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"Take the Money and Run" | ||||
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Single by Steve Miller Band | ||||
from the album Fly Like an Eagle | ||||
B-side | "Sweet Maree" | |||
Released | April 26, 1976 (US)
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Genre | Rock [2] | |||
Length | 2:50 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | Steve Miller | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Miller | |||
Steve Miller Band singles chronology | ||||
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Official Audio | ||||
"Take the Money and Run" on YouTube |
"Take the Money and Run" is a song recorded in 1976 by the Steve Miller Band. A song about two young (possibly teenage) bandits and the detective pursuing them, it was one of the many hit singles produced by the Steve Miller Band in the 1970s and featured on the 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle . The song peaked at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in July 1976 [3] and also charted in Australia. [4] [5]
The song was written as a road trip. Miller drew inspiration from his childhood, when he listened to the radio while on long road trips with his family, and he would sing along to his favorite songs. Because FM radio was capable of clearer stereo sound, this allowed him to make his road trip songs with more layers for a much bigger sound.
- This here’s a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
- Two young lovers with nothin’ better to do
- Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
- And here’s what happened when they decided to cut loose [6]
Cash Box said that the song gets off to a "fine start" with "spirited drums" and has "intelligent" lyrics and music that is "just as good, maybe better, than "Space Cowboy." [7] Record World said that this "story about an armed robbery is punctuated with some good guitar chording and [Miller's] distinct vocal." [8]
This was the first song Miller let a rap group sample, since he had previously turned down requests to sample his songs. Run-DMC used it in 2001 with Everlast also on vocals. He agreed only after hearing the song and liking what they did with it. [9]
In 2000, the song was covered in country style by Canadian singer Julian Austin on his album Back in Your Life .
In 2006, the 30th Anniversary Edition of the Fly Like An Eagle album was released. The track "Take the Joker and Run," was included as a bonus track and is an acoustic version of "Take the Money and Run" sung over an early version of "The Joker."
Steven Haworth Miller is an American musician. He is the founder and only remaining original member of the Steve Miller Band, which he founded in 1966, and is the principal songwriter, lead singer, harmonicist, keyboardist, and one of the guitarists. He began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more pop-oriented arena rock genre during the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, releasing popular singles and albums. Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the album Toys in the Attic (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s. In addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s, it also helped revitalize their career in the 1980s when it was covered by hip hop group Run-D.M.C. on their 1986 album Raising Hell. This cover was a touchstone for the new musical subgenre of rap rock, or the melding of rock and hip hop. It became an international hit, reaching number 4 on the Billboard charts and becoming the first hip hop single to reach the top five on the charts, and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single in 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. Both versions are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums. Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band's contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band. In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future. It went on to produce the albums Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, Number 5, Rock Love, Fly Like an Eagle, Book of Dreams, among others. The band's Greatest Hits 1974–78, released in 1978, sold over 13 million copies. In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"Tie Your Mother Down" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by lead guitarist Brian May. It is the opening track and the second single from their 1976 album A Day at the Races. On its original release as a single in 1977 the song peaked at 31 in the UK Singles Chart. More than 20 years later, it was released as a double a-side to "No-One but You " where it reached 13 in UK Singles Chart. On the album the song is preceded by a one-minute instrumental intro featuring a Shepard tone melody, performed by Brian May, which is reprised in the ending of "Teo Torriatte": this was intended to create a "circle" within the album.
Fly Like an Eagle is the ninth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in May 1976 by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan and Mercury Records in Europe.
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on his 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1977 and was also a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.
The Joker is the eighth studio album by Steve Miller Band. The album was recorded at Capitol Studios and released by Capitol Records in October 1973. The album marked a period of significant change for the group as the band abandoned their psychedelic-oriented music for a more melodic, smooth rock/blues sound. It was also their first solid commercial success due to the strong radio-play of the title track. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and has been certified Platinum in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Cash Box Albums Charts on January 8, 1974.
"My Sharona" is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, Get the Knack. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it remained for six weeks, and was number one on Billboard's 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart.
"Let My Love Open the Door" is a song written and performed by Pete Townshend from his 1980 album Empty Glass. That year, it reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number five on RPM's Top 100 singles chart.
"The Joker" is a song by American rock band Steve Miller Band from their eighth studio album, The Joker (1973). Released as a single in October 1973, the song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974 and reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands.
"Helen Wheels" is a song by the English-American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings. The song was named after Paul and Linda McCartney's Land Rover, which they nicknamed "Hell on Wheels".
Forever Everlasting is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Everlast. It was released on March 27, 1990 via Warner Bros. Records. The eleven track full-length album features a remix song of his 1988 single "Syndication", and singles "Never Missin' a Beat", "The Rhythm" and "I Got the Knack". Single "The Rhythm" featured guest appearances from his Rhyme Syndicate bandmates Donald D and Ice-T, as well as an early appearance from the Brand New Heavies singer N'Dea Davenport who is credited as "Diva", and "I Got the Knack" featured scratches provided by DJ Lethal, whom he would later join to form House of Pain.
"These Dreams" is a song by American rock band Heart from their 1985 self-titled eighth studio album Heart. It was released on January 18, 1986, as the album's third single, becoming the band's first song to top the Billboard Hot 100. The single's B-side track "Shell Shock", was also the B-side of Heart's previous single "Never".
"Fly Like an Eagle" is a song written by American musician Steve Miller for the album of the same name. The song was released in the United Kingdom in August 1976 and in the United States in December 1976. It went to number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the week of March 12, 1977. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits (1974–1978). It is often played in tandem with "Space Intro". On the album, the song segues into "Wild Mountain Honey".
"Refugee" is a song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, was released in January 1980 as the second single from their album Damn the Torpedoes, and peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song is in compound AABA form.
"Take It to the Limit" is a song by the Eagles from their fourth album One of These Nights from which it was issued as the third single on November 15, 1975. It reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was also the Eagles' greatest success to that point in the UK, going to No. 12 on the charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 25 song for 1976.
"Rock Box" is a song by the American hip hop group Run-DMC. The song was produced by Larry Smith and Russell Simmons and released by Profile Records in March 1984. Following the popularity of their previous two singles "Hard Times" (1983) and "It's Like That" (1983), Profile Records head suggested to the producers and group that they should attempt to record an album as they already had four songs ready, and releasing a few more would not hurt them. Despite speculating low sales from the label and the group not feeling that hip hop was a genre appropriate for a full-length album, they were given an advance to start recording. This led to Run-DMC members Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels going through their rhyme book to develop new songs, one of which would become "Rock Box".
"Rock'n Me" is a song by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in 1976 from the band's ninth studio album Fly Like an Eagle (1976). It was written by primary band leader and songwriter Steve Miller released as the second single from the album. Miller also produced the song and album. The North American release of the single was generally credited to Steve Miller as an individual, while the European release was generally credited to the Steve Miller Band as a whole group.
"You Got Lucky" is the first single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' album Long After Dark. The song peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart, where it stayed for three weeks at the end of 1982. Somewhat unusually for a Petty song, guitars give up the spotlight to allow synths to carry the song's main structure.
"Take It Like a Man" is a 1975 song written by Fred Turner and Blair Thornton, and first recorded by Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive (BTO) for their December, 1975 album Head On. The lead vocal is provided by Turner. Released in January 1976, it was the first and more successful of two singles issued from the LP, the second being the jazzy "Lookin' Out for #1", which missed the U.S. Top 40 but gained some airplay on soft rock stations. "Take It Like a Man" was the sixth and last single by BTO to reach the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 33 on March 13, 1976. On the Canadian RPM charts, it reached the No. 24 position.
So when Arista exec Pete Ganbarg called Miller's publishing company about letting Run DMC release a version of his 1976 hit "Take the Money and Run" that the group had cut with Everlast, the initial answer was a flat "No." Says Linda Komorsky, who handles Miller's publishing rights: "I said, 'This is just not going to happen, tell them to choose somebody else's song.' And [Ganbarg] kept calling me back, saying 'Please, just listen to the tape."' Komorsky relented, and, after hearing the track, played it for Miller. Abra, abracadabra, the song just reached out and grabbed him. "He liked what they did," confirms Komorsky. "This is the first time he's allowed a group like this to do one of his songs."