Australian singles charts:
Games People Play entered the Kent music charts on 8 February 1969 and peaked at #9. The song was #56 on the Top 100 of 1969.
Album:
The song is on South’s 1968 album Introspect.
Songwriter:
Joe South
Producer:
Joe South
Record label of Australian release:
Capitol
Joe South, Tommy Roe & Billy Joe Royal sing Games People Play on The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS, November 1970:
Songfacts:
Joe South explores some heavy topics in this song, which looks at class divides, religion, and deception. When you encounter someone who is always trying to get ahead or push some agenda, the song will ring true.
It was released in 1968, a time of profound cultural shifts in America as the Vietnam War raged on, but it’s not a typical protest song. Rather than pointing the finger at politicians and war mongers, it examines human nature – the drives and desires that motivate but also corrupt us.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/joe-south/games-people-play
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 60s
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
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