"Sing a Song" is a song recorded by R&B/funk band, Earth, Wind & Fire, which was issued as a single in November 1975 on Columbia Records.[1] The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2][3]
| "Sing a Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Earth, Wind & Fire | ||||
| from the album Gratitude | ||||
| B-side | "Sing a Song (Instrumental)" | |||
| Released | November 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul, funk, disco | |||
| Length | 3:26 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Maurice White, Al McKay | |||
| Producer(s) | Maurice White, Charles Stepney | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Sing a Song" on YouTube | ||||
Overview edit
"Sing a Song" spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[2] The song was composed by Maurice White with Al McKay and produced by White and Charles Stepney. An instrumental version of Sing a Song was the b-side of the single. Sing a Song also came off the band's 1975 album, Gratitude.[1]
Critical reception edit
Alex Henderson of AllMusic called Gratitude "uplifting."[4] Record World said that "With vocal parlays reminiscent of early Sly & the Family Stone and a horn section that is as tight as Chicago's, the group should soon be back on top.'"[5] Cliff White of NME exclaimed "Particularly good is a hybrid from Curtis Mayfield's Impressions and The Blackbyrds called "Sing A Song".[6]
Samples and covers edit
"Sing a Song" was covered by the gospel group Point of Grace on their 1996 album, Life Love & Other Mysteries and jazz guitarist Richard Smith on his 2003 album SOuLIDIFIED. Take 6 also covered the song on their 1996 album, Brothers.[7][8][9]
"Sing a Song" was sampled by Beyoncé on the track "Hey Goldmember" from the soundtrack to the 2002 feature film Austin Powers in Goldmember.[9]
Appearances in other media edit
"Sing a Song" appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 feature film The Color of Friendship.[10] The song was also featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 feature film Something's Gotta Give.[11]
Chart history edit
| Chart (1975–1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Soul Singles[2] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 5 |
| Belgian Singles (Ultratop 50 Singles)[12] | 24 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 13 |
| Dutch Singles (Dutch Single Top 100)[13] | 19 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Earth, Wind & Fire: Sing a Song. Columbia Records. November 1975.
- ^ a b c "Earth, Wind & Fire: Sing A Song (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
- ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: Sing A Song (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
- ^ Henderson, Alex. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Gratitude". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 15, 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ White, Cliff (February 7, 1976). "Earth Wind & Fire: Gratitude" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. New Musical Express. p. 20.
- ^ Evans Price, Deborah (October 12, 1996). They're Playing My Song. Vol. 108. Billboard Magazine. p. 44.
- ^ "Take 6: Brothers". jazztimes.com. March 1997.
- ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: Sing a Song". genius.com.
- ^ "The Color of Friendship (Soundtrack)". imdb.com.
- ^ "Something's Gotta Give (Soundtrack)". imdb.com.
- ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Sing a Song". ultratop.be.
- ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Sing a Song". dutchcharts.nl.
- ^ "American single certifications – Earth, Wind & Fire – Sing a Song". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
External links edit
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