You don't expect a bluesman like Jimmy Witherspoon, who was born already on August 8, 1923, to record
a Mike d'Abo song, but still he recorded "Handbags And Gladrags" and even used it as the album title. The
song and voice sounds very much like the Chris Farlowe version, only Jimmy Witherspoon used the horn
section more often, so it sounds a bit like Blood, Sweat & Tears at the end. I think it’s a great version (but
I know Mike d’Abo doesn’t agree with me).

The album track “Handbags And Gladrags” last 3:55, which was probably too long for a single, therefore
they brought the length of the song on the single back to 3:10. My copy of the single is a “promotion copy
not for sale” and has a promotion sheet included by ABC/Dunhill Records with the following comments:

“Handbags And Gladrags” by Jimmy Witherspoon has received excellent reaction from all over the country.
Many of you asked us to cut it down and so we have ……. 3 minutes & 10 seconds of Dynamite from
‘Spoon’ – LISTEN”.

But still I doubt if the single got an official release after all.