Released 1965 Genre Reggae | Recorded 1965 Writer(s) Jackie Edwards | |
"Keep on Running" is a song written and originally recorded by Jackie Edwards, which became a number one hit in the UK when recorded by The Spencer Davis Group.
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Recordings
"Keep on Running" was written by Jamaican singer-songwriter Jackie Edwards, who as well as having a successful singing career, was working in the UK for Island Records as a songwriter. The song was recorded by Edwards for his 1965 album Come on Home, and he recorded it again in the mid-1970s for his album Do You Believe in Love.
It was also a UK hit for John Alford in 1996, released as a double A-side with "If", and peaking at number 24.
"Keep on Running" has also been recorded by several other artists including Robben Ford (as the title track of his 2003 album), The Romantics (on Live on Stage), and Queen's drummer Roger Taylor, during the recording session of his second solo album Strange Frontier in 1984. The Spanish beat and rock group Los Salvajes, created a version of this song, titled "Corre, Corre", in 1966.
The Spencer Davis Group version
The song was most successfully recorded by The Spencer Davis Group and released as a single in November 1965 on Fontana Records, backed with "High Time Baby". At the time, Chris Blackwell, who produced the recording, was trying to get his Island label established in the UK and was managing the Spencer Davis Group. He was lent funding from Scala Brown Associates for the single by offering a sizable share of his label as security; the success of the single meant that he was quickly able to repay the loan. It was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart in January 1966. In the United States it reached number 76.
This version was included in the soundtrack of the 1988 film Buster and was used during the film's opening sequence that saw "Buster Edwards" (Phil Collins) steal a suit from a shop window for a friend's funeral. The song was included on the cassette and vinyl formats of the soundtrack, but omitted from the CD version for "legal reasons".
The song was also included in the 2007 romantic comedy Run Fatboy Run directed by David Schwimmer.
In 2009 the song was in Susan Nickson's Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps as the title to the eighth episode of series 8 and the soundtrack when Gaz tries to find the woman he wants (Donna).
Finnish rap band Ruger Hauer sampled the song on their own song "Elvis sanoo ei".