"Keep On Running" was written by Jamaican singer-songwriter Jackie Edwards, who as well as having been a singer, worked in the UK for
Island Records as a songwriter. The song was recorded by Edwards for his album
Come on Home, released in 1965, and he recorded it again in the mid-1970s for his album
Do You Believe in Love.
The Spencer Davis Group version }} The song was recorded by
the Spencer Davis Group and released as a single in November 1965 on
Fontana Records, backed with "High Time Baby". At the time,
Chris Blackwell, who produced the recording, was trying to establish his Island label in the UK and was managing the Spencer Davis Group. Scala Brown Associates loaned him money for the song in exchange for a substantial portion of his record label as collateral; thanks to the single's success, he was able to rapidly pay back the loan. It was a number one hit on the
UK Singles Chart in January 1966.
John Alford version A version of the song was a UK hit for
John Alford in 1996, released as a double A-side with "If", and peaking at number 24.
Other versions Several recordings in other languages were released internationally in early 1966.
Tom Jones recorded a version for his 1967 covers album
13 Smash Hits. This version was used during the end credits of the 2025 version of
The Running Man. The US rock group
The Outsiders released the song as the first track on their debut LP, ''Time Won't Let Me''. Patrick Samson and Les Phéniciens realized a cover in Italian titled "
Chi può dirmi" ("Who can tell me") (
Philips, 373 741 BF) with lyrics by
Maurizio Vandelli for the 1998 compilation ''Beat 600 - 60's & 70's golden nuggets tracks'' (
Mercury Records, 565365 - 2). "Keep On Running" has also been recorded by other artists including
Robben Ford (as the title track of his 2003 album),
The Romantics (on
Live on Stage), and
Queen's drummer
Roger Taylor, during the recording session of his second solo album
Strange Frontier in 1984. ==References==