Expert: George Armstrong - 3/25/2009

Question
QUESTION: I had a cassette tape and I played it so much it broke and there were several songs on it that I really enjoyed. There was a song on it that had the words in it saying "I'm a evil man don't you bother with me I'm a evil man don't you bother with me I'll empty your pockets and fill you with misery" This cassette had various artist on it and I sure wish I could find it again. Anyway I would really like to know who sings the song and if I could get a copy of it.....

ANSWER: Hi Carol,

This is "Evil Gal Blues": originally done by Dinah Washington and Lionel Hampton. Aretha Franklin did a version, and Tina Schlieske has a CD out by that title. You can get a CD or an MP3 download at Amazon.com. I hope this helps!

Song: Evil Gal Blues
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Originally written by: Leonard Feather
Date: 1964 (of the Aretha Franklin version)

Cover hierarchy
Evil Gal Blues by Dinah Washington (1944)
Evil Gal Blues by Aretha Franklin (1964)
Evil Gal Blues by Lee Aaron and The Swingin' Barflies (1999)
Evil Gal Blues by China Moses & Raphael Lemonnier (March 4, 2009)

Evil Gal Blues (Aretha version)
I'm an evil gal don't you bother with me, no
I said I'm an evil gal don't you mess around with me, mmhmm
Well I'll empty your pockets and fill you with misery, yes I will!
If you tell me good mornin'
I'm gon' tell you that's a lie
If you say hello baby I'ma give you the evil eye
I'ma evil gal don't you mess around with me, Mmhmm
I'm gonna empty your pockets and fill you with misery, yes I will
I want caviar for breakfast, champagne every night,
I want a midnight snack for every man that I invite
I'm an evil gal don't you mess around with me, no
So goodbye baby I'm gonna set you free
Whoaaaa if you wanna be happy honey don't you mess around with me
I said if you wanna be happy don't you mess around with me, no
Cause I'll empty your pockets and fill you with misery
Yeah- yeah oh I'm evil

-Harmonica-

Oh if you wanna be happy don't you hang out with me, no more
I said if you wanna be happy, honey, don't you hang out with me
You'd better not
Cause I'll empty your pockets and I'll set you free
and I'm so proud- that's how I am!

Evil Gal Blues (Dinah Washington version)
I'm an evil gal, don't you bother with me.
YES! I'm an evil gal, don't you bother with me.
I'll empty your pockets and fill you with misery.

I've got men to the left, men to the right,
men every day and men every night
I've got so many men mmmm I don't know what to do
So I'm tellin you daddy, I ain't no good to you

I got men in the east, men in the west
but my man here in Harlem always loves me the best
I'm an evil gal, and I need an evil man.
But I'm down in the dumps since I lost him to Uncle Sam

If you want to be happy don't hang around with me
mmm I said If you want to be happy don't hang around with me
'Cause I'm an evil gal, and I want to set you free.

Lional Hampton Sextet with Dinah Washington - 1943


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I need to find an old cassette tape with various blues artist on it. On this cassette I believe that the songs on this tape had corine corinna, rocks in my bed, St Louis blues, Evil mans blues, and Louis Armstrong was feature on this cassette. I would really like to replace this cassette how would I go about trying to get it.

Answer
Hi Carol,

If you still have the cassette, you can have it repaired, take it to an audio specialist. I'll try to find the cassette, but, you can rebuild it from the internet. I'll give you links below:

Rocks in my bed:
http://www.rhapsody.com/big-joe-turner-2/rocks-in-my-bed

Corina Corina (Albert King, one of my favorites!)
http://www.thumbplay.com/join/Albert+King-artist-Corina+Corina-MP3s-bonus

Lois A...... St. Louis Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nwHdvxEDaU

I hope this helps! Regards, George Armstrong