Source Material: Don Covay – “I Was Checkin’ Out, She Was Checkin’ In”

Don Covay was a singer and a songwriter from Orangeburg, South Carolina.  His career started in the early ’50s.  He sang alongside his family in their gospel quartet called the Cherry Keys.  In 1956, Covay transitioned to secular music.  One year later, he released his first record, “Bip Bop Bip.” It was a rhythm and blues song that was produced by Little Richard.  In the ’60s, Covay bounced between different labels for a while, but he scored a few hits along the way.  Songs like “Pony Time” (1961) and “The Popeye Waddle” (1962) were successful, but the majority of his music wasn’t.  However, he was a great songwriter.

As a songwriter, Covay wrote songs for Aretha Franklin (“Chain Of Fools”), Gladys Knight & The Pips (“Letter Full of Tears”), and Otis Redding (“Think About It”).  Covay was also a member of The Soul Clan, a collective of soul musicians that included Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Joe Tex.   In 1972, Covay became an A&R at Mercury Records.   One year later, he released his album Super Dude I. “I Was Checkin’ Out, She Was Checkin’ In” was one of the most well-known songs on the album.

Don Covay – “I Was Checkin’ Out, She Was Checkin’ In”