Respect Yourself

"Respect Yourself" is the name of a classic soul 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 #12 on the Hot 100, #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.[1]

"Respect Yourself"
Single by The Staple Singers
from the album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself
B-side	"You're Gonna Make Me Cry"
Released	October 1971
Genre	Soul, rock
Length	4:54
Label	Stax
Songwriter(s)	Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
Producer(s)	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"
Single by Bruce Willis
from the album The Return of Bruno
B-side	"Fun Time"
Released	January 1987
Genre	Pop, soul
Length	3:53
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
Producer(s)	Robert Kraft
Bruce Willis singles chronology
"Respect Yourself" (1987) "Young Blood" (1987)

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] The Staple Singers' long version featured Roebuck "Pops" Staples, nearly 57 at the time, on lead for more than two minutes.

Chart performance

Staple Singers' version

Chart (1971–72)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[3]	17
US Billboard Hot 100[4]	12
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[5]	2

Bruce Willis' version

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6]	57
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7]	8
UK Singles (OCC)[8]	7
US Billboard Hot 100[9]	5
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10]	20

Year-end chart (1987)	Position
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[11]	89

Cover versions

"Respect Yourself" has been covered numerous times, including but not limited to the following:

• Herbie Mann on his album Mississippi Gambler (1972)
• B. B. King on his album To Know You Is to Love You (1974)
• The Kane Gang reached the charts in the UK (No. 21) and Australia (No. 19) with their version (1984)
• Actor Bruce Willis, with help from June Pointer and The Pointer Sisters, reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, number 20 on the Hot Black Singles chart and number 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart (1987). It also charted in Canada peaking at number eight on the RPM Singles Chart.
• Robert Palmer from his compilation Very Best of Robert Palmer, reached number 45 on the UK Singles Chart (1995)[12]
• The Christian blues rock group Big Tent Revival also covered the song on their self-titled album[13] (1995)
• Joe Cocker on his album Respect Yourself (2002)
• The Temptations on their album Back to Front (2007)
• Guy Sebastian on his album of covers of soul classics The Memphis Album (2007)
• Randy Crawford and Joe Sample on the collaborative album No Regrets (2008)
• Huey Lewis and the News on their album Soulsville (2010)
• Melissa Etheridge on her Stax Records covers album Memphis Rock and Soul (2016)

References

1. "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone.com. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
2. Myers, Marc (2016). Anatomy of a Song. Grove Press. pp. 202–209. ISBN 978-1-61185-525-8.
3. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5298." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
4. "The Staple Singers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
5. "The Staple Singers Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
6. 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.
7. Peaked on RPM 100 Singles Chart on March 7, 1987
8. "Bruce Willis: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
9. "Bruce Willis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
10. "Bruce Willis Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
11. "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 99 (52). December 26, 1987.
12. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 415–6. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
13. "Big Tent Revival, "Big Tent Revival" Review". Jesusfreakhideout.com. 1995-03-21. Retrieved 2014-06-28.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics