Clyde McPhatter's roots were in the black church. The song is essentially the gospel song "Have Mercy, Jesus" sung in the call-and-response style of a gospel quartet, although it is in the straight twelve-bar blues form that gospel singers disdained. In the first chorus McPhatter simply follows the melody, but subsequently he freely improvises in the gospel style with short but spectacular melismas, stringing out phrases to overlap the backup singers responses, interjecting screams and yeahs, shouting a gospel funk. The backup band lays down the rhythm and provides the expected tenor sax solo.[2][3]
“Have Mercy Baby” would be the final Dominoes recording to feature original bass singer, Bill Brown on background vocals. After which, Brown would help found The Checkers (American band).
Impact
The Dominoes' version of "Have Mercy Baby" was the definitive rhythm and gospel record.[3] Influenced by the group's lead singer Clyde McPhatter, its importance lies in that it was the first popular R&B recording highlighting passionate black gospel music features.[2]
Cover versions
Other significant recordings of the song were made by:
The Bobbettes (1960), whose version went to #66 on the Hot 100.[4]
^ abHolly George-Warren &, Anthony Decurtis (Eds.) (1976). The RollingStone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll (3rd ed.). New York: Random House. pp. 18–20. ISBN0-679-73728-6.
^Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 94.
^White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
