"I Gotcha Now" is a song written by Lynsey de Paul and released as a single by Zakatek (Lenny Zakatek) on the Bell Records label on 2 March 1973.[1][2][3] The release of the single received interest from the British music press.[4][5] The song features a pounding piano (possibly played by de Paul), fuzz guitar and "I Am the Walrus"-esque strings.[6][7] De Paul's own demo of the song, with the title "Got You Here Now" and recorded at Orange Studios, London, by David Humphries in early 1973 resurfaced in 2022 and features a xylophone in place of the piano break in the middle of the song.[8] The B-side is also a de Paul song, "So Good To You",[1][9] and both songs were recorded at 10cc's Strawberry Studios with Eric Stewart, the lead guitarist and singer of The Mindbenders and later a member of 10cc, being the co-engineer.[10][11] De Paul recorded her own version of "So Good To You" and released it in October 1973 as the flip side to her single "Won't Somebody Dance with Me".[12][13] In Japan, this was the A-side of the release.[14] Both songs were however, originally written by de Paul for Zakatek (as was the follow-up single "Get Your Gun"),[15] after she co-discovered him together with the actor Dudley Moore,[16][17] her boyfriend at the time. However, some years later de Paul revealed that she had offered "I Gotcha Now" to Slade.[18][19] Lenny Zakatek discussed recording the song in an interview given to Black Music & Jazz Review.[20]

"I Gotcha Now" was released on CD for the first time in 2018 on the compilation album Mixed Up Minds Part Thirteen: Rock & Pop From the British Isles, 1969-1973,[21][22] and also on the 2006 album, PopCycles Volume 4.[23] The song is still played on the radio, most recently by KDVS based in Davis, California,[24] KOOP in Austin, Texas[25] and Jersey City's WFMU on the program "Wired Up!".[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Zakatek - I Gotcha Now / So Good To You - Bell - UK - BELL 1289". 45cat.com. 1973-03-09. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  2. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  3. ^ "Zakatek - I Gotcha Now". 45cat.com. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  4. ^ page 8 Record Mirror, 24 March 1973
  5. ^ "Record Mirror" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 24 March 1974. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Zahatek, Lenny". Badcatrecords.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  7. ^ "I Gotcha Now / So Good to You by Zakatek". Rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  8. ^ "Lynsey De Paul Got You Here Now". 29 December 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  10. ^ "STRAWBERRY JAM VOL.2". Tencc.fan-site.net. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  11. ^ Gough, Peter (2014-02-16). "Bite It Deep: Zakatek - I Gotcha Now (1973)". Biteitdeep.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  12. ^ "Lynsey De Paul - Won't Somebody Dance With Me (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 1973. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  13. ^ "I Gotcha Now by Zakatek: Album Samples, Covers and Remixes". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Lynsey De Paul - So Good To You". 45cat.com. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  15. ^ "Zakatek - Get Your Gun". Discogs.com. 12 October 1973. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Lenny Zakatek - Official Website - Biography". Lennyzakatek.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  17. ^ "GloryDazeMusic.com - AOR and Melodic Rock". GloryDazeMusic.com. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Zahatek, Lenny". Badcatrecords.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Lenny Zakatek: The Renowned Pop Singer of Sindh". Sindidunya.com. 26 December 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  20. ^ Black Music & Jazz Review, 1980, Volume 3, p. 6
  21. ^ "Mixed Up Minds Part Thirteen: Obscure Rock & Pop From the British Isles, 1969-1973 - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  22. ^ "CD Album: Various Artists - Mixed Up Minds Part Thirteen 1969-1973 (2018)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  23. ^ "PopCycles Vol4 (2006, CDr)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Red Bench Radio". Kdvs.org. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  25. ^ "Search". Koop.org. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  26. ^ "WIRED UP! #87: Wired Up!". Wfmu.org. Retrieved 24 March 2023.