Express Yourself (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band song)

"Express Yourself"
Single by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
from the album Express Yourself
B-side	"Living on Borrowed Time"
Released	August 1970
Recorded	1970
Genre	R&B, funk, soul
Length	3:51
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter	Charles Wright
Producer	Charles Wright
Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band singles chronology
"Love Land" (1970) "Express Yourself" (1970) "Solution for Pollution" (1970)

"Express Yourself" was written by Charles Wright and performed by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. It became their signature song after its release in 1970 on their album, Express Yourself. ^[1] The song was produced by Wright. ^[2]

It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also their biggest hit on the U.S. R&B chart, reaching #3. ^{[3] [4]}

The single was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1971, losing to The Delfonics song "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" and ranked #57 on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970. ^[5]

Chart performance

Chart (1970)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles [6]	32
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	12
U.S. R&B	3
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	17

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [7]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers and samples

• Idris Muhammad on his 1971 album, Black Rhythm Revolution! ^[8]
• Hopeton Lewis on his 1973 album, Grooving Out On Life.
• N.W.A sampled it in their 1989 song also titled "Express Yourself". It reached #40 on the U.S. R&B chart and #50 on the UK Singles Chart, ^[9] and was featured on their debut album, Straight Outta Compton , released the same year. ^[10]
• Kurtis Blow on his 1988 album, Back by Popular Demand .
• Saccharine Trust on their 1989 album, Past Lives . ^[11]
• Roger and Fu-Schnickens on the 1993 soundtrack album Addams Family Values: Music from the Motion Picture .
• The House Jacks, for Tommy Boy Records, on their 1997 album, Funkwich. ^[12]
• Francis Rocco Prestia on his 1999 album, ...Everybody on the Bus with vocals by Tamara Champlin. ^[13]
• Snooks Eaglin on his 2002 album The Way It Is with Jon Cleary. ^[14]
• Jason Mraz in Cheaper by the Dozen 2 .
• Tinchy Stryder sampled it on his 2009 album, Catch 22 on the song "Express Urself". ^[15]
• Labrinth sampled it on the track "Express Yourself" from his 2012 album Electronic Earth . ^[16] The song reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart. ^[17]

References

1. Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Express Yourself Retrieved July 2, 2016.
2. Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Express Yourself" single release Retrieved July 2, 2016.
3. Weiss, Jeff (2014-12-17). "Watts Soul Legend Charles Wright's "Mistake" Turned Into "Express Yourself"". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
4. Hudak, Joseph. "Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, 'You're So Beautiful' - 20 R&B Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s You Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
5. "Billboard Top 100 - 1970". Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1970-10-24. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
7. "British single certifications – Charles Wright/Watts 103Rd St – Express Yourself". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
8. Idris Muhammad, Black Rhythm Revolution! Retrieved July 2, 2016.
9. N.W.A., "Express Yourself" chart positions Retrieved July 2, 2016.
10. N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton Retrieved July 2, 2016.
11. Saccharine Trust, Past Lives Retrieved July 2, 2016.
12. The House Jacks, Funkwich Archived 2015-05-29 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 2, 2016.
13. Francis Rocco Prestia, ...Everybody on the Bus Retrieved July 2, 2016.
14. Snooks Eaglin, The Way It Is Retrieved July 2, 2016.
15. Tinchy Stryder, Catch 22 Retrieved July 2, 2016.
16. Labrinth, Electronic Earth Retrieved July 2, 2016.
17. Labrinth, "Express Yourself" chart position Retrieved July 2, 2016.

External links

• Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Express Yourself on YouTube