From '' Darvin Sturgill Sings Country Classics ''
Label: Stop – STLP 1023
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1971

Tracklist
A1 Hello George
Written-By – Bob Leftridge
A2 Can't Get Enough
Written-By – Larry Kingston
A3 Games People Play
Written-By – Joe South
A4 Don't Borrow Sugar
Written-By – Larry Kingston
A5 Rum Dumb
Written-By – Jerry Shook
A6 Truthful Loneliness
Written-By – Willie Rainsford
B1 Ten Steps
Written-By – Darvin Sturgill
B2 I Couldn't Live Without You
Written-By – Darvin Sturgill
B3 All I Have To Offer You
Written-By – Arthur Leo 'Doodle' Owens, Dallas Frazier
B4 Back Streets Of My Mind
Written By – J. Wellman
Written-By – Darvin Sturgill
B5 I'll Just Have Another Drink
Written-By – Darvin Sturgill

Engineer – Scotty Moore

Producer – Pete Drake

Recorded At – Music City Recorders, Nashville

Record Company – Stop Records Inc.
Distributed By – Stop Records Inc.
Published By – Window Music Pub. Co., Inc.
Published By – Lowery Music
Published By – Hill & Range
Published By – Blue Crest

Notes
Originally released as the b-side on ''Can't Get Enough'' single that was released in 1970. (Stop – ST 1570)

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"Games People Play" is a song written, composed, and performed by American singer-songwriter Joe South, released in August 1968, that won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Release

"Games People Play" is a protest song whose lyrics speak against various forms of hatred, hypocrisy, inhumanity, intolerance, and irresponsibility, in both interpersonal and social interactions between people.
Billboard favorably reviewed the song some three months after its release and eight weeks before it finally reached the Hot 100.

The song was released on South's debut album Introspect and as a single, reaching No. 12 on the Hot 100.
It was also a No. 6 hit in the UK in 1969, No. 4 in Ireland, and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

The distinctive guitar in the opening is played on a Danelectro electric sitar, which can be seen in a video recorded to support South's album "Introspect."
Concurrent with South's version of the song on the pop charts, Freddy Weller, guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders, released a country version of the song in 1969 as his debut single; this rendition spent two weeks at No. 2 on the country charts.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994) / Peak position

Australia (Kent Music Report) / 97
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) / 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) / 12
Finland (IFPI) / 2
Germany (Official German Charts) / 27
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) / 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100) / 8
New Zealand (RIANZ) / 4
Scotland (OCC) / 78
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) / 7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) / 7
UK Singles (OCC) / 67
UK Dance (Music Week) / 31
US Billboard Hot 100 / 84
US Top Singles (Cash Box) / 51

Inner Circle version

"Games People Play" was covered by Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle on their 1994 album, Reggae Dancer.
In the US, it peaked at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 51 on the Cash Box Top 100.
In Europe, it was successful, reaching the Top 10 in several countries, like the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
The single reached its best chart position in Finland, where it peaked at number two. Outside Europe, it also hit number four in New Zealand.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Reggae outfit is once again ready for top 40 picking with this rendition of Joe South's 1969 hit. Although band has many of its own solid songs to offer, there is no denying that reggae clicks with pop programmers faster when wrapped around a familiar tune. Once attitudes change in the mainstream, then maybe we'll get more original singles. In the meantime, enjoy Inner Circle's deft musicianship and charming vocals."

Alan Jones from Music Week deemed it "another reggae cover of little significance but great potential", adding that this version "is bright, bouncy and competent. It's already a huge hit in Europe, and an MTV staple, so UK success seems simply a matter of time."

Mark Sutherland from Smash Hits gave the song four out of five, saying, "If everything in Life was as reliable as Inner Circle. Every summer they seem to come up with the perfect smiley reggae record." He described it as "a bounce-along beach party of a choon with a, erm, "NA NA NA" chorus. Unbeatable as a soundtrack for beach volleyball – and as big a hit as their lard-tub guitarist."

Other cover versions

Games People Play has been covered by a lot of artists including:
the Staple Singers,
Hank Williams Jr.,
Murray Head,
Bill Haley & His Comets,
Johnnie Taylor,
the Georgia Satellites,
Lee Dorsey,
Jerry Lee Lewis,
Petula Clark,
Dionne Warwick,
Dick Gaughan,
Lissie
and Conway Twitty.

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