Jump to content

Let's Stay Together (Al Green song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Let's Stay Together"
A-side label of US vinyl single
Single by Al Green
from the album Let's Stay Together
B-side"Tomorrow's Dream"
ReleasedNovember 1971
Recorded1971
GenreSoul
Length3:18
LabelHi 2202
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Willie Mitchell
Al Green singles chronology
"Tired of Being Alone"
(1971) 		"Let's Stay Together"
(1971) 		"Look What You Done for Me"
(1972)
Audio sample
"Let's Stay Together"

"Let's Stay Together" is a song by American singer Al Green from his 1972 album Let's Stay Together. It was produced and recorded by Willie Mitchell, and mixed by Mitchell and Terry Manning. Released as a single in 1971, "Let's Stay Together" reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks and also topped Billboard's R&B chart for nine weeks.[1] Billboard ranked it as eleventh-highest selling song of 1972.[2]

It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine on their 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[3] and has been covered by numerous other performers, most notably Tina Turner.

It was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4] The song went on to claim the number 1 position on the Billboard Year-End chart as an R&B song for 1972.

In 1999, the 1971 recording on Hi Records by Al Green was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[5]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[11] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[12] Gold 25,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[13] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Tina Turner version

[edit]
"Let's Stay Together"
Single picture sleeve
Single by Tina Turner
from the album Private Dancer
B-side"I Wrote a Letter"
ReleasedNovember 7, 1983 (1983-11-07) (UK)[16]
January 1984 (US)[17]
Recorded1983
Genre
Length3:36 (single version)
5:14 (album version)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Tina Turner singles chronology
"Ball of Confusion"
(1982) 		"Let's Stay Together"
(1983) 		"Help!"
(1984)
Music video
"Let's Stay Together" on YouTube
Audio sample
"Let's Stay Together"

"Let's Stay Together" was later covered by Tina Turner, her second collaboration with the British Heaven 17 and British Electric Foundation production team after "Ball of Confusion" in 1982, and served as her comeback single in late 1983. Unlike Al Green's version, Turner sings verse 2 first, then verse 1 when the band starts playing.

Released by Capitol Records in November 1983, the single charted at number 6 in the UK (one place higher than Al Green's original) and became the third time she reached the UK top ten, the first two being with former husband Ike Turner on "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Nutbush City Limits". Following the US release in January 1984,[17] the single reached #24 in Cash Box, #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart.[20][21]

At the time, the song was the most successful solo single Turner had released. It was included on her multi-platinum selling album Private Dancer, released a few months later in the spring of 1984. The music video was directed by David Mallet. The cover photography was by Norman Seeff.

Personnel

[edit]

Production

  • Greg Walsh – producer & engineer
  • Martyn Ware – producer
  • Walter Samuel – engineer
  • Alan Yoshida – mastering
  • Akira Taguchi – compilation producer
  • Sam Gay – creative director
  • Roy Kohara – art direction
  • John O'Brien – design
  • Peter Ashworth – photography
  • Roger Davies – management
  • Chip Lightman – management

Track listing and formats

[edit]
  • 7-inch single
  1. "Let's Stay Together" – 3:36
  2. "I Wrote a Letter" – 3:24
  • 12-inch single
  1. "Let's Stay Together" (Extended Version) – 5:14
  2. "I Wrote a Letter" – 3:24

Charts and certifications

[edit]

Other notable cover versions

[edit]

"Let's Stay Together" has been covered by many artists. The most widely heard versions include:

  • Margie Joseph on her 1973 album Margie Joseph. She had also recorded in Memphis contemporaneous to Green, but offered a Philly-inspired version produced by Arif Mardin).[41]
  • A version by Bobby Militello with Jean Carn on his 1982 album "Blow" reached number 74 on the U.S. R&B chart.
  • An instrumental version with Andrew Love covering the melody on saxophone was recorded by the Memphis Horns on their 1992 album Flame Out.[42]

Other appearances

[edit]

The song has been used in the films, including:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 237.
  2. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
  3. ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2003. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  4. ^ "The National Recording Registry 2010". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  5. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  7. ^ "Al Green Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  8. ^ "Al Green Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  9. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972" Archived April 27, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Music Outfitters.
  10. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1972". cashboxmagazine.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  11. ^ "Danish single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  12. ^ "Italian single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 25, 2020. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Let's Stay Together" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  13. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  14. ^ "British single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  15. ^ "American single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  16. ^ "British release date".[permanent dead link‍]
  17. ^ a b "Feature Picks: Black Contemporary" (PDF). Cash Box: 9. January 14, 1984. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  18. ^ Rolling Stone Staff (May 24, 2023). "Tina Turner: 15 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023. They signed Turner and put her back in the studio with Heaven 17's Martin Ware to cut a New Wave take on Al Green's classic "Let's Stay Together".
  19. ^ Breihan, Tom (April 30, 2021). "The Number Ones: Terence Trent D'Arby's "Wishing Well". Stereogum. Retrieved November 11, 2023. Ware had also helped kick off Tina Turner's comeback, co-producing her 1983 dance-pop cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"...
  20. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 265.
  21. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 593.
  22. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australia: St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  23. ^ "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  24. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4454." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  25. ^ "Singlet 1983-12 joulukuu" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  26. ^ "Tina Turner – Top Titel" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  27. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Let's Stay Together". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  28. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  29. ^ "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  30. ^ "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  31. ^ "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  32. ^ "Tina Turner: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  33. ^ "Tina Turner Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  34. ^ a b "Tina Turner Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  35. ^ "Cash Box" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. April 14, 1984. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  36. ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1984). "Top 100 singles: 1983". BPI Year Book 1984. British Phonographic Industry. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0-906154-04-9.
  37. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on July 10, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  38. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1984". RIANZ. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  39. ^ a b "The Year in Music: 1984" (PDF). Billboard. December 22, 1984. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  40. ^ "British single certifications – Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  41. ^ Margie Joseph – Margie Joseph (1973) album Archived January 17, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  42. ^ The Memphis Horns – Flame Out (1992) album Archived November 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  43. ^ "Surf Music and Seventies Soul: The Songs of 'Pulp Fiction'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  44. ^ Michael A. Memoli (January 20, 2012). "Obama, crooner in chief, sings some Al Green at N.Y. fundraiser". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Let%27s_Stay_Together_(Al_Green_song)&oldid=1261363176"