Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) explained

Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
Cover:Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) by Robert Palmer UK single.png
Caption:UK vinyl variant[1] of European artwork, also used for the back cover of the parent album Secrets
Type:single
Artist:Robert Palmer
Album:Secrets
B-Side:Love Can Run Faster
Released:July 1979
Genre:
Length:3:10
Label:Island Records
Prev Title:Every Kinda People
Prev Year:1978
Next Title:Can We Still Be Friends
Next Year:1979

"Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" is a 1978 song, written and originally recorded by Moon Martin and sung a year later by Robert Palmer. The song became one of Palmer's definitive hits.

Background

Moon Martin originally recorded the song in 1978. Martin's record label Capitol Records released the song in the United Kingdom and Spain as a stand-alone vinyl single but inserted the song into the United States release of Martin's album Shots from a Cold Nightmare. His original recording did not enter the music charts.[3]

Robert Palmer version

A year later, the song appeared on Robert Palmer's album Secrets. In Palmer's home country, the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at #61 on the UK Singles Chart on July 7, 1979.[4]

The version became more successful in other countries. In the United States, Palmer's version reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, #10 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #1 on the Canadian RPM chart in 1979. The Palmer version was remixed with heavier guitars and drums for his greatest hits collection . The song was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards. In the Netherlands, it reached #2 on the Dutch Top 40 chart on August 4, 1979,[5] five weeks after its debut (July 7) on the chart.[6] In New Zealand, it reached #20 in the Top 40 Singles Chart on the week of October 7, 1979,[7] five weeks after its debut at #43 on the chart (September 9).[8]

The song begins with a stanza written in typical eight-bar blues structure and chord sequence and then progresses to a 10-bar blues chorus.

Billboard reviewer Ed Harrison praised Palmer's rendition as "the kind of intelligent rock tune."[9]

Other covers

Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers covered the song for the soundtrack of the 1992 slasher film Dr. Giggles.[10] Mexican-American singer Tatiana recorded a Spanish-language cover version in 1994 for her album Un Alma Desnuda and was released as the second single from the album.[11] A cover version of the chorus also is part of the theme of the American syndicated series The Doctors.Australian Adam Brand and the Outlaws covered the song on the 2016 album Adam Brand and the Outlaws.

Chart performance

Weekly charts
Chart (1979)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 13
Canadian RPM [13] 1
France [14] 9
Netherlands (Top 40 Singles)27
UK Singles Chart61
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 14
US Cash Box Top 100[16] 10
US Record World 9
Year-end charts
Chart (1979)Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] 76
Canada [18] 35
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 92
US Cash Box [20] 76

Notes and References

  1. Palmer . Robert . Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) . Island Records / EMI Records . WIP 6481.
  2. Web site: Erlewine . Stephen Thomas . Robert Palmer Biography, Songs, & Albums . AllMusic . 25 May 2023 . en.
  3. Encyclopedia: Bob . Leszczak . Bad Case of Loving You . Who Did It First? Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists . 10 July 2014 . 12 . . Lanham, Maryland . 978-1-4422-3321-8 . 2014000482 . 12 February 2017 .
  4. Web site: Search results for 'Bad Case of Lovin' You (Doctor Doctor)' . Official Charts . United Kingdom . 13 February 2017 .
  5. Web site: Week 31 (4 Augustus 1979) . Media Markt Top 40 . 14 February 2017 .
  6. Web site: Robert Palmer – 'Bad Case Of Lovin' You (Doctor, Doctor)' . Media Markt Top 40 . 14 February 2017 .
  7. Web site: 07 October 1979 . The Official NZ Music Charts . 14 February 2017 .
  8. Web site: 09 September 1979 . The Official NZ Music Charts . 14 February 2017 .
  9. Ed . Harrison . 4 August 1979 . Closeup: 'Robert Palmer – Secrets, Island ILPS9544 (WB)' . 60 . Billboard . 0006-2510 . 12 February 2017 .
  10. Web site: B-Sides: We've Got a Bad Case of Dr. Giggles . Foywonder . December 7, 2013 . dreadcentral.com. February 12, 2019.
  11. News: Tatiana — Un Alma Desnuda . iTunes. April 28, 2015. December 12, 2012. es.
  12. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W . 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 228. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.
  13. Web site: Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada . Bac-lac.gc.ca . 17 July 2013 . 2016-10-14.
  14. Web site: Song artist 304 - Robert Palmer . Tsort.info . 2016-10-14.
  15. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
  16. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 9/29/79 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150214174831/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19790929.html . dead . 2015-02-14 . Tropicalglen.com . 1979-09-29 . 2016-10-14 .
  17. Web site: Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979. Kent Music Report. Imgur.com. 2020-12-03.
  18. Web site: Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada . Bac-lac.gc.ca . 17 July 2013 . 2016-10-14.
  19. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1979/Top 100 Songs of 1979 . Musicoutfitters.com . 2016-10-14.
  20. Web site: Top 100 Year End Charts: 1979 . . 2016-04-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120911010203/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/1979YESP.html . 2012-09-11 . dead .