Message in Our Music

Last updated
"Message in Our Music"
Single by The O'Jays
from the album Message in the Music
B-side "She's Only a Woman"
Released1976
Genre Disco [1]
Length3:21(single version)
6:20 (album version)
Label Philadelphia International
Songwriter(s) Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
Producer(s) Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
The O'Jays singles chronology
"Family Reunion"
(1976)
"Message in Our Music"
(1976)
"Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)"
(1976)

"Message In Our Music" was a hit song for the R&B vocal group The O'Jays in 1976 from their album Message in the Music . Written by famed songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, it spent a week at number one on the R&B singles chart in October, 1976, and peaked at number forty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. [2]

Chart history

Charts (1976)Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles [3] 100
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 49
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Rollercoaster</span> 1975 single by Ohio Players

"Love Rollercoaster", sometimes rendered as "Love Roller Coaster", is a song by American funk/R&B band Ohio Players, originally featured on their 1975 album Honey. It was composed by William Beck, Leroy Bonner, Marshall Jones, Ralph Middlebrooks, Marvin Pierce, Clarence Satchell, and James Williams. It was a number-one U.S. hit in January 1976, and was certified gold. In Canada, the song spent two weeks at number two. "Love Rollercoaster" was covered by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers for the soundtrack of the 1996 animated movie Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine</span> 1976 single by Lou Rawls

"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and performed by R&B singer Lou Rawls on his 1976 album All Things in Time. The song proved to be Rawls' breakthrough hit, reaching number 1 on both the R&B and Easy Listening charts as well as number 4 on the dance chart and number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was the first and only time that one of Rawls' records reached Billboard's pop Top Ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Down Tonight</span> 1975 single by KC and the Sunshine Band

"Get Down Tonight" is a song released in 1975 on the self-titled album by the disco group KC and the Sunshine Band. The song became widely successful, becoming the first of their five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the top of the Hot Soul Singles chart and was an international chart hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada and charting in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Is It (Melba Moore song)</span> 1976 single by Melba Moore

"This Is It" is a 1976 disco song written by Van McCoy, and performed by American singer and actress Melba Moore for her fifth album of the same name (1976).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disco Lady</span> 1976 single by Johnnie Taylor

"Disco Lady" is a 1976 single by American singer Johnnie Taylor that went on to become his biggest hit. It spent all four weeks of April 1976 at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and six weeks atop the Billboard R&B chart in the U.S. It was also the first single to be certified platinum by the RIAA; ultimately it sold over 2.5 million copies. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1976; Cash Box had it the year's No. 1 song

"Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. "Don't Leave Me This Way" was subsequently covered by American singer Thelma Houston in 1976 and British duo the Communards in 1986, with both versions achieving commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Your Baby</span> 1974 song by George McCrae

"Rock Your Baby" is the debut single by American singer George McCrae. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, "Rock Your Baby" became an early landmark recording of disco. It was the only international hit for McCrae. The song spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1974, and three weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart that same month. The song also topped the Billboard R&B chart. The single has sold over 11 million copies, making it one of fewer than forty singles to have sold 10 million physical copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly, Robin, Fly</span> 1975 single by Silver Convention

"Fly, Robin, Fly" is a song by the German disco group Silver Convention from their debut studio album Save Me (1975). Sylvester Levay and Stephan Prager wrote the song, and the latter produced it. "Fly, Robin, Fly" was released as the third single from Save Me in September 1975, reaching number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100. Thanks to the success of "Fly, Robin, Fly", Silver Convention became the second German act to have a number one song on the American music charts. The song received a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Stabbers (song)</span> 1972 single by the OJays

"Back Stabbers" is a 1972 song by the O'Jays. Released from the hit album of the same name, it spent one week at number 1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It was also successful on the pop chart, peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1972. The narrator in "Back Stabbers" warns men about their male "friends" who smile to their faces, but are secretly planning to steal their wives or girlfriends. It was inspired by an earlier hit with a similar theme, the Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes", the chorus of which is quoted at the end of this song. It was part of the soundtrack for the 1977 movie, Looking for Mr. Goodbar. In 2002, the song was sampled by R&B artist Angie Stone for her single "Wish I Didn't Miss You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Best of My Love (The Emotions song)</span> 1977 single by The Emotions

"Best of My Love" is a song by American band the Emotions from their fourth studio album Rejoice (1977). It was composed by Maurice White and Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire, and produced by White and Clarence McDonald.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Your Time (Do It Right)</span> Debut single by the S.O.S. Band

"Take Your Time (Do It Right)" is the debut single by American R&B group the S.O.S. Band. It was released as the lead single from their debut studio album, S.O.S. (1980) on March 18, 1980 through Tabu Records, three months before the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another Star</span> 1977 single by Stevie Wonder

"Another Star" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It is the final track on side four of the double LP. The flute player Bobbi Humphrey appears in the last section of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Good to You</span> 1976 song by the Brothers Johnson

"I'll Be Good to You" is a 1976 hit song by R&B duo the Brothers Johnson. George Johnson, one of the two Johnson brothers in the band, wrote the song after deciding to commit to a relationship with one woman, instead of dating several at a time. While George was recording a demo for the song, family friend Senora Sam came by and added some lyrics. Brothers Johnson producer and mentor Quincy Jones heard the song, liked it, and convinced George to sing lead on the finished track. Released from their debut album, Look Out for #1, it was a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot Singles Charts, peaking at number three, and a number one song on the Billboard R&B Charts during the summer of 1976. The single was later certified gold by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Hearts Run Free</span> 1976 single by Candi Staton

"Young Hearts Run Free" is a disco song written by David Crawford and originally recorded by American soul singer Candi Staton in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boogie Fever</span> 1975 single by the Sylvers

"Boogie Fever" is a song recorded by Los Angeles, California-based R&B group the Sylvers, from their 1975 album Showcase. Their most lucrative single, it reached No. 1 in the US on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts as well as reaching No. 1 in Canada on the RPM national singles chart in 1976. It was their third of nine Top 20 R&B hits and first top 40 pop single. Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1976. "Boogie Fever" is one of two gold records by the Sylvers, the other being "Hot Line".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cupid (Sam Cooke song)</span> 1961 song by Sam Cooke

"Cupid" is a song by American singer Sam Cooke, released on May 16, 1961. It charted at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 20 on the Hot R&B Sides chart; the track performed best in the United Kingdom, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The song is featured on Cooke's greatest hits album, The Best of Sam Cooke (1962). Cooke's producers had asked him to write a song for a girl they had seen on a Perry Como TV show—but once they heard her sing, they kept "Cupid" for Cooke himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel</span> 1976 single by Tavares

"Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" is a disco song written by Freddie Perren and Keni St. Lewis. It was recorded by the American band Tavares in 1976. It was released as the first single from their fourth album, Sky High! (1976), and was split into two parts: the first part was 3 minutes and 28 seconds in length, while the second part was 3 minutes and 10 seconds. "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" was re-released in February 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're My Driving Wheel</span> 1976 single by The Supremes

"You're My Driving Wheel" is a dance/disco song by The Supremes. The song was released on September 30, 1976 as the first single from their album Mary, Scherrie & Susaye. Along with the tracks, "Let Yourself Go" and "Love I Never Knew", "You're My Driving Wheel" peaked at number five on the disco chart. On the Soul chart, the single peaked at number fifty and number eighty-five on the Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Take Away the Music</span> 1976 single by Tavares

"Don't Take Away the Music" is a hit song by R&B/disco group Tavares, released in the fall of 1976. It peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and at number four in the UK. Along with the track "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel", the song spent two weeks at number 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.

References

  1. Echols, Alice (March 29, 2010). "I Hear a Symphony: Black Masculinity and the Disco Turn". Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 32. ISBN   978-0-393-06675-3.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 438.
  3. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1976-10-13. Retrieved 2021-10-04.