Dave Edmunds: “Blue Monday” (1971)

A better choice than Blueberry Hill, but ultimately destined for the boneyard.

Kronomyth 0.4: Welcome to the working week.

When Dave Edmunds’ second single, “I’m Comin’ Home,” failed to match the success of “I Hear You Knocking,” he returned to the winning formula of his first hit single with a claustrophobic-sounding cover of another Fats Domino classic, Blue Monday. Unfortunately, the single stalled short of the Top 100 and, for a moment there, it looked like Edmunds might be a one-hit wonder. While it’s not as immediately catchy or quirky as his first foray into the Fatslands, “Blue Monday” is a neat twist on the original that includes some fine guitar work. The B side, I’ll Get Along, is a song written by bass player John Williams that bears more than a passing resemblance to Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and features more of Edmunds’ tastefully twangy guitar.

Original 7-inch single version

A1. Blue Monday (David Bartholomew) (2:47)
B1. I’ll Get Along (John Williams) (2:50)

Back-to-back hits 7-inch single version
A1. I Hear You Knocking (Dave Bartholomew/Pearl King) (2:49)
B1. Blue Monday (Dave Bartholomew/Fats Domino) (2:47)

The Players

Produced by Dave Edmunds.

The Plastic

Released on 7-inch single on July 9, 1971 in the UK (Regal Zonophone, RZ 3037), on July 22, 1971 in Australia (His Master’s Voice, EA-9581), in August 1971 in the US (MAM, 45-3611) and in 1971 in the Netherlands (Regal Zonophone, 5C 006-92617) with regional picture sleeve. (First appeared in 8/7/71 issue of Billboard.)

1. Re-packaged w. “I Hear You Knocking” on back-to-back hits 7-inch single in the US (MAM Great Hits, 5N-59030).