Bobby Parker (August 31, 1937 – November 1, 2013) was an American blues-roc… Read Full Bio ↴Bobby Parker (August 31, 1937 – November 1, 2013) was an American blues-rock guitarist. He is best known for his 1961 song, "Watch Your Step", a single for the V-Tone Records label that became a hit on the US Billboard R&B chart.
Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, but raised in Los Angeles, California, Parker first aspired to a career in entertainment at a young age. By the 1950s, Parker had started working on electric guitar with several blues and R&B bands of the time, with his first stint being with Otis Williams and the Charms. Over the next few years, he also played lead guitar with Bo Diddley (including an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show), toured with Paul Williams, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, and the Everly Brothers. In the waning years of the decade, he also toured with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard. His first single was recorded in 1958, while he was working primarily with Williams' band, and was titled "Blues Get Off My Shoulder". During that same year, he also performed frequently at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
By the early 1960s, Parker had settled into living in the Washington, D.C. area and played at blues clubs there after having left Williams' band. He recorded the single "Watch Your Step" in 1961, a regional hit that was later covered by the Spencer Davis Group, Dr. Feelgood and Santana. Led Zeppelin made use of it in Moby Dick, the song was also the inspiration for The Beatles 1964 hit single "I Feel Fine". George Harrison said that Lennon's riff was influenced by the riff in "Watch Your Step" which was covered by the Beatles in concerts during 1961 and 1962. On January 1, 2012, Parker's "Watch Your Step" sound recording became Public Domain in Europe, due to the 50 year copyright law limit in the E.U.
Due to the success of the song, both in the United States and overseas, he toured the UK in 1968 and recorded his next hit, "It's Hard to be Fair". Jimmy Page was a fan of Parker's and wanted to sign up Parker with Swan Song Records. Page offered an advance of US$2000 to fund the recording of a demo tape, but Parker never completed the recording, and an opportunity for Parker to be exposed to an international audience was lost.
For the next two decades, Parker played almost exclusively in the D.C. area. By the 1990s, Parker started to record again for a broader audience. He recorded his first official album, Bent Out of Shape, for the Black Top Records label in 1993, with a follow-up in 1995, Shine Me Up. In 1993, he also was the headliner for the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival. Parker continued to perform as a regular act at Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Washington.
Bobby Parker died on November 1, 2013, at the age of 76.
Discography
Albums
Bent Out of Shape – 1993 (Black Top Records)
Shine Me Up – 1995 (Black Top Records)
Singles
"Blues Get Off My Shoulder" – 1958
"Watch Your Step" – 1961
"It's Hard to be Fair" – 1968
Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, but raised in Los Angeles, California, Parker first aspired to a career in entertainment at a young age. By the 1950s, Parker had started working on electric guitar with several blues and R&B bands of the time, with his first stint being with Otis Williams and the Charms. Over the next few years, he also played lead guitar with Bo Diddley (including an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show), toured with Paul Williams, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, and the Everly Brothers. In the waning years of the decade, he also toured with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard. His first single was recorded in 1958, while he was working primarily with Williams' band, and was titled "Blues Get Off My Shoulder". During that same year, he also performed frequently at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
By the early 1960s, Parker had settled into living in the Washington, D.C. area and played at blues clubs there after having left Williams' band. He recorded the single "Watch Your Step" in 1961, a regional hit that was later covered by the Spencer Davis Group, Dr. Feelgood and Santana. Led Zeppelin made use of it in Moby Dick, the song was also the inspiration for The Beatles 1964 hit single "I Feel Fine". George Harrison said that Lennon's riff was influenced by the riff in "Watch Your Step" which was covered by the Beatles in concerts during 1961 and 1962. On January 1, 2012, Parker's "Watch Your Step" sound recording became Public Domain in Europe, due to the 50 year copyright law limit in the E.U.
Due to the success of the song, both in the United States and overseas, he toured the UK in 1968 and recorded his next hit, "It's Hard to be Fair". Jimmy Page was a fan of Parker's and wanted to sign up Parker with Swan Song Records. Page offered an advance of US$2000 to fund the recording of a demo tape, but Parker never completed the recording, and an opportunity for Parker to be exposed to an international audience was lost.
For the next two decades, Parker played almost exclusively in the D.C. area. By the 1990s, Parker started to record again for a broader audience. He recorded his first official album, Bent Out of Shape, for the Black Top Records label in 1993, with a follow-up in 1995, Shine Me Up. In 1993, he also was the headliner for the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival. Parker continued to perform as a regular act at Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Washington.
Bobby Parker died on November 1, 2013, at the age of 76.
Discography
Albums
Bent Out of Shape – 1993 (Black Top Records)
Shine Me Up – 1995 (Black Top Records)
Singles
"Blues Get Off My Shoulder" – 1958
"Watch Your Step" – 1961
"It's Hard to be Fair" – 1968
You Got What It Takes
Bobby Parker Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'You Got What It Takes' by these artists:
B-BandJ Give it what you got Give it what you got Give it…
Barbara Mason Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Barrett Strong You don't drive a big fast car, no You don't look…
Bobby Thurston (You got what it takes, you got what it takes You…
Brook Benton & Dinah Washington Well, now, it takes more than a Robin to make…
Buddy Guy (feat. Joss Stone) Well now it takes more than a robin To make the…
Buzzy Linhart Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Clark Dave Five Ow! You don't drive a big fast car, no You don't…
Don Dixon/Marti Jones Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Jimmy Ruffin You don't drive a big fine car You don't look like…
Joe Tex Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates You don't drive a big fine car. You don't look like…
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
JOHNSON MARV You don't drive a big fast car You don't look like…
Marti Jones Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Marv Johnson You don't drive a big fast car You don't look like…
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Come here, Marvin, let me tell you something (yeah, baby) Y…
Marvin Gaye - Tammi Terrell You don't drive a big fine car And you don't look…
Marvin Gaye feat. Tammy Terrell Come here, Marvin, let me tell you something (yeah, baby) Y…
Marvin Johnson Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Michelle Willson Well, now, it takes more than a robin to make…
Monsters Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Rayber Voices You don't drive a big fast car, no You don't look…
Showaddywaddy You don't drive a big fast car, no You don't look…
Silver Convention I like what you do I like what you do to…
Summer Wine Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
The Dave Clark Five YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES The Dave Clark Five - written by…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Bobby Parker:
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Daniel Kubacki
Good one!
pgh45rpms
Is Bobby Parker the Robert Parker who recorded "Barefootin'" a decade later?
The45Prof
@Darrian Mitchell Yes. See the Wiki article linked above.
Darrian Mitchell
the Bobby Parker of "Watch Your Step" fame?
The45Prof
Good question. They were two different guys: Bobby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Parker_(guitarist) and Robert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Parker_(singer)
Martin Brady
So Berry Gordy stole this, took credit and earned a shitpile of money off the Motown recording. People who do things like that deserve a special place in hell.