Let's Stay Together (Al Green song)

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"Let's Stay Together"
File:Al-green-lets-stay-together-1971-US-vinyl.jpg
A-side label of US vinyl single
Single by Al Green
from the album Let's Stay Together
B-side "Tomorrow's Dream"
Released November 1971
Recorded 1971
Genre Soul
Length 3:18
Label Hi (2202)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Willie Mitchell
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Tired of Being Alone"
(1971)		 "Let's Stay Together"
(1971)		 "Look What You Done for Me"
(1972)
Audio sample
"Let's Stay Together"

"Let's Stay Together" is a song by American singer Al Green from his 1972 album of the same name. It was produced and recorded by Willie Mitchell, and mixed by Mitchell and Terry Manning. Released as a single in 1971, "Let's Stay Together" reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks and also topped Billboard's R&B chart for nine weeks.[1] Billboard ranked it as the number 11 song of 1972.[2]

It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine on their 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[3] and has been covered by numerous other performers, most notably Tina Turner.

It was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4] The song went on to claim the number 1 position on the Billboard Year-End chart as an R&B song for 1972.

In 1999, the 1971 recording on Hi Records by Al Green was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[5]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[11] Gold 0
Italy (FIMI)[12] Gold 25,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] Platinum 600,000
United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000

xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

Tina Turner version

"Let's Stay Together"
File:Tina Turner - Let's Stay Together.jpg
Single picture sleeve
Single by Tina Turner
from the album Private Dancer
B-side "I Wrote a Letter"
Released November 7, 1983 (1983-11-07) (UK)[15]
January 1984 (US)[16]
Recorded 1983
Genre
Length 3:36 (Single Version)
5:14 (Album Version)
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Ball of Confusion"
(1982)		 "Let's Stay Together"
(1983)		 "Help!"
(1984)
Music video
"Let's Stay Together" on YouTube
Audio sample
"Let's Stay Together"

"Let's Stay Together" was later covered by Tina Turner, her second collaboration with the British Heaven 17 and British Electric Foundation production team after "Ball of Confusion" in 1982, and served as her comeback single in late 1983. Unlike Al Green's version, Turner sings verse 2 first, then verse 1 when the band starts playing.

Released by Capitol Records in November 1983, the single charted at number 6 in the UK (one place higher than Al Green's original) and became the third time she reached the UK top ten, the first two being with former husband Ike Turner on "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Nutbush City Limits". Following the US release in January 1984,[16] the single reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart.[19][20]

At the time, the song was the most successful solo single Turner had released. It was included on her multi-platinum selling album Private Dancer, released a few months later in the spring of 1984. The music video was directed by David Mallet. The cover photography was by Norman Seeff.

Personnel

Production

  • Greg Walsh – producer & engineer
  • Martyn Ware – producer
  • Walter Samuel – engineer
  • Alan Yoshida – mastering
  • Akira Taguchi – compilation producer
  • Sam Gay – creative director
  • Roy Kohara – art direction
  • John O'Brien – design
  • Peter Ashworth – photography
  • Roger Davies – management
  • Chip Lightman – management

Track listing and formats

  • 7" single
  1. "Let's Stay Together" – 3:36
  2. "I Wrote a Letter" – 3:24
  • 12" single
  1. "Let's Stay Together" (Extended Version) – 5:14
  2. "I Wrote a Letter" – 3:24

Charts and certifications

Other cover versions

"Let's Stay Together" has been covered by:

Appearance in other media

The song has been used in the films:

The song has been featured in various television shows:

  • It was performed in an episode of Ally McBeal (1997–2002).
  • The song has featured twice in the UK version of Stars in Their Eyes. The first, notably by soul and swing singer George Anthony in 1998's episode 4 and also the series 9 Grand Final in the same year.
  • An instrumental version of the song appears in episode 23 of the anime adaptation of Monster (Japanese on September 8, 2004, and English on January 4, 2010).
  • It was parodied by The Fringemunks to recap Fringe episode 2.06, "Earthling" (November 5, 2009).[50]
  • It was played in the Parks and Recreation episode "Road Trip" (May 12, 2011). During Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt's road trip, as assigned by Chris Traeger, they listen to a series of unusual songs, until Let's Stay Together plays. It is later confirmed that Ann Perkins had burned the song in order to get them together.
  • In 2011 Kermit Ruffins and his band cover the song in season 2, episode 9 "What Is New Orleans?" of the HBO series Treme.[citation needed]
  • United States President Barack Obama performed a brief phrase of the song during an appearance at the Apollo Theater in New York City on January 19, 2012, for a campaign fundraiser that included Al Green as an opening act.[51] In the week following, sales of Green's recording of the song increased by 490%.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ "1, 1972/ Archive Chart: January 1, 1972" UK Singles Chart.
  7. ↑ "Al Green – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Al Green.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972" Archived April 27, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Music Outfitters.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Click on næste to go to page 13316 if certification from official website
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Al Green in the field Filtra. Select 2018 in the field Anno. The certification will load automatically
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Let's Stay Together in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[permanent dead link]
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  23. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4454." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Let's Stay Together". Irish Singles Chart.
  27. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  28. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  29. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". Top 40 Singles.
  30. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". Swiss Singles Chart.
  31. ↑ "Tina Turner: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  32. ↑ "Tina Turner – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Tina Turner.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Let's Stay Together in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  39. ↑ Margie Joseph – Margie Joseph (1973) album Archived January 17, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  40. ↑ [Al Jarreau – Call Me (1979) album] at Discogs
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ The Memphis Horns – Flame Out (1992) album Archived November 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  43. ↑ Bobby Ross Avila Into My Life (1995) album Archived October 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine at Discogs
  44. ↑ album Archived June 8, 2019, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  45. ↑ Ms. Marilyn Marshall – Hold On (1999) album Archived April 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  46. ↑ "Night on the Town – Eric Darius" from Billboard.com.
  47. ↑ Various – GAP – Favorite Songs (Fall 2005) album Archived February 21, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at Discogs
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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