Putty (In Your Hands)

Album: For Your Love (1965)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Missouri-born jazz pianist Big John Patton wrote this tune of helpless devotion with "Strangers in the Night" songwriter Eddie Snyder (under the pseudonym Kay Rogers). It debuted as a track on the Shirelles' 1962 album Baby It's You. The Shirelles were a New Jersey-based girl group known for R&B-pop hits like "Will You Love Me Tomorrow."
  • Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty explained in a 2011 interview with Rock Cellar Magazine why the band covered the song:
    "Eric (Clapton) hated the fact that we were recording a very commercial pop song ['For Your Love']. He also did not like the idea that Paul (Samwell-Smith) had elected himself as the producer of the session. In an effort to smooth Eric's feathers, we agreed to record two additional songs that he had suggested as singles: the Major Lance song 'Sweet Music' and The Shirelles' song 'Putty (In Your Hands)'. Neither of those songs was ever released as a single, but both would appear on future Yardbirds albums. The singles' setup was beginning to kill us as a band. Paul wasn't a great songwriter but he was good as a part of the team. When he left the band, it was a bit of a blow creatively. But we managed to get some songs together and carry on for a while." >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    DeeTheWriter - Saint Petersburg, Russia Federation

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Music Video Director David Hogan

Music Video Director David HoganSong Writing

David talks about videos he made for Prince, Alabama, Big & Rich, Sheryl Crow, DMB, Melissa Etheridge and Sisters of Mercy.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

Grammar In Lyrics

Grammar In LyricsMusic Quiz

Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.