Have Love, Will Travel by The Sonics appeared on their debut album in March 1965.
Richard Berry had written and recorded the song in 1959, long before the Tacoma band got to it.
The Sonics turned an R&B original into a wall of fuzz and sax that rock fans still chase.
Table of Contents
- Richard Berry's Original
- How It Reached Tacoma
- What Did The Sonics Change?
- Covers and Screen Life
- FAQ
Richard Berry's Original
Richard Berry wrote the song and cut it himself in 1959.
The title alludes to the TV and radio western Have Gun, Will Travel.
Flip Records issued it with "No Room" on the B-side.
Wikipedia dates the release to January 1960, though the recording may be earlier.
Same Writer as "Louie Louie"
Berry also wrote "Louie Louie" around the same time.
That song became the better-known one, and a Tacoma band shaped how it sounded.
The Wailers recorded the first rock version, and Etiquette Records released it.
The same label would later sign The Sonics.
How Have Love, Will Travel Reached Tacoma
Berry rarely visited the Pacific Northwest.
Yet his records stuck there.
Tacoma Music History calls this his second Tacoma hit, after "Louie Louie."
Local garage bands covered it at parties and gigs.
A Local Standard Before the Sonics
The Sonics did not discover the song so much as inherit it.
Tacoma Music History credits the band with popularizing it across the region.
It never earned the national fame of "Louie Louie."
Still, for Northwest bands it was part of the shared set list.
What Did The Sonics Change?
The Session
The Sonics recorded their debut album in 1964 at Audio Recording in Seattle.
Engineer Kearney Barton worked the board, and Buck Ormsby and Kent Morrill produced.
Wikipedia notes the sessions used a two-track tape machine.
One microphone picked up the whole drum kit.
New Key, Harder Riff
According to Wikipedia, the band moved the song from G to C.
They also changed the riff.
The R&B swing of Berry's record gave way to a charging, distorted drive.
The band was Gerry Roslie on organ, Larry Parypa on lead guitar, Andy Parypa on bass, Rob Lind on saxophone and Bob Bennett on drums.
Where It Sits on the Album
Here Are the Sonics came out on Etiquette in March 1965.
This song is track six on side A, at 2:38.
It follows a cover of "Dirty Robber" by the Fabulous Wailers.
Side A opens with "The Witch", the band's own debut single.
Covers and Screen Life
| Year | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1959-1960 | Richard Berry | Original on Flip Records |
| 1964 | Paul Revere and the Raiders | Used as a B-side |
| 1965 | The Sonics | On Here Are the Sonics |
| 1988 | Bruce Springsteen | Played on the Tunnel of Love Express tour |
| 2003 | The Black Keys | On the album Thickfreakness |
| 2004 | Land Rover | Sonics version in a UK Discovery launch ad |
| 2008 | RocknRolla | Sonics version on the film soundtrack |
Why It Keeps Coming Back
The Sonics' take outlived the band's obscurity.
The 2004 Land Rover ad sparked, in Wikipedia's words, a further surge of interest in the band.
Nicholaus Arson of The Hives has named the Sonics' version as a favorite.
A 1998 Norton single paired "Psycho" with this track.
Other Covers Worth Hearing
- Stiv Bators put it on a 1986 B-side.
- Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper cut it for their 1989 album Here Ain't the Sonics.
- The Black Keys followed their 2003 version with the 2004 EP The Moan.
- Springsteen's 1988 live version was released in 2015 on LA Sports Arena, California 1988.
Film, TV and Ads
- The 2008 film RocknRolla used the Sonics recording prominently.
- The 2014 John Wick trailer used it.
- The 2019 film Ford v Ferrari used it.
The record belongs to 1965, a year of British hits and folk-rock.
Yet it came from a Washington State garage scene.
Read the full story of The Sonics for the band behind it.
See more raw guitar bands in the Garage and Surf Rock hub.
FAQ
Who wrote this song?
Richard Berry wrote it.
He recorded the original in 1959, and the title nods to the TV western Have Gun, Will Travel.
Who recorded the original version?
Richard Berry cut it for Flip Records, with "No Room" on the B-side.
Wikipedia gives its release as January 1960, though it may have been recorded earlier in 1959.
What album is Have Love, Will Travel by The Sonics on?
It is on Here Are the Sonics, released on Etiquette Records in March 1965.
It is track six on side A and runs 2:38.
Did the Sonics' cover chart?
No chart position is documented for it.
It was an album track, and it became a regional favorite in the Pacific Northwest.
Who else has covered it?
Paul Revere and the Raiders used it as a 1964 B-side.
The Black Keys recorded it in 2003, and Bruce Springsteen played it on his 1988 tour.
Few covers outshine the original this thoroughly.
Wikipedia's entry on the song lists the full run of covers and film uses.
Press play above and hear Have Love, Will Travel by The Sonics at full volume.