Mercy Mercy Mercy

This is a cover of “Mercy Mercy Mercy”, a tune I’ve done a few times before. Something about it is very compelling, in spite of its simplicity. Written by Joe Zawinul when he was with Cannonball Adderley, the song cracked the top forty twice in 1967 — going to #11 with Adderley’s group in February of that year and with added lyrics, to #5  in August by the Buckinghams. This arrangement preserves some of the underlying jazz feel within a classic rock setting. The Venture waited until “Walk Don’t Run 2000” to do a version.