Grateful Dead Family Discography: There is Something On Your Mind

There is Something On Your Mind

Composer: Big Jay McNeely / (Rocky Wilson?)

There is Something On Your Mind was performed by the Grateful Dead in 1966. It was also played by Phil Lesh & Friends in 2015 during a show that featured songs from the early years of the Grateful Dead.

The song is nearly always credited to Jay McNeely on recordings but it is possible that it was actually written by Rocky Wilson of the Sharps who then sold the rights for the song to Jay McNeely.

Big Jay McNeely first recorded the song in 1957 but was not able to finance a release until 1959. This single release topped the R&B charts and reached #44 in the pop charts. The vocals on the original Big Jay McNeely version were by Little Sonny Warner. The earliest recording of the song is the live version on the Live at Birdland: 1957 album.

The song topped the R&B charts again in 1960 when released as a single by Bobby Marchan.

Big Jay McNeely recordings

no info Single (There Is Something on Your Mind / Back...Shack...Track), 1959
no info Very Best Of The Oldies, Various Artists, 1963
no info The Best of Big Jay McNeely, 1985
Swingin', Big Jay McNeely, 1990
no info Cruisin' 1959, Various Artists, 1991
Live at Birdland: 1957, Big Jay McNeely, 1992
no info The Rock 'N' Roll Era: Lost Treasures, Vol. 2, Various Artists, 1992
no info The Golden Age of American Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 3, Various Artists, 1994
no info Nervous!, Big Jay McNeely, 1995
no info Art Laboe's Dedicated to You, Vol. 7, Various Artists, 1995
no info East Side Story, Vol. 2, Various Artists, 1995
no info Lowrider Oldies, Vol. 7, Various Artists, 1997
There Is Something on Your Mind, Big Jay McNeely, 2002
no info East Side Story, Vol. 1-12 Box Set, Various Artists, 2002
no info Lowrider Oldies, Vol. 7-9: Cruisin Chrome Series, Various Artists, 2003
Blowing the Fuse: 29 R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox in 1959, Various Artists, 2006
no info The Go! Go! Go! Man, Big Jay McNeely, 2007

Other recordings

no info Single (So Good / There Is Something On Your Mind), The Hollywood Flames, 1959
no info Single (There's Something On Your Mind (Part 1) / There's Something On Your Mind (Part 2)), Bobby Marchan, 1960
no info Single (Unchained Heart / There's Something On Your Mind), Conway Twitty, 1962
no info Bobby King Presents Stars in Revue, Vol 1, Various Artists (Jolly Jax), 1963
Steal Away, Jimmy Hughes, 1964
no info Hit the Road, Conway Twitty, 1964
no info Single (There's Something On Your Mind (Part 1) / There's Something On Your Mind (Part 2)), Bobby Marchan, 1964
no info Collectors Showcase, Vol 1, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1964
no info Original Golden Rhythm and Blues Hits, Vol 1, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1964
no info There's Something On Your Mind (LP), Bobby Marchan, 1965
no info Single (There's Something On Your Mind (Part 1) / There's Something On Your Mind (Part 2)), Baby Lloyd, 1965
no info Single (There's Something On Your Mind (Part 1) / There's Something On Your Mind (Part 2)), Don Bryant, 1967
The James Cotton Blues Band, The James Cotton Blues Band, 1967
no info Live At Small's Paradise, King Curtis, 1967
Best of King Curtis, King Curtis, 1968
no info Instant Groove, King Curtis, 1969
no info Everybody Knows About My Good Thing, Little Johnny Taylor, 1970
no info The Day The World Turned Blue, Gene Vincent, 1971
no info 20 Great Hits, Conway Twitty, 1972
no info Rock 'N' Soul 1960, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1973
no info 20 Soulful Oldies, Vol 6, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1973
no info Borned with the Blues and Raised on Rock 'n' Roll, Kenney Wayne, 1980
no info Hurry Up This Way Again, Stylistics, 1980
no info Soul Neighbours, Jimmy Hughes, 1984
no info Two Sides of the Blues, James Cotton Blues Band, 1984
no info A History of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, Volume 2 (1959-1962), Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1986
no info Golden Classics, Bobby Marchan, 1988
no info Rivertown Blues Plus!, Various Artists (Don Bryant), 1988
no info Into the Seventies...Plus, Gene Vincent, 1989
no info The Rock 'N' Roll Era: 1960: Still Rockin',Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1989
no info Damn Right, I've Got the Blues, Buddy Guy, 1991
no info Comin' On Strong, Don Bryant, 1991
no info The Hollywood Flames, The Hollywood Flames, 1992
no info Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge, Professor Longhair, 1992
no info Rhythm & Blues: 1960,Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1992
no info Raging Harlem Hit Parade,Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1992
no info Fess: The Professor Longhair Anthology, Professor Longhair, 1993
no info Blues Summit, B.B. King, 1993
no info Booty Green, Bobby Marchan, 1994
no info Dealin' with the Devil: Best of James Cotton, James Cotton Blues Band, 1995
no info Full Gain, Grady Gaines & the Texas Upsetters, 1995
no info Human Jukebox, Sleepy LaBeef, 1995
no info The Singles Collection, Don Bryant, 1995
no info Don & the Goodtimes, Don & the Goodtimes, 1995
no info American R&B Hits, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1995
no info The Best of Loma Records: The Rise and Fall of a 1960's Soul Label, Various Artists (Baby Lloyd), 1995
no info The Singles Collection, Don Bryant, 1996
no info Fool for the Ladies, E.B. Davis, 1996
no info Songs of Faith and Inflammation, Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, 1996
Larger Than Life, Sleepy LaBeef, 1996
no info Guilty, Ruby Turner, 1996
no info Royal Memphis Soul, Various Artists (Don Bryant), 1996
no info The Rock 'N' Roll Years, Conway Twitty, 1997
no info Promises, Barbara Lynn, 1997
no info Essential Texas Blues, Various Artists (Grady Gains), 1997
no info Soul Patrol, Vol. 5, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1997
no info The New Orleans Hit Story, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 1997
no info The Hi Masters, Don Bryant, 1998
no info Seems Like Yesterday: Collectors Classics, James Cotton, 1998
Let's Stay Together, King Perkoff, 1998
no info The Best of Zydeco Instrumentals, Zydeco All Stars, 1998
no info Turn up the Zydeco, Rockin' Dopsie, 1998
no info Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll: The Very Best of Sleepy Labeef, Sleepy LaBeef, 1999
no info The Very Best Of Bobby Marchan, Bobby Marchan, 1999
no info Crazy Cajun Recordings, Freddy Fender, 1999
no info Hi Records: River Town Blues, Various Artists (Don Bryant), 1999
no info The Ebb Records Story, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Hollywood Flames), 1999
no info The Original Northwest Sound of Don & the Goodtimes, Don & the Goodtimes, 2000
no info The Complete Don Bryant on Hi Records, Don Bryant, 2000
no info The Fire and Fury of Bobby Robinson, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2000
no info Best of British Blues, Various Artists (Ruby Turner), 2000
no info Sir Doug Presents: Lone Star Jukebox, Various Artists (Freddy Fender), 2000
no info Pittsburgh's Favorite Oldies: At The Hop, Vol. 7, Various Artists (Hollywood Flames), 2000
no info New Orleans Soul '60s: Watch Records, Various Artists (Professor Longhair), 2000
no info Last Kiss: Songs of Teen Tragedy, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2000
no info Birth of Soul, Vol. 3, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2001
no info Best of Freddy Fender: Wasted Days & Wasted Nights, Freddy Fender, 2001
no info Everybody Knows About My Good Thing/Open House, Little Johnny Taylor, 2001
no info Loving a Married Man, Queen Isabella, 2001
no info Crazy Baby, Freddy Fender, 2002
no info Looking Back: The Very Best of the MGM Years, Conway Twitty, 2002
no info Soul: Sexual Healing, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2002
no info I Love Rock & Roll, Vol. 13, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2004
no info Real 60's: R&B, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2004
no info V-8 Ford Blues, James Cotton, 2005
The Road Is Rocky: Complete Studio Masters 1956-1971, Gene Vincent, 2005
no info Suspicious Again: The Indigo Sessions 1996-98, Ruby Turner, 2005
no info Boppin' With Gene Vincent, Gene Vincent, 2005
no info The Fire & Fury Story, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2005
Blowing the Fuse: 31 R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox in 1960, Various Artists (Bobby Marchan), 2006
no info Back on Track, Van Broussard, 2007
no info It's Only Make Believe: The MGM Years, Conway Twitty, 2008
no info A Million Shades of Blue, Gene Vincent, 2008
no info Warren Storm, Willie Tee & Cypress, Warren Storm, Willie Tee & Cypress, 2008
no info Pure Swamp Pop Gold, Vol. 9, Various Artists (Van Broussard), 2009