If You Don't Know Me by Now

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"If You Don't Know Me by Now"
If You Don't Know Me By Now by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes US single side-A variant A.png
One of side-A labels of the US single
Single by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
from the album I Miss You
B-side "Let Me Into Your World"
ReleasedSeptember 11, 1972 [1]
Genre
Length3:27
Label Philadelphia International Records
Songwriter(s) Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff
Producer(s) Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes singles chronology
"I Miss You"
(1972)		"If You Don't Know Me by Now"
(1972)		"Yesterday I Had the Blues"
(1973)
Music video
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" on YouTube

"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and recorded by the Philadelphia soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. It became their first hit after being released as a single in September 1972, topping the US R&B chart and peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [4]

Contents

"If You Don't Know Me by Now" was originally written for Labelle (a trio led by Patti LaBelle) but they never recorded it. The song's composers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff gave it to Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which featured Teddy Pendergrass as lead vocalist, and the actual background vocals done by producers Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Carl Helm, and Bunny Sigler. In addition to the single release, the track was included on their debut album, I Miss You .

Patti LaBelle later made the song part of her concert repertoire in 1982; a live version appears on her 1985 album, Patti.

"If You Don't Know Me by Now" has since been recorded by a number of other artists, most notably the English pop and soul band Simply Red, who took their version to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989.

The song "If You Don’t Know Me By Now" was chosen as one of the "Songs of the Century" by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [5]

Charts

Simply Red version

"If You Don't Know Me by Now"
If you don't know me by now.jpg
Single by Simply Red
from the album A New Flame
B-side "Move On Out"
ReleasedMarch 27, 1989 (1989-03-27)
Genre
Length3:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Stewart Levine
Simply Red singles chronology
"It's Only Love"
(1989)		"If You Don't Know Me by Now"
(1989)		"A New Flame"
(1989)
Music video
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" on YouTube

Simply Red's version of "If You Don't Know Me by Now" was a commercial success in 1989, giving the band their second US number one and also topping the charts of Australia and New Zealand; in the latter country, it was the best-selling single of 1989. On the UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number two, becoming the band's second top-10 hit in their home country. This version won the Grammy Award for the Best R&B Song of 1989. [14] The single's music video, filmed in London, was directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton. [15]

According to the producer, Stewart Levine, he did not want too much orchestration on the record, and went with a two-part harmony instead of a three-part harmony. Mick Hucknall admitted he loved Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' version, and stated he danced to their music when he was 13. [16]

Critical reception

Jerry Smith from Music Week wrote, "Top-notch purveyors of smooth soul, Simply Red deliver this excellent version of the old Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes classic, lifted from their already platinum-selling A New Flame LP. As a follow-up to their 'It's Only Love' hit, it's a sure fire winner. Expect mass exposure." [12]

Track listings

  1. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" – 3:23
  2. "Move On Out" (recorded live Manchester on February 22, 1989) – 5:18
  1. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" – 3:23
  2. "Move On Out" (recorded live Manchester on February 22, 1989) – 5:18
  3. "Shine" (recorded live Manchester on February 22, 1989) – 3:30
  1. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" – 3:23
  2. "Move On Out" (recorded live Manchester on February 22, 1989) – 5:18
  3. "Shine" (recorded live Manchester on February 22, 1989) – 3:30
  4. "Sugar Daddy" – 3:30

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [37] Gold35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [49] Gold45,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [50] Gold5,000*
Sweden (GLF) [51] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [52] Silver200,000^
United States (RIAA) [53] Gold500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United KingdomMarch 27, 1989
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [54]
May 1, 1989
  • 10-inch vinyl
  • mini-CD
 [55]
JapanMay 25, 1989Mini-CD [56]

Other versions

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (July 30, 2021). "The Number Ones: Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me By Now". Stereogum . Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  3. ↑ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "The Sound of Philadelphia: Philly Soul". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 52. ISBN   031214704X.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 393.
  5. ↑ "Songs of the Century". CNN. March 7, 2001. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. December 23, 1972. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
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  8. ↑ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. January 13, 1973. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  9. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
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  11. ↑ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1973". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
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  15. ↑ "Video Track". Billboard . Vol. 101, no. 19. May 13, 1989. p. 54.
  16. ↑ Bronson, Fred (1992). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits . p.  736. ISBN   0-8230-8298-9.
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  34. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" . Billboard. July 29, 1989. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
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  46. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
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  50. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Simply Red – If You Don't Know Me by Now". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  51. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
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  53. ↑ "American single certifications – Simply Red – If You Don't Know Me by Now". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  54. ↑ "Fat's the Way to Do It". Record Mirror . March 25, 1989. p. 4. Simply Red release their single 'If You Don't Know Me By Now' on March 27.
  55. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week . April 29, 1989. p. 43.
  56. ↑ "二人の絆 | シンプリー・レッド" [The Bond Between Two People | Simply Red] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  57. ↑ "Zap Pow – Wild Honey / If You Don't Know Me By Now". Discogs. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  58. ↑ Trust, Gary (April 15, 2009). "Chart Beat: Rascal Flatts, Seal, Eminem". Billboard . Retrieved January 14, 2024.
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