Took You Away - I'm Glad, I'm Glad" (Josephine); "Down on the Funny Farm" (Josephine XIII)
1966: "When a Man Loves a Woman" (Percy Sledge) / "When a Woman Loves a Man" (Esther Phillips)
1967: "Don't Come Home A'Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)" (Loretta Lynn) / "I Come Home A'Drinkin' (To a Worn-Out Wife Like You" (Jay Lee Webb)
1968: "Honey" (Bobby Goldsboro) / "Honey (I Miss You Too)" (Margaret Lewis)
1969: "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" (Kenny Rogers) / "Billy, I've Got to Go to Town" (Geraldine Stevens)

IZ ZAT SO? Betty James' "I'm a Little Mixed-Up" is the only non-charted song on our list of tunes that were answered.

Betty James, and Lesley Gore, are the only singers we've found (so far) who answer their own recordings.

Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home A'Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)" is answered by Jay Lee Webb, her real life brother.





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