"It Hurts So Good" is a song written by

Phillip Mitchell Leroy Phillip Mitchell (born June 27, 1944), often credited as Prince Phillip Mitchell, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. He wrote " Starting All Over Again" for Mel and Tim, and " It Hurts So Good" and "Leftovers", ...

, and first recorded in 1971 by Katie Love and the Four Shades of Black on the Muscle Shoals Sound label. That version was not a hit, and the song was later recorded more successfully by

Millie Jackson Mildred Virginia Jackson (born July 15, 1944) is an American R&B and soul recording artist. Beginning her career in the early 1960s, three of Jackson's albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies sold. Jackson's songs o ...

, whose 1973 recording was featured in the

blaxploitation In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

'' Cleopatra Jones''. Hit versions were also recorded by Susan Cadogan and

Jimmy Somerville James William Somerville (born 22 June 1961) is a singer from Glasgow, Scotland who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the synth-pop groups Bronski Beat and the Communards. With Bronski Beat, Somerville achieved commercial success with the 1 ...

, both titled as "Hurt So Good".

Covers

Millie Jackson version

American R&B and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

artist Millie Jackson's recording, named "It Hurts So Good", charted at #24 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #3 on what was then called the ''Billboard'' R&B Singles chart. It was used as the title track of her second album, '' It Hurts So Good'' (1973).

Charts

Susan Cadogan version

Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

singer Susan Cadogan released a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the song later that year retitled as "Hurt So Good", which featured

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low br ...

Boris Gardiner Boris Gardiner (born 13 January 1943) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist. He was a member of several groups during the 1960s before recording as a solo artist and having hit singles with " Elizabethan Reggae" (in 1970), " I Wan ...

and the Zap Pow

horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...

s. It was released to little effect in Jamaica on Lee Perry's new 'Perries'

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

, but was released in the UK by Dennis Harris's DIP International label.

Magnet Records Magnet Records was a British record label, started in 1973 by Michael Levy and Peter Shelley. Adam Sweeting"Alvin Stardust obituary" ''The Guardian'', 23 October 2014 It was acquired by Warner Bros. Records in 1988 for an estimated £10m. Ar ...

picked up the single and it went on to reach the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart, with Cadogan flying to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to promote the single, including a television appearance on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

''.

Charts

Jimmy Somerville version

Former

Bronski Beat Bronski Beat were a British synth-pop band formed in 1983 in London, England. The initial lineup, which recorded the majority of their hits, consisted of Scottish musicians Jimmy Somerville (vocals) and Steve Bronski (keyboards, percussion) and ...

lead singer

covered the song in 1995, titled on single as "Hurt So Good", while "Hurts So Good" on the respective album, ''

Dare to Love Dare may refer to: Places * Dare, Vera Cruz, a ''suco'' in Vera Cruz administrative post, Dili Municipality, Timor-Leste * Darè, Italy, a comune * Dare County, North Carolina, United States * Dare, Virginia, United States, an unincorporate ...

'' (1995). It was produced by

Stephen Hague Stephen Hague (born 1960) is an American record producer most active with various British acts since the 1980s. Early life Hague was born in Portland, Maine, in 1960. Early career Hague started his musical career in the mid-1970s as a session ...

and released by

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

, peaking at #15 on the UK Singles Chart. An accompanying video was directed by Russell Young and produced by Nick Verden for Atlas Films.

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...

'' wrote, "Somerville = Summer In The City. The heat-proof current single, pop reggae tune 'Hurts So Good' will escort all citizens on their way to and from the beach."

Charts

Other versions

* Luminites, contestants on the seventh series of ''Britain's Got Talent''.

References

{{authority control 1971 songs 1973 singles 1995 singles Millie Jackson songs Jimmy Somerville songs London Records singles Music videos directed by Russell Young Song recordings produced by Richard Stannard (songwriter) American reggae songs