hiding in shadows where we don't belong...

i've written about what a great songwriter dan penn is before here. i was struck my this story about "dark end of the street" because it includes a mention of the blood sucker, papa don schroeder. just a small p'cola connection but one i thought i'd reveal. the first version of the song is by the guy who had the original hit w/it, james carr, a great soul voice. the other one is from one of my favorite entertainment movies, the commitments. actually, i don't think you could find a bad version of the song. it's just that good.

In the summer of 1966, while a DJ convention was being held in Memphis, Tennessee, the song was written in about thirty minutes. Penn and Moman were cheating while playing cards with Florida DJ Don Schroeder. They wrote the song while on a break. "We were always wanting to come up with the best cheatin’ song. Ever," Penn said. The duo went to the hotel room of Quinton Claunch, another Muscle Shoals alumnus, and founder of Hi Records, to write. Claunch told them, "boys, you can use my room on one condition, which is that you give me that song for James Carr. They said I had a deal, and they kept their word."