San Francisco (You've Got Me)

Last updated
"San Francisco (You've Got Me)"
Villagesanfransisco.jpg
Single by Village People
from the album Village People
B-side "Fire Island"
Released1977
Recorded1977
Genre Disco
Length5:19
Label Casablanca
Songwriter(s) Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo, Peter Whitehead, Phil Hurtt [1]
Producer(s) Jacques Morali
Village People singles chronology
"San Francisco (You've Got Me)"
(1977)
"Village People"
(1977)

"San Francisco (You've Got Me)" is the debut single by the American disco group Village People. It was released in 1977 as the lead single from their self-titled debut studio album. The song reached number fifteen on the Australian Kent Music Report and peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

Contents

Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated it the Village People's 10th greatest song, saying that it "is pure disco right from the opening cowbell." [2]

Music video

The song quickly became a hit and requests for the "group" to perform on shows such as Dick Clark's American Bandstand began pouring in. At that time, the "group" was only lead singer Victor Willis. Producer Jacques Morali hastily assembled a group around Willis to perform in a video for the song. Willis brought in Alex Briley who eventually became the group's G.I. character. Morali brought in a few friends, songwriter Peter Whitehead and dancer Felipe Rose who would become the group's Indian character.

Chart positions

Weekly Charts

Chart (1978)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [3] 15
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 1002

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "San Francisco (You've Got Me)"
Chart (1978)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [4] 75

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Y.M.C.A. (song)</span> 1978 single by Village People

"Y.M.C.A." is a song by American disco group Village People. It was released in 1978 as the only single from their third studio album, Cruisin' (1978). The song was written by Jacques Morali and singer Victor Willis. A medley with "Hot Cop" reached No. 2 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart, while the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in early 1979, placing behind both "Le Freak" by Chic and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart. Outside the US, "Y.M.C.A." reached No. 1 in the UK around the same time, becoming the group's biggest hit. It has sold 12 million copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Morali</span> French musician

Jacques Morali was a French disco and dance music record producer and songwriter, known for creating acts like The Ritchie Family and Village People.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Than a Feeling</span> 1976 single by Boston

"More Than a Feeling" is a song by the American rock band Boston, released as the lead single from the band's 1976 debut album by Epic Records in September 1976, with "Smokin'" as the B-side. Tom Scholz wrote the whole song. The single peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. The track is now a staple of classic rock radio, and in 2008, it was named the 39th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1. It was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" and is ranked number 212 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", updated from its previous position of number 500 on the 2004 version.

<i>Foreigner</i> (Foreigner album) 1977 studio album by Foreigner

Foreigner is the debut studio album by British-American rock band Foreigner, released on 8 March 1977. It spun off three hit singles, "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice" and "Long, Long Way from Home". It also features album tracks such as "Headknocker" and "Starrider", the latter of which features a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist and co-founder Mick Jones.

The Ritchie Family are an American vocal group based in Philadelphia that achieved several hits during the disco era. They have reunited and continue to perform. Their latest single "Whatcha Got" was released in 2021.

<i>Cant Stop the Music</i> 1980 film

Can't Stop the Music is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker. Written by Allan Carr and Bronté Woodard, the film is a pseudo-biography of the 1970s disco group the Village People loosely based on the actual story of how the group formed. Produced by Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, distributed by independent distributor Associated Film Distribution (AFD), the film was released after disco's peak and, along with Xanadu, is known for inspiring the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards, winning the first Razzies for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Willis</span> American singer

Victor Edward Willis is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the founding member of the disco group Village People. He performed as their lead singer and was co-songwriter for all of their most successful singles. In the group, he performed costumed as a policeman or a naval officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macho Man (song)</span> 1978 single by Village People

"Macho Man" is a song by American disco group Village People, released as the second single and title song of their eponymous album (1978). The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 24, 1978 before picking up more airplay that August. It became the Village People's first charting hit in the United States, peaking on the Hot 100 at number 25 on the week of September 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go West (song)</span> 1979 single by Village People

"Go West" is a song by American disco group Village People, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album of the same name (1979). It was written by Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and the group's lead singer Victor Willis. The song was successful in the disco scene during the late 1970s. "Go West" found further success when it was covered in 1993 by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys.

<i>Macho Man</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Village People

Macho Man is the second studio album by Village People, released on February 27, 1978. The album gained success due to its hit singles, "Macho Man" and "Key West". Rolling Stone said of the album, "It seems certain to become the first out-and-out disco album without John Travolta on its cover ever to be certified platinum".

<i>Village People</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Village People

Village People is the debut studio album by Village People, released on July 18, 1977. Its hit song "San Francisco " reached the top 50 in the UK, peaking at #45.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waiting for a Girl Like You</span> 1981 single by Foreigner

"Waiting for a Girl Like You" is a 1981 power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner released as the second single from the album 4 (1981) and was co-written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones. The opening motif was written by Ian McDonald and the distinctive synthesizer theme was performed by the then-little-known Thomas Dolby.

<i>Renaissance</i> (Village People album) 1981 studio album by Village People

Renaissance is the seventh studio album by American disco group Village People, released in 1981 by RCA Records. The album marked a departure for the group, with a more new wave-influenced sound and less of an emphasis on disco.

<i>Live and Sleazy</i> 1979 live album / Studio album by Village People

Live and Sleazy is the first live album and fifth studio album by the Village People and features a mixture of live and studio recordings. It was released as a double LP. The album featured numerous lead singers: original cop Victor Willis on the entire "Live" disk; on the "Sleazy" disk, construction worker David Hodo on track 1, Ray Simpson on tracks 2, 3, and 5, and G.I. Alex Briley on track 4. Horace Ott is credited as the arranger and conductor of the string and horn sections. The musicians were credited as Bittersweet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold as Ice (Foreigner song)</span> 1977 single by Foreigner

"Cold as Ice" is a 1977 song written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones that was first released by British-American rock band Foreigner from their eponymous debut album. It became one of the best known songs of the band in the US, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was initially the B-side of some versions of the "Feels Like the First Time" 45 rpm single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feels Like the First Time</span> 1977 single by Foreigner

"Feels Like the First Time" is the debut single by British-American rock band Foreigner. It was written by Mick Jones and released in 1977 from the band's eponymous debut album. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Am What I Am (Village People song)</span> 1978 single by Village People

"I Am What I Am" is a song written by Victor Willis, Henri Belolo, Peter Whitehead and Jacques Morali that was first released by the Village People on their 1978 album Macho Man. It was also released as a single with "Key West" as the b-side in some countries including Germany and the UK. It did not chart in those countries, but it reached #4 on the Billboard Dance Chart in a medley with "Key West" and "Macho Man". It has since been released on several Village People greatest hits compilation albums. It was also included on the soundtrack for the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Village People</span> American disco group

Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the release of the debut album Village People, which targeted disco's large gay audience. The group's name refers to Manhattan's Greenwich Village, with its reputation as a gay neighborhood. The characters were a symbolic group of American masculinity and macho gay-fantasy personas. To date, Victor Willis is the only original member of the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Cop</span> 1978 single by Village People

"Hot Cop" is a song by the American disco group Village People recorded for their third studio album Cruisin' (1978). It was written by Jacques Morali and Village People lead singer Victor Willis. It served as Willis' theme song with the Village People. Although not released as a single, it was a disco hit. A medley with "Y.M.C.A." reached number 2 on Billboard's Hot Disco Singles chart.

This is the discography of American disco group Village People.

References

  1. "Village People - San Francisco (You've Got Me)". Discogs. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  2. Kachejian, Brian. "Top 10 Village People Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 329. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  4. "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report . Retrieved January 8, 2022 via Imgur.com.