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The song has been covered by many artists; a few of them are
Mary Wells,
Aretha Franklin,
Jerry Lee Lewis,
Eddie and the Hot Rods,
The Strangeloves and even an instrumental jazz version by
Oscar Peterson and
Milt Jackson. There is an amazing array of many more listed in the links below.
The earliest version was by
Otis Redding for his album
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul, released on September 15, 1965, by
Volt Records (
link below).
The latest was a very sexed up version by
Britney Spears who recorded the song with producer
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for her second studio album,
Oops!... I Did It Again, on February 24, 2000, at Pacifique Recording Studios in
Hollywood (
link below).
The most famous cover has to be by the American
new wave group
Devo who released their rendition of
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction as a single in 1977. It was re-recorded with
Brian Eno
as producer for their first album, and that version was also released
as a single in 1978, this time by
Warner Brothers Records, after it was approved by
Mick Jagger. I love this cover! (
link below)
Steve Huey of
AllMusic wrote that the
Devo version "reworks the original's alienation into a spastic freak-out that's nearly unrecognizable". It was featured in the 1995
Martin Scorsese epic crime film,
Casino.
The quirky music video for the song and several others from this album received significant airplay on early
MTV.
A notable feature of the video is dancer Craig Allen Rothwell, known
as Spazz Attack, whose signature dance move, a forward flip onto his
back, drew him significant attention.
45 RPM record sleeve (back) detail
But the quirkiest version of
Satisfaction absolutely has to be by the
San Francisco New Wave, avant-garde/
experimental collective,
The Residents released in 1976. Originally released in an edition of only 200 copies, their cover
became a cult sensation, thanks in part to the success of the afore mentioned cover by
Devo the following year, necessitating a re-press in 1978 of 30,000 copies (
link below).
It is moderately paced with drums and a VERY weird vocal. Dissonant and dysfunctional is putting it mildly. A guitar played by
Snakefinger soars over the tune from time to time.
Brad Laner, writing for
Dangerous Minds,
states the cover "is nearly everything the better known version by
Devo
from a year later is not: Loose, belligerent, violent, truly fucked-up.
A real stick in the eye of everything conventionally tasteful in 1976
America."
In addition to the music and graphics, one of the cool things about this recording is the medium itself; transparent, yellow vinyl.
The "song" on the flip side of the record,
Loser ≅ Weed (
link below), is much faster and is just as weird as
Satisfaction. The intro to it puts me in mind of the intro to
Heart of Glass by
Blondie.
Tracklist:
A - Satisfaction, written by Jagger-Richard - 4:30
B - Loser ≅ Weed, written by The Residents - 2:09
Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Cryptic Corporation
Copyright (c) – Cryptic Corporation
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Cryptic Corporation
Published By – Pale Pachyderm Publishing
Published By – Immediate
Lacquer Cut At – Sonic Arts
Credits:
Backing Vocals [Backing Stylists] – The Pointless Sisters
Design [Cover Art] – Pore-No Graphics*
Lacquer Cut By – LK*
Lead Guitar – Snakefinger
Percussion – D. Jackovich*
Producer – The Residents
Notes:
"This record was previously released with a different cover.
The Residents present a rehash of their 1976 classic Satisfaction b/w Loser ≅ Weed.
Previously released in 1976".
©1978, The Cryptic Corp.
Side A: Immediate, BMI
Side B: ℗ 1978 The Cryptic Corp. Published by Pale Pachyderm Pub.(BMI)
This 1978 re-release of the rare 1976 original was an edition of 30,000 copies pressed on transparent yellow vinyl and in a slightly redesigned two color sleeve. The original release was a limited edition of 200 copies, each hand-screened in three colors, and then hand-inked with three more colors.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, etched): RR7803/A LK
Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, etched): RR7803B/ LK
Rights Society (Sides A & B runout, stamped): ⊏◯⊐
Rights Society: BMI
The Residents – Satisfaction
Label: Ralph Records – RR7803
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Yellow
Country: US
Released: Aug 1978
Genre: Electronic
Style: Experimental
The Cryptic Corporation
524 San Anselmo AV #109
San Anselmo, CA 94960 - USA
info@crypticorp.com
415.578.4646
