"Hard to Handle" is a 1968 song written by American soul singer Otis Redding along with Al Bell and Allen Jones. Originally recorded by Redding, it was released in 1968 as the B-side to "Amen" (shortly after the singer's sudden death in 1967). The song also appears on the 1968 album The Immortal Otis Redding. Redding's version reached number 38 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 51 on the pop chart. American rock band the Black Crowes covered the song for their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, reaching number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their rendition.

Certifications

The Grateful Dead version Hard To Handle was performed by the Grateful Dead about 90 times between March 1969 and August 1971 with Piegpen (Ronald McKeran) taking the lead vocals. It was subsequently performed only twice, on December 30 and 31, 1982, with Etta James taking the vocals and support from the Tower of Power horns.

The Black Crowes version

American rock band the Black Crowes covered the song for their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. Two versions of the song exist: the original album version and the hit single remixed with an overdubbed brass section, available on the 30th Anniversary edition of Shake Your Money Maker. The album version was first released as a single in the United Kingdom in August 1990 and was issued in the United States later the same year. The song peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. Following the success of the band's first top-40 hit, "She Talks to Angels", the song re-entered the Hot 100 and peaked at number 26 in August 1991, becoming the Black Crowes' highest position on the chart. The same month, the song was re-released in the UK and reached a new peak of number 39.

Track listings

US 7-inch and cassette single (1990) International 7-inch and cassette single (1990) UK 12-inch single and Japanese maxi-CD single (1990) UK CD single (1990) UK 7-inch single (1991) UK 7-inch picture disc (1991) UK 12-inch single (1991) UK CD single (1991) Japanese mini-CD single (1991)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Other versions