Everybody Knows About My Good Thing

Album: Everybody Knows About My Good Thing (1971)
Charted: 60
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Little Johnny Taylor has a good thing going - his woman - but there's a problem: everybody knows about her and they won't leave her alone. The plumber, the postman, and even the butcher are always coming by to see her (as least the butcher leaves some meat). It's a blues tune with a bit of levity - at least she isn't cheating on him.
  • This was written by Miles Grayson and Lermon Horton, frequent collaborators from Los Angeles who were in a band called the Gay Clefs in the 1960s. Grayson did a lot of work with Z.Z. Hill and co-wrote his song "Don't Make Me Pay For His Mistakes." Hill also recorded this song.
  • Little Johnny Taylor (John Lamarr Taylor), is best known for his 1963 #1 R&B hit "Part Time Love," which also made #19 on the Hot 100. He died in 2002 at age 59.
  • The Rolling Stones released this song on their 2016 covers album, Blue & Lonesome, which was recorded in December 2015 in Mark Knopfler's British Grove Studios. Eric Clapton happened to be laying down his own album in the same studio and ended up contributing slide guitar to this song and lead guitar to "I Can't Quit You Baby."

    "Eric Clapton was recording next door," producer Don Was recalled to the BBC. "He just walked over and he had the same reaction as everyone else did. His jaw just dropped. Picture the Rolling Stones just set up in a circle in one room [and] the amplifiers are blaring. It reminded him of when he was a teenager, going to see the Stones playing in Richmond. He was just in awe, so he just grabbed one of Keith's guitars and started playing. It was quite a thing."
  • Mick Jagger performed this song Hammersmith Odeon in London with Gary Moore at a concert in 1992. This performance was used as the B-side of his 1993 single, "Don't Tear Me Up."

Comments: 1

  • Billy from Melbourne Omar and The Howlers released this song on their 1980, Big Leg Beat album. Totally hip leaves you wanting more!
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