View source for I'm a Man (The Spencer Davis Group song)

{{Short description|1967 song by the Spencer Davis Group}}
{{For|other songs by this name|I'm a Man (disambiguation)#Songs{{!}}I'm a Man (song)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = I'm a Man
| cover      = Spencer Davis Group I'm a Man single cover.jpg
| alt        =
| border     = yes
| type       = single
| artist     = [[the Spencer Davis Group]]
| album      =
| B-side     = I Can't Get Enough of It
| released   = {{Start date|1967|01|20|df=y}}
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| genre      =
* [[British R&B]]<ref name="allmusic.com">{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |title=The Spencer Davis Group – I'm a Man Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/im-a-man-mw0000012388 |website=AllMusic |access-date=13 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name= "RS 2004">{{cite book |chapter=The Spencer Davis Group|last=Evans|first=Paul|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]] |year=2004 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page= 220}}</ref>
* [[hard rock]]<ref name= "Breihan 2019">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Ohio Players' "Fire" |website= [[Stereogum]] |date= June 26, 2019 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/2049110/the-number-ones-ohio-players-fire/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...plenty of great hard rock songs, like the Spencer Davis Group’s “I’m A Man,” were also great funk songs...|access-date= June 21, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Funk music|funk]]<ref name= "Breihan 2019" />
* [[Soul music|soul]]<ref name= "Moon 2008">{{cite book|first=Tom|last=Moon|title=1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die|chapter= Blind Faith - ''Blind Faith''|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zk0Z0bD2DGcC|date=28 August 2008|publisher=[[Workman Publishing Company]]|isbn=9-780761-139638|pages=98–99}}</ref>
| length     = 2:58
| label      =
*[[Fontana Records|Fontana]] (UK)
*[[United Artists Records|United Artists]] (US)
| writer     =
*[[Steve Winwood]]
*[[Jimmy Miller]]
| producer   = Jimmy Miller
| prev_title = [[Gimme Some Lovin']]
| prev_year  = 1966
| next_title = Time Seller
| next_year  = 1967
}}
"'''I'm a Man'''" is a song written by [[Steve Winwood]] and record producer [[Jimmy Miller]]. It was first recorded in 1967 by [[the Spencer Davis Group]]; Winwood sang lead vocals and played keyboards. The song was a hit in the United Kingdom and the United States, reaching No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. It has been recorded by many other performers over the years, most successfully by [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], whose version charted at No. 8 in the UK in 1970 and No. 49 in the US in 1971.
==Original song==
The original recording was a [[Hammond organ]]-driven [[blues rock]] track released as a single by the [[Spencer Davis Group]] in early 1967, reaching No. 9 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="ukchart">{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/i'm-a-man/ |title=Official Singles Chart Results Matching: I'm a Man |publisher=Official Charts Company}}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= [[British Hit Singles & Albums]]
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 103}}</ref> In the US, it peaked at No. 10 in the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], as well as No. 48 in the magazine's [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Top Selling R&B Singles]].<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=147}}</ref> It was the last [[hit record|hit]] single by the band before the brothers Steve and [[Muff Winwood]] left to pursue their own separate careers. The song is included on the band's 1967 album, ''I'm a Man''.
==Chicago version==
{{Infobox song
| name       = I'm a Man
| cover      = Chicago I'm a Man single.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Chicago (band)|Chicago Transit Authority]]
| album      = [[The Chicago Transit Authority (album)|The Chicago Transit Authority]]
| A-side     = [[Questions 67 and 68]]
| released   = {{Start date|1970}}
| recorded   = 27–30 January 1969
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Hard rock]]
| length     =
*{{Duration|7:43}} (album version)
*{{Duration|3:27}} (single version)
| label      = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer     =
*[[Steve Winwood]]
*[[Jimmy Miller]]
| producer   = [[James William Guercio]]
| prev_title = [[Beginnings (Chicago song)|Beginnings]]/[[Colour My World (Chicago song)|Colour My World]]
| prev_year  = 1971
| next_title = [[Saturday in the Park (song)|Saturday in the Park]]
| next_year  = 1972
}}
[[Chicago (band)|Chicago]] (then known as Chicago Transit Authority) recorded a [[cover version]] of "I'm a Man"{{efn|The lyrics to Chicago's version differ considerably from those of the Spencer Davis Group version, likely because the members of Chicago had difficulty understanding the original words. For example, "I'm all hung up on music" from the original became "Never had no problems" in Chicago's cover, while "My toilet's trimmed with chrome" became "My body's pretty strong."}} for their 1969 debut album, ''[[The Chicago Transit Authority (album)|The Chicago Transit Authority]]''. When the band's popularity surged after their second album, "I'm a Man" was released as the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] to a re-release of "[[Questions 67 and 68]]".
Radio stations ended up playing both sides, and "I'm a Man" reached No. 49 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1971.  In the UK, it reached No. 8<ref>{{cite web|title=Chicago{{snd}}Singles|website = [[Officialcharts.com]]|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13861/chicago-transit-authority/|access-date=28 October 2021}}</ref> and No. 13 in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jaclyn |last=Ward |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=The Irish Charts – All there is to know |website=Irishcharts.ie |access-date=12 July 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602061251/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |archive-date=2 June 2009 }}</ref>
Chicago personnel:
* [[Terry Kath]] – lead vocals (first verse), backing vocals, guitar
* [[Peter Cetera]] – lead vocals (second verse), backing vocals, bass
* [[Robert Lamm]] – lead vocals (third verse), backing vocals, keyboards
* [[Danny Seraphine]] – drums, maracas
* [[Jimmy Pankow]] – cowbell, trombone
* [[Lee Loughnane]] – claves, trumpet
* [[Walt Parazaider]] – tambourine, tenor saxophone
==Other cover versions==
*Italian-American band [[Macho (band)|Macho]] recorded a 17-minute disco rendition of the song in 1978, based loosely off of the Chicago arrangement. A shortened version was released as a single, and reached the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' [[Dance Club Songs|Disco Action]] chart.<ref>{{cite web |title=Disco Singles 1974–1980 |url=https://top40weekly.com/disco-singles-1974-1980/ |website=top40weekly.com |access-date=11 December 2022 |date=13 May 2017}}</ref>
*Yugoslav rock band [[Siluete]] recorded it in 1967 for the Yugoslav TV show {{lang|sl|Koncert za ludi mladi svet}} (''A Concert for Young Crazy World''). The video was shot in the [[Wild West]] town settings in the [[Avala Film]] Studios.<ref name="istorija327">{{cite book|last1=Fajfrić|first1=Željko|last2=Nenad|first2=Milan|title= Istorija YU rock muzike od početaka do 1970.|year=2009|publisher=Tabernakl|location=Sremska Mitrovica|page=327}}</ref>
*In 1987, Italian producer [[Gianfranco Bortolotti]] released a medley under his Club House alias, with "I'm a Man" being mixed with [[Mory Kanté|Mory Kanté's]] "[[Yé ké yé ké]]". In 1989 the single was licensed to Music Man Records in the UK and became a small hit peaking at number 69 in the British charts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/i'm-a-man_slash_ye-ke-ye-ke/|title = I'm a man/Ye ke ye ke &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website = [[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20734/clubhouse/|title=CLUB HOUSE &#124; full Official Chart History |website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref>
*[[Los Lonely Boys]] released a cover version on their album ''[[Forgiven (album)|Forgiven]]''.
*[[Ty Segall]] released a cover version on his album of covers ''Fudge Sandwich''. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/fudge-sandwich-mw0003208481#trackListing|title=Fudge Sandwich|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>
*[[April Wine]] released a cover on their 1994's album "[[Frigate]]"
==VW Polo advertisement==
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t4537724|pure_url=yes}} Review of "I'm a Man"] by [[Richie Unterberger]] at [[AllMusic]]
{{Spencer Davis Group}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:I'm A Man}}
[[Category:1967 singles]]
[[Category:1971 singles]]
[[Category:The Spencer Davis Group songs]]
[[Category:Chicago (band) songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Steve Winwood]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by James William Guercio]]
[[Category:Fontana Records singles]]
[[Category:United Artists Records singles]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:1967 songs]]