I'll Take You There
"I'll Take You There" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Staple Singers | ||||
from the album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself | ||||
B-side | "I'm Just Another Soldier" | |||
Released | February 1972 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:43 3:16 (7" version) | |||
Label | Stax | |||
Songwriter(s) | Al Bell | |||
Producer(s) | Al Bell | |||
The Staple Singers singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative release | ||||
"I'll Take You There" is a song written by Al Bell (using his real name Alvertis Isbell), and originally performed by soul/gospel family band the Staple Singers. The Staple Singers version, produced by Bell, was released on Stax Records in February 1972, and spent a total of 15 weeks on the charts and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. By December 1972, it had sold 2 million units[4] and is ranked as the 19th biggest American hit of 1972.[5] It remains one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time.
The song was also a significant chart hit in two later cover versions. A 1991 cover version by
Original Staple Singers version
Included on the group's 1972 album
Quite a few Staple Singers songs reference civil rights and social conditions. Many people interpret this song as describing an imagined world in which the civil rights movement has succeeded: "No more smilin' faces/lyin' to the races."
Bolstered by a "feel-good" vibe, "I'll Take You There" peaked at #1 on the Billboard
Personnel
Partial credits from Richard Buskin and Terry Manning.[11]
- The Staple Singers
- Mavis Staples - vocals
- Pops Staples - vocals
- Cleotha Staples - harmony and backing vocals
- Yvonne Staples - harmony and backing vocals
- Jimmy Johnson - guitar
- David Hood - bass
- Barry Beckett - keyboards, Wurlitzer electric piano
- Roger Hawkins - drums
- Additional musicians
- Staple Sisters - harmony and backing vocals
- Terry Manning - lead guitar, guitars, fuzz guitar, Moog synthesizer, harmonica
- Eddie Hinton - lead guitar
- Raymond Banks- guitar
- The Memphis Horns (including Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love - horns (saxophones, trumpets, baritone saxophone, trombone)
- Ben Cauley - horns
- Production and technical staff
- Al Bell – arranger, producer
- Johnny Allen - arranger
- Terry Manning – engineer, additional production (uncredited), additional arrangements (uncredited)
- Jerry Masters – engineer
- Ralph Rhodes – engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[20] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
United States 1972 physical sales |
— | 1,500,000[21] |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Cover recordings
In 1991, the song returned to number-one on the US R&B chart when it was covered by BeBe & CeCe Winans, with Mavis Staples featured as a guest artist on the track.[22] The single also peaked at number 90 on the Hot 100[23][24] and number 11 on the Holland National Airplay chart.[25]
In 1994, the British band
In 2005, Sammy Hagar and The Waboritas released a cover titled "Let Me Take You There" as the first single from their 2006 album Livin' It Up!
See also
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1972 (U.S.)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1972 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1991 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance singles of 1994 (U.S.)
References
- ^ "100 Greatest Funk Songs". Digital Dream Door. August 7, 2008. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (February 27, 2019). "The Number Ones: The Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
But it's still hard to hear it as anything other than a gospel song — one of the purest and most direct that ever went to #1 in America.
- ^ Horton, Matthew (2015). "The Staple Singers - "I'll Take You There". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 299.
- .
- ^ Climax - Chart History - The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed April 16, 2018.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 631.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 547.
- ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". RollingStone.com. Retrieved 2009-01-06.[dead link]
- ^ Buskin, Richard. "Classic Tracks: The Staple Singers 'I'll Take You There'". SoundOnSound. Sound On Sound. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Staple Singers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Chart service: Soul" (PDF). Disc. June 10, 1972. p. 2. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 27, 1972". Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972". musicoutfitters.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1972YESP.html Archived 2018-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1972
- ^ "British single certifications – Staple Singers – I'll Take You There". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – Staple Singers – I'll Take You There". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ Brinton, Robert (May 6, 1972). "Percy, proving he's funky..." (PDF). Disc. p. 10. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ^ "BeBe & CeCe Winans Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 631.
- ^ "BeBe & CeCe Winans Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "NATIONAL AIRPLAY: HOLLAND" (PDF). Music & Media. March 7, 1992. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
- ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1994". RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017.