Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll and soul singer and songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s. His most successful recordings include "Mercy, Mercy" (1964), "See-Saw" (1965), and "It's Better to Have (and Don't Need)" (1974). He also wrote "Pony Time", a US number 1 hit for Chubby Checker, and "Chain of Fools", a Grammy-winning song for Aretha Franklin. He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994. Writing in the Washington Post after his death, Terence McArdle said, "Mr. Covay’s career traversed nearly the entire spectrum of rhythm-and-blues music, from doo-wop to funk."
Peel was a big fan of Don Covay's It's Better to Have (and Don't Need) track. So much so, that he kept the single in his Record Box, which consists of his precious singles in a wooden box, which he would take out if there was a fire at his home. The song was also part of his Peelenium 1974 and was ranked second in his personal 1974 Top Fifty One Singles. There were occasions where he played other tracks from Don Covay, including his pseudonym, Pretty Boy, on his shows, but most of the time, it was the It's Better to Have (and Don't Need) song that was one of his favourites.
