This is dead wrong.
It was Nina Simone's song first (in 1964).
As the 2012 book Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone by Nadine Cohodas tells it, Burdon came backstage after one of Simone's concerts to meet her soon after The Animals had scored big with "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in early 1965, nearly a year after her own version had failed to chart. And the pull-no-punches Simone gave it to him right between the eyes.
"So you're the honky motherfucker who stole my song and got a hit out of it?"
What most sources online also don't get right is the story behind the composition.
The composer/arranger Horace Ott, a South Carolina native who also wrote/arranged for jazz organist Jimmy McGriff and drummer Bernard Purdie, came up with the song's haunting refrain (Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood) and basic structure after a fight with his future wife, Gloria Caldwell. He then took the tune in its skeletal state to pals of his, songwriters Bennie Benjamin and Sol Marcus, who fleshed out the verses and put the finishing touches on the composition, specifically with Simone in mind.
But if you take a look at the writing credits for the song, Ott's name isn't anywhere to be found. That's because Ott was a member of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), whereas Benjamin and Marcus were members of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)—different organizations that protect artists' copyrights and make sure they get paid proper royalties for their work. At the time, that meant they weren't allowed to work together. So Ott handed over his writing credit to Caldwell. (Sort of appropriate, considering it was an argument with her that prompted him to sit down at the piano and create the first seeds of the song.)
I prefer Simone's version to all others—not just because it's the original, but also because of her vocal. It's supple and smoky, like a shot of Bourbon that simultaneously burns and soothes. What's more, she delivers every word with enormous passion and conviction.
Putting the performance in context of the 60s Civil Rights era, it doesn't take too much effort to realize that she wasn't just singing the lyrics from the point of view of a hurt lover; she's singing them as a black woman, stating her hope to be accepted as a human being. (Take a listen to the track again with that in mind, and the song takes on a whole new depth of emotion and meaning.)
Ott's arrangement also is engaging, combining tasteful strings with celeste, choir backing vocals, and some sort of melodic percussion that I've never quite been able to figure out. (Is it roto toms? Marimba? Some sort of everyday plastic container, played like drums? I've listened to the track on repeat before for a solid hour, trying to figure out what instrument Ott used to get that distinctive sound. And it still eludes me!)
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