Nobody but Me (The Isley Brothers song)

"Nobody but Me"
Single by The Isley Brothers
B-side	"I'm Laughing to Keep from Crying"
Released	1963
Length	2:01
Label	Wand
Writer(s)	Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Jr.
Producer	Bert Berns
The Isley Brothers singles chronology
"Twistin' with Linda" (1962) "Nobody but Me" (1963) "I Say Love" (1963)

"Nobody but Me"
Single by The Human Beinz
from the album Nobody but Me
B-side	"Sueno"
Released	September 1967
Length	2:17
Label	Capitol
Writer(s)	Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Jr.
Producer	Alexis de Azevedo

"Nobody But Me" is a song written by O'Kelly, Rudolph and Ronald Isley, and first recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1963. The most commercially successful and widely known version was a 1968 US top ten garage rock hit by The Human Beinz.

The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers' original version, released as a single on Wand 131,^[1] failed to make the pop or R&B charts.

The Human Beinz

The song was covered by Youngstown, Ohio's The Human Beinz and made them one-hit wonders after the song reached number eight on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1968. The Human Beinz' recording was a reworking and extension of the last part of the Isley Brothers' original song. It was included on some versions of Lenny Kaye's Nuggets compilation, and is now recognised as a prime example of soul-influenced garage rock.

Dave Marsh, in his Book of Rock Lists^[2] named the version by the Human Beinz "The most negative song to hit the Top 40," noting that the word "no" is sung over 100 times in a mere 2:16. Marsh also counts the word "nobody" 46 times more. A segment of "Nobody But Me" was also featured during the "House of Blue Leaves" fight scene in Quentin Tarantino's 2004 film Kill Bill, Vol. 1.

Other versions

Liverpool group The Mojos released an early version in 1964 (The Mojos EP, Decca Records).

George Thorogood and the Destroyers would later record a version more faithful to the Human Beinz cover than to the Isleys' original, and released it on 1982's Bad to the Bone. The L.A. punk band the Dickies also recorded a lightning-fast version of the song.

The French group The Dogs recorded a version in 1979 included in the album Different.

Canadian band Doug and the Slugs released their own cover of the single in 1983.

Garage/punk musician Nobunny reworked the song for his track "Nobunny Loves You".

The song was also featured in a Nike, Inc. television advertisement.

References

1. ^ Wand Records discography
2. ^ Dell, October 1981, ISBN 0-440-57580-X