Record #0851: Sometime Tomorrow / Farther Up the Road – BOBBY “BLUE” BLAND

Duke 170 (original) USA, July 1957
Words & Music by:  Side A – Joseph Scott, Charles Harper; Side B – Don Robey, Joe Veasey
Musicians: Bobby “Blue” Bland (lead vocals), Bill Harvey (tenor sax, band lead), Joe Scott (trumpet), Pluma Davis (trombone), L.A. Hill (tenor sax), Rayfield Devers (baritone sax), Teddy Reynolds (piano), Hamp Simmons (bass), Sonny Freeman (drums), Pat Hare (guitar on side B), Clarence Hollimon (guitar on side A), the Joe Scott Singers (backing vocals)
Recording sessions: Produced by  Don Robey at ACA Studios, Houston, TX, around January / February 1957
Highest chart positions: Side A – none; Side B – US #43, US R&B #1

The matrix numbers indicate that “Sometime Tomorrow” was the original A-side of this single, but radio stations played mostly the flipside, which became a big crossover hit.

According to blues singer Johnny Copeland, he and Joe Medwick (Joe Veasey) sat down and wrote the song together in a single night. The next morning, Medwick, who was chronically broke and desperately needed quick cash, walked straight into Don Robey’s office to sell the brand-new track.

Robey was famous for keeping a stack of cash right inside his desk drawer specifically for these moments. He bought the song from Medwick on the spot for just a few dozen dollars. However, as part of the deal, Robey completely erased Johnny Copeland's name from the credits and substituted his own as the official co-writer.

Because the song became a number-one hit, that small cash payout turned into a goldmine for Don Robey. He raked in massive publishing royalties for decades—especially later when Eric Clapton recorded his own famous versions of the track. Meanwhile, the actual creators saw virtually none of the long-term wealth their song generated.

This was the only record where Pat Hare played guitar for Bobby Bland. Soon after this Hare joined Muddy Waters’ band full-time.

List price: Les Docks lists this for $5-$10. 45cat.com Price Guide sets this at €23. I found 12 copies sold in eBay for €20-€60 (the highest price was paid in Germany).