I recently got to hear the original versions of Geno Washington's 'Michael', and I got to thinking about the only other Geno track that I actually liked, 'Water'.

I've listened to two CDs in the time I've been searching, and read all about some court case between a record label that was screwing its artists and the artists it was screwing, I've been astounded how often the names Atkins and Miller crop up together, and I've run out of ways of trying to eliminate unwanted results from the flood that you get when you Google 'water'.

So I thought I'd do it the easy way.

Who recorded the orignal version of 'Water'?

And if it's the Chi-Lites or Barbara Acklin I shall kick something.

Really hard.

Eddie Floyd on Stax

I recently got to hear the original versions of Geno Washington's 'Michael', and I got to thinking about the only other Geno track that I actually liked, 'Water'.

I've listened to two CDs in the time I've been searching, and read all about some court case between a record label that was screwing its artists and the artists it was screwing, I've been astounded how often the names Atkins and Miller crop up together, and I've run out of ways of trying to eliminate unwanted results from the flood that you get when you Google 'water'.

So I thought I'd do it the easy way.

Who recorded the orignal version of 'Water'?

And if it's the Chi-Lites or Barbara Acklin I shall kick something.

Really hard.

It's actually Geno himself who recorded the original of 'Water". He got it from a publishers demo, the way that people often did back in the 60s. it was not uncommmon for UK or UK based acts to get first dibs on US songs - other good examples of this are Manfred Mann's "Pretty Flamingo" and the Animals' "It's My Life" and "Don't Bring Me Down".

To the best of my recollection, nobody else has ever recorded this particular "Water". I don't have a copy to hand, but I'm pretty sure that the Eddie Floyd record to which 'Sunnysoul' refers is a completely different song, and of much later vintage.

It's actually Geno himself who recorded the original of 'Water". He got it from a publishers demo, the way that people often did back in the 60s. it was not uncommmon for UK or UK based acts to get first dibs on US songs - other good examples of this are Manfred Mann's "Pretty Flamingo" and the Animals' "It's My Life" and "Don't Bring Me Down".

To the best of my recollection, nobody else has ever recorded this particular "Water". I don't have a copy to hand, but I'm pretty sure that the Eddie Floyd record to which 'Sunnysoul' refers is a completely different song, and of much later vintage.

You certainly know your stuff Tony,I remember at the time trying to find another version of this thinking if Geno has recorded it their must be an original version out there.It was quite a good track and got played at the Wheel unlike Michael where the original only got played.

You certainly know your stuff Tony,I remember at the time trying to find another version of this thinking if Geno has recorded it their must be an original version out there.It was quite a good track and got played at the Wheel unlike Michael where the original only got played.

The confirmation came to me from the guy who produced Geno's record, and who found the demo of the song for Geno in the first place. Although, of course, I think we could all be forgiven for expecting there to be a commercially released original of such a good tune!

So the 'net didn't actually let me down but I can no longer claim that Geno never sang one original song. It probably explains why it was his best selling single though.

Sometimes you just can't win.

...actually the court case was pretty fascinating, I've even spent a little time unravelling who really wrote some of the miscredited songs and found a couple of new tunes that I hadn't heard before in the process...