'Mercy, Mercy', sometimes referred to as "Have Mercy", is usually credited to Covay and Ron Alonzo Miller, although other co-writers' names have also appeared on various releases. Recorded at A1 Sound Studios, New York City, May 13, 1964, and produced by Herb Abramson [although producing credits also lists Horace Ott], it was released on 7" on Rosemart Records in August 1964, coupled with 'Can't Stay Away'.

Recording and composition

In 1964, after years of writing and recording songs for several record labels, Don Covay was again hoping to land a record deal. A recording session was arranged for May 13, 1964 at the A1 Recording Studio in New York City, operated by Atlantic Records co-founder Herb Abramson. New York radio station WWRL disc jockey Nathaniel "Magnificent" Montague provided financing for the session. Covay has given differing accounts regarding the recording. In one, 'Mercy, Mercy' was recorded the day following a well-received performance by Covay and his band the Goodtimers the previous night. For the session, various members of the Goodtimers have been mentioned, including guitarist Ronald Alonzo Miller (also suggested as the bassist), backup singer George "King" Clemons, bassist Horace "Ace" Hall, drummer Bernard Purdie, guitarist Bob Bushnell, guitarist Jimmy Johnson, and a young Jimi Hendrix.

Covay's vocals have been described as "impassioned" and "assured", with "his phrasing and inflection as well as his attitude" as an influence on Mick Jagger. The guitar has a prominent part, beginning with the chorded lead-in: "The guitar player uses rhythmic patterns that are tasteful modifications of the motifs favored by Curtis Mayfield and Jimmy Johnson — and there have been suggestions that it is Johnson himself on the record". Covay recalled that the song was recorded in one or two takes and additional single-note fills at the fade-out suggest a second guitarist or an overdub.

Releases and charts

'Mercy, Mercy' under the artist name "Don Covay and the Goodtimers" was released as a single by Rosemart Records in August 1964. It was picked up for distribution by producer Abramson's former label Atlantic and entered the Billboard Hot 100 September 5, 1964. The single reached number 35 during a stay of ten weeks on the pop chart. It was also a best seller in the R&B market, reaching number one on the Cash Box chart (Billboard's R&B chart was suspended at the time).

An original pressing of the Rosemart single lists the composers as "Covay-Miller". The performing rights organization BMI shows the writers as "Donald Covay" and "Ronald Alonzo Miller". However, different releases list "Covay-Ott", including Covay's Mercy! album (Atlantic SD–8104) and the Atlantic UK single (AT.4006) (Horace Ott played keyboards on and is credited with several songs on Mercy!). Additionally, Miller is sometimes identified as "Ronald Norman Miller", a Motown composer, and "Ronald Dean Miller", a later R&B songwriter. BMI does not list "Mercy, Mercy" among Ott's or the other Miller's songwriting credits.

Hendrix involvement

Beginning in 2002, it has become generally accepted that Jimi Hendrix contributed a guitar part to "Mercy, Mercy". According to backup singer Clemons:
Curtis Knight, Jimmy [Jimi Hendrix], and I all used to live in the same apartment building — around 81st Street [near the A1 Studio]... Don Covay came around shopping for a record deal. He used to go down to the Harlem clubs looking for somebody to use... on songs he was looking to sell to Atlantic [Records]. He'd say, 'I got this tune I want you to help me with... come on down to the studio.... Can you sing this part? Can you play this part?'

Covay has sometimes identified Hendrix as a participant and on others does not mention him. According to biographer Roby, Hendrix "arrived at A1 Studio [and] was asked to play a simple Curtis Mayfield-like R&B riff and not overstep his boundaries at the song's dramatic pause". However, to author Shadwick, the song's guitarist "certainly enjoys a prominent role — and perhaps this does suggest a regular band-member performing a well-learned routine rather than a last minute substitution".

According to Clemons, before it was released as a single, Hendrix performed "Mercy, Mercy" at several small clubs. Booker T. & the M.G.'s guitarist Steve Cropper recalled meeting Hendrix at the Stax Records studio in Memphis in 1964, when Hendrix mentioned that he had played on Covay's "Mercy, Mercy":

Cropper's recollection is supported by a 1968 Rolling Stone magazine interview with Hendrix: "He [Cropper] showed me how to play lots of things and I showed him how I played 'Have Mercy' or something like that". Cropper later recorded an instrumental version of the song with Booker T. & the M.G.'s for their 1965 Soul Dressing album.

Hendrix performed "Mercy, Mercy" with Curtis Knight and the Squires in 1965. A live version with Knight on vocals, was recorded at George's Club 20 in Hackensack, New Jersey; it later appeared on the German bootleg album Mr. Pitiful (Astan 201019), released about 1981 with Curtis Knight manager Ed Chalpin listed as the producer. He also performed the song in 1966 with his band Jimmy James and the Blue Flames at the Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village. In England later that year, Noel Redding recalled that it was one of the first songs that he played at his audition for the Jimi Hendrix Experience;it was also the first song performed during Mitch Mitchell's audition (Redding had initially auditioned with drummer Aynsley Dunbar).

During the Experience's first performances during a short tour of France in October 1966 and before they worked up some original material, they played it along with a few other R&B cover songs during their 15-minute opening sets. A performance of the song by the Experience at the Flamingo Club in London on February 4, 1967 was recorded and has been issued on several bootleg albums. Hendrix announces the song as "very straight Top-40 R&B rock 'n' roll record... a little thing called 'Have Mercy'... 'Have Mercy on Me, Baby'". At 3:50, the song features more elaborate and driving guitar work, although remains focused on chording.

Rolling Stones version

The Rolling Stones recorded their interpretation of "Mercy, Mercy" during their early American recording sessions, when they were beginning to emerge from their blues- and R&B-cover band roots.The session took place at the Chess Records studio in Chicago on May 10 and 11, 1965 with engineer Ron Malo.The group generally follows Covay's arrangement, but "really upped the guitar wattage, as heard in the memorable opening section of interwoven guitars and, more particularly, in the booming low fuzz guitar riffs that underpin the verses". Mick Jagger's part shows him "gaining confidence as a soul-rock vocalist"; he "clearly modeled his vocal on Covay's original, which apparently had a lasting impact on the way Jagger subsequently used his voice".

The song was not released as a single, but was included on the Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads album. It became their first number one album in the U.S. (released July 30, 1965) and reached number two in the UK (released September 24, 1965). The band was filmed performing the song with Brian Jones and during their first appearance with Mick Taylor in Hyde Park on July 5, 1969, which was later included on their Stones in the Park DVD.