Lyr/Chords Req: Love Potion No. 9

Subject: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Charcloth
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 11:19 PM

Does any body have a good site for getting chords & lyrics to oldies like "love potion number Nine"? I'll be doing a gig before long at an assisted living facility mostly for mentaly challenge type folks ages 8-82 so I need some broad material & besides oldies music is fun to play. Most folks are at least familer with some of those songs & it's easier to get them to sing along. Thanks Charcloth

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 11:28 PM

Since Lyrics World seems to have disappeared, you might try this one

Subject: Lyr Add: LOVE POTION NO. 9 (Lieber/Stoller)
From: ddw
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 12:31 AM

Found these words. Can't vouch for them entirely, but they seem to fit with my memory of The Coasters' tune.

LOVE POTION NO. 9
Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller
As recorded by The Clovers, 1959.

I took my troubles down to Madame Ruth.
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth.
She's got a pad on Thirty-Fourth and Vine,
Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine.

I told her that I was a flop with chicks.
I've been this way since 1956.
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign.
She said: "What you need is Love Potion Number Nine."

She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink.
She said: "I'm gonna mix it up right here in the sink."
It smelled like turpentine and looked like India ink.
I held my nose; I closed my eyes; I took a drink.

I didn't know if it was day or night.
I started kissin' everything in sight,
But when I kissed a cop at Thirty-Fourth and Vine,
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine.

Not near a guitar right now, so I'm not sure of the chords, but I think it's only two or three, likely I, II, V. I really can't hear a IV chord in there in my mind's ear.

david

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: ddw
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 12:52 AM

Or maybe there is a IV chord. Try:

(I) I took my troubles down to (IV) Madame Ruth
(I)You know that gypsy with the (IV) gold-capped tooth
(I) She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Sellin' little bottles of (V) Love Potion No. 9

I'll try to work it out when I get home and if nobody has posted anything better by tomorrow night, I'll let you know what I came up with.

cheers,

david

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 01:11 AM

Davis isn't it all (or mostly) minor chords? Like your I would be B minor and your IV would be E minor? Assuming you are playing in D that is ....

Murray

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Terry K
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 01:32 AM

Interesting that in searching for material for mentally challenged people aged between 8 and 82 you should think of the Mudcat :-)

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Charcloth
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 09:10 AM

I didn't have much luck figuring the chords for "love potion # 9." If I had a recording of it I could draw on more than my failing memory. The sites given so far have just lyrics. Which usualy is enough but this is one time my ear just don't get it. Any way, the other lyric & chord sites I have used in the past don't seem to be there anymore & the ones that are have too modern material or require the bands names & I can't always remember. Durn CRS!

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Gary T
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 09:34 AM

These may not be the "official" chords, but they work for me:

  Verse:
  
  Am                         Dm          
  I took my troubles down to Madame Ruth
  Am                           Dm              
   You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
  C                       Am                      
  She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine 
  F                         G               Am
  Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion No. 9 
  
  Bridge:
  
      Dm                                             
  She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink 
      Em                                                
  She said "I'm gonna make it up right here in the sink"
     Dm                                               
  It smelled like turpentine, it looked like India ink 
    E                                              
  I held my nose, I closed my eyes — I took a drink 
  

Note the E MINOR (second line) and E MAJOR (fourth line) in the bridge.

I always add at the end:
I had so much fun that I'm going back again
I wonder what would happen with Love Potion number ten?

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST,Les/ Manchester uk
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 03:57 PM

What a song, one of the truly great. How about the chords for I'm a hog for you Baby, coasters supreme?

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 04:19 PM

Here is an excellent source of words and tabs for oldies. "Love potion #9" can be found there and hundreds of others, with chords and/or tabs.

http://www.guitarnotes.com/tabs/

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 05:21 PM

Try using an E7 instead of the G in the verse, and in the bridge, try a B minor instead of the Em--Also, here's the second verse:

I told her that I was a flop with chicks
I've been this way since Nineteen Fifty Six
She looked a my palm and she made a magic sign
she said what you need is, Love Potion No. 9

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: ddw
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 07:18 PM

Glad to see such a good response. I did figure out it was mostly minors when I got home, listened to it and started noodling on the guitar. It's embarrassing, but after all these years I still often miss that a tune is in a minor when I'm winging it from memory. Probably won't ever get over it.

cheers,

david

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: mkebenn
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 07:41 PM

Once again, I always heard
I took my troubles down to Madame Rue,
you know that Gypsy with the gold tatoo
Mike

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Charcloth
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 09:56 PM

thanks folks. this is such a fun song to do

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Nov 01 - 01:07 AM

You know, there comes a time when you've sung too many folk songs. I mean, it can get too damn serious and intellectual. Then it's time to do a song like this one. It's just plain fun.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Nov 01 - 01:34 AM

mkebenn: I always heard it exactly the same way you did! "Gold tattoo" never made much sense -- I've never seen a gold tattoo -- but "gold-capped tooth" never occurred to me.

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 01 - 11:50 AM

The "gold tooth" variant! If the words are altered thru the folk process, it becomes a folksong! Anyway, for what it's worth, my sister has a gold tattoo--

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST,Sonja
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 02:43 AM

Well, I, too, thought it was Madame Rue with the gold tattoo!  Here's the way I sing it (being like I'm a goil), along with my chords.

Love Potion #9 (Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller)
 
  Em                                     Am
  I took my troubles down to Madame Ruth
  Em                                           Am
   You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
  G                Em                 G                        Em
  She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
  Am                            B7                          Em
  Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number 9
   B7                         Em
  Love Potion Number 9
 
Em                             Am
I told her that I was a flop with guys;
Em                                           Am
I been this ways since nineteen ninety-five.
      G                    Em               G                  Em
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign,
      Am                                B7                        Em
She said, "What you need is Love Potion Number 9."
  B7                         Em
Love Potion Number 9

      Em
She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
      Bm
She said "I'm gonna mix it up right here in the sink"
     Em
It smelled like turpentine, it looked like India ink
    B7
I held my nose, I closed my eyes — I took a drink

Em                           Am
I didn't know if it was day or night,
Em                             Am
I started kissin' everything in sight,
      G                        Em               G             Em
But when I kissed the cop down at 34th and vine,

[Spoken] He slapped me with a sexual harrassment suit,
Then he threw me in jail, and then
      Am                                B7                        Em
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number 9.
  B7                         Em
Love Potion Number 9

Sonja

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Mooh
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 09:21 AM

My goodness!

First chord slides from D#m to Em.

Verse 1 & 2 chords are Em, A7, Em, A7, G, A7, B7, Em.

At "She bent..." the chords are A7, F#m, A7, B7.

Verse 3 the chords are Em, A7, D#m, Em, A7, G, A7, B7, A9 D#m then repeated with an Em inplace of the A9 and D#m at the end.

PM me and maybe I can send you what music I've got.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST,Jonesey
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 09:51 AM

In the key of Am the bridge chords are: Dm Bmag(not Bm) Dm E7(The same for the instumental break) The verse chords are: Am Dm Am Dm C--Am Dm E7 Am E7... If anyone gets an opportunity to see it there is a great old black and white film of the Coasters doing this song with white gloves in total darkness...I think I might've seen it on PBS or something, but it's really amazing...

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST,Jonesey
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 10:14 AM

almost forgot to mention...some of the differences we're having here between major and minor chords in the bridge and verses stem from whether one refers to the Coasters' version or the Searchers...They are slightly different...As an aside The Searchers' hit 'Needles and Pins' was written by Sonny Bono. Some other oldies suggestions might be 'I'll feel a Whole lot Better'-The Byrds...'Unchain My Heart'-Ray Charles' version...'I Only Wanna Be With You'-Dusty Springfield...'I'm Busted'-again Ray's version...'Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa','Town Without Pity', 'It Hurts To Be In Love'-all by Gene Pitney...I could go on, but those are some songs that haven't been done to death...anyway I digress...lol

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: SharonA
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 11:29 AM

Add my name to the list of those in the "Madame Rue/gold tattoo" camp. I think it's the result of listening to the older, less precise sound systems. I didn't hear the right lyric until I was wearing ear buds and listening to the radio (which, presumably, was playing a digitized CD and not a tape).

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Mooh
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 12:43 PM

After reading Jonesey's posts I checked my music file (good old fashion paper, not computer) and found my discription above is correct by the published sheet music, which is likely where I first learned it. I have recently helped someone prepare a fingerstyle guitar version of LP#9, and once upon a time it was a favourite of some band I was in.

What's important I think, is that however you play it, you make it yours. Rehashed sound alike versions of songs kinda leave me cold, as if performing something was a competition in replication. That was another thread, I know.

Good luck. Mooh.

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 01:54 PM

I've come late, but what is Bmag?

I have a completely different set of chords than the above, that allow for a moving bass line--I'll post them in a bit, but I've got to run just now--

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Pseudolus
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 02:11 PM

B major I believe as opposed to B Minor......

Frank

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 02:47 PM

You all missed out the bit at the end that goes:

Mix it up........and drink it down (repeat and fade)
Ami..........Dmi..............Ami.....

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 02:49 PM

Sorry guys, cookie needed resetting

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: BanjoRay
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 02:53 PM

AAARRGHHH! - try again.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: 53
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 03:01 PM

the searchers also did this song during the british invasion, and they did it in A minor. BOB

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 05:54 PM

Here are my chords, from the special collection:

||:Am-AmG/D9F#-F7/Am-AmG/D9F#-F7/
C-C'B/C'A-C'G/F7-F7/E7-E7/AmAm/E7-E7:||
(Bridge)
|Dm-Dm7'C/F9'B-Bb7/Bm-BmMaj7/Bm7-E7/
Dm-Dm7'C/F9'B-Bb7/B7-B7/Bm7-E7|

|Am-AmG/D9F#-F7/Am-AmG/D9F#-F7/
C-C'B/C'A-C'G/F7-F7/E7-E7/AmAm/E7-E7/
Am-Am/E7-E7/Am-Am/E7-E7/Am-Am\

Repeat "Love Potion Number Nine twice at the end of the verse(after the first time) and it will fit--Oh, and I used the comma to indicate the bass note because I used the slash marks to indicate measures--It sounds best if you give it a jazz feel--

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: GUEST,I was a teenager then
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 06:38 PM

The Madame Rue and Gold Tatoo are from the version by Gerry Lewis and the Playboys.

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 07:24 PM

Unless somebody can tell me differently, I've always believe 34th and Vine refers to West Philadelphia, near the University of Pennsylvania campus, and right up the street from Children's Hospital, where I spent three very long years as a resident.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: 53
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 08:38 PM

i didn't think that gary lewis and the playboys did that song, i know it was the searchers. BOB

Subject: RE: love potion number nine & other oldies
From: Genie
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 03:20 PM

Mooh, I 'm with you.  Make the song your own, with your own arrangement.

I use the same chords Sonja posted above, and I do the song with a kind of blues beat (good West Coast swing beat) that is considerably slower than the popular recordings I've heard.  Those chords work perfectly with the tune.

It's not unusual for more than one chord progression to fit with a melody.  [Moreover, sheet music is not always definitive or even accurate.  Some books of sheet music look as though they were done by minimum wage lackeys using a cookbook formula, putting a whole new chord in for every note of the tune.  The chords may (or may not) fit, but sometimes the progression is unnecessarily complicated and the chords unnecessarily difficult for those of us with small hands.]

Anyway, folks, here you have several sets of chords to try out.  Choose the ones that sound best for your arrangement of the song.

Genie
(I also thought it was Madame Rue ... with the gold tattoo. And "She's got a shop down at 34th & Vine ... ," as opposed to "... a pad down at ... .")

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Love Potion No. 9
From: GUEST
Date: 19 May 18 - 06:22 AM

Listen to Elkie Brooks version.......try singing and playing it really slow.....so cool!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Love Potion No. 9
From: GUEST,DTM
Date: 19 May 18 - 03:39 PM

If played in Am, I think the bridge goes ....
Dm - B7,
Dm -E7.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Love Potion No. 9
From: Donuel
Date: 21 May 18 - 06:47 PM

~

sweet

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Love Potion No. 9
From: Donuel
Date: 21 May 18 - 07:21 PM

jazz version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND52XVCxmY4