Hit or Miss

Recorded at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles for Odetta's 1970 album Odetta Sings, Hit or Miss featured Odetta on lead vocals, Carole King on piano, Bernie Leadon and John Boylan on guitars, Bob West on bass and Russ Kunkel on drums, with backing vocals from Clydie King, Merry Clayton, Sherlie Matthews and Venetta Fields. Written by Odetta and produced by John Boylan, the recording was engineered by John Judnich, with arrangements by Boylan and Odetta. Released on Polydor Records in 1970, Hit or Miss was one of two original Odetta compositions on an album otherwise devoted largely to contemporary songwriters. Its declaration of individuality and self-acceptance, delivered through Odetta's powerful vocals and a blues-based rhythmic arrangement, demonstrated her transition beyond the traditional folk repertoire for which she was best known. Hit or Miss became one of Odetta's most recognisable later recordings, gaining renewed attention through DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist's Brainfreeze project and subsequent appearances on rare-groove compilations. The song was also covered by Bo Diddley in 1974 and Tom Jones in 2012, extending its reach across generations of performers.