Respect Yourself

Last updated
"Respect Yourself"
Respect Yourself - The Staple Singers.jpg
Single by the Staple Singers
from the album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself
B-side "You're Gonna Make Me Cry"
ReleasedOctober 1971
Genre Soul, rock
Length4:54 (album version)
3:30 (single version)
Label Stax
Songwriters Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
Producer Al Bell
The Staple Singers singles chronology
"You've Got to Earn It"
(1971)		"Respect Yourself"
(1971)		"I'll Take You There"
(1972)

"Respect Yourself" is a song by American R&B/gospel group the Staple Singers. Released in late 1971 from their album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself , the song became a crossover hit. The Staple Singers' version peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100, No. 2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and is one of the group's most recognizable hits. In 2002, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2010 it was ranked #468 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, moving down 4 spots from #464 in 2004. [1]

Contents

Writing and recording

The song was written by Stax Records singer Luther Ingram and house songwriter Mack Rice. Ingram, who was frustrated with the state of the world at the time, told Rice "black folk need to learn to respect themselves." Rice liked the comment so much that he built a funk groove around it, prepared a demo record, and suggested to record producer Al Bell that the Staple Singers record it. The group agreed. [2]

Bell teamed the group with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, musicians who laid down classic tracks for Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin, and with engineer/musician Terry Manning for vocals, overdubs, and mixing, in Memphis. The musicians were Barry Beckett (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), Jimmy Johnson (guitar), and David Hood (bass), with lead vocals by "Pops" and Mavis Staples. The horns were overdubbed by Manning after the vocals were recorded, and were played by the Memphis Horns led by Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson. The song had resonance for a burgeoning self-empowerment movement for African-Americans during the post-civil-rights movement of the 1970s. [2]

Personnel

Partial credits from Richard Buskin and Terry Manning. [3]

The Staple Singers
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Additional musicians
Production and technical staff

Charts

Chart (1971–72)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [4] 17
US Billboard Hot 100 [5] 12
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [6] 2

The Kane Gang version

"Respect Yourself"
Respect Yourself Kane Gang.jpg
Single by the Kane Gang
from the album The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang
B-side "Amusement Park"
Released1984
Genre Pop
Label
Songwriters
  • Mack Rice
  • Luther Ingram
Producers
The Kane Gang singles chronology
"Closest Thing to Heaven"
(1984)		"Respect Yourself"
(1984)		"Gun Law"
(1985)

In 1984, English pop band the Kane Gang covered the song for their 1985 debut album The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang. Produced by Pete Wingfield and the band, it was released as the third single from the album. This version charted at number 19 in Australia [7] and number 21 in the UK. [8] The Kane Gang's version changes the lyric "If you don't give a heck about the man with the Bible in his hands" to "If you don't give a damn about the man with the Bible in his hands". The song was also used on Australian TV and radio in the 1980s and 1990s to promote sensible alcohol drinking habits.[ citation needed ]

Charts

Chart (1984–1985)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [7] 19
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [9] 27
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [10] 31
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [11] 28
UK Singles (OCC) [8] 21

Bruce Willis version

"Respect Yourself"
Brucerespect.jpg
Single by Bruce Willis
from the album The Return of Bruno
B-side "Fun Time"
ReleasedDecember 1986
Recorded1986
Genre Pop, soul
Length3:53
Label Motown
Songwriters Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
Producer Robert Kraft
Bruce Willis singles chronology
"Respect Yourself"
(1986)		"Young Blood"
(1987)

In 1986, American actor Bruce Willis (as his fictitious alter-ego Bruno Radolini) began a short-lived singing career by covering "Respect Yourself" for his 1987 album The Return of BrunoI count the singer as a duet June Pointer member of The Pointer Sisters and with the participation of the Ruth Pointer and Anita Pointer (also members of The Pointer Sisters), participating in the choirs. Of the a companion to the HBO special of the same name, which aired shortly after the album's release. Released in December 1986 as his debut single and produced by Robert Kraft, his version is based on the Kane Gang's interpretation (slightly sped up).

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [12] 57
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [13] 23
Canada Top Singles (RPM) [14] 8
Italy Airplay ( Music & Media ) [15] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [16] 57
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [17] 26
UK Singles (OCC) [18] 7
US Billboard Hot 100 [19] 5
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [20] 20
Year-end chart (1987)Position
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) [21] 89

Robert Palmer version

In 1995, English singer Robert Palmer covered the song as part of The Very Best of Robert Palmer and released it as a single. Palmer's version reached number 45 in the UK [22] and number 170 in Australia.

Charts

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)170
UK (OCC) [23] 45

References

  1. ↑ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone.com. Retrieved 2008-06-22.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 Myers, Marc (2016). Anatomy of a Song. Grove Press. pp. 202–209. ISBN   978-1-61185-525-8.
  3. ↑ Buskin, Richard. "Classic Tracks: The Staple Singers 'I'll Take You There'". SoundOnSound. Sound On Sound. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5298." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  5. ↑ "The Staple Singers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  6. ↑ "The Staple Singers Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  8. 1 2 "Kane Gang: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "The Kane Gang – Respect Yourself" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Kane Gang" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Kane Gang – Respect Yourself" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 340. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ "Bruce Willis – Respect Yourself" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  14. ↑ Peaked on RPM 100 Singles Chart on March 7, 1987
  15. ↑ "European Playlist Reports: RAI - Italy" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 20. 23 May 1987. p. 14.
  16. ↑ "Bruce Willis – Respect Yourself" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Bruce Willis – Respect Yourself". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Bruce Willis: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Bruce Willis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Bruce Willis Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  21. ↑ "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. December 26, 1987.
  22. ↑ "Robert Palmer | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  23. ↑ "Robert Palmer | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.