Sweet Thing (Rufus song)

"Sweet Thing" is a song performed by American funk and R&B band Rufus with vocals by band member Chaka Khan. As a single, it peaked number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1975. Mary J. Blige recorded her version, which charted in the United States and New Zealand in 1993.

"Sweet Thing"
Side A of the US 7-inch vinyl single
Single by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
from the album Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
ReleasedNovember 28, 1975
Recorded1975
Genre
Length3:19
LabelABC
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Russ Titelman
  • Rufus
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan singles chronology
"Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me of a Friend)"
(1975)		 "Sweet Thing"
(1975)		 "Dance Wit Me"
(1976)

Rufus featuring Chaka Khan version

Initially recorded and released a single in late 1975, it was first a hit with Rufus featuring Chaka Khan when they recorded the song in 1975, eventually reaching number-one on the R&B singles chart and number five on the pop chart.[1] The song was co-written by Khan and Rufus bandmate Tony Maiden and became one of the band and Khan's signature songs. The record appears on the band's fourth album Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (1975). Khan re-recorded it for the 1998 soundtrack New York Undercover: A Night at Natalie's.

In 2009, Essence magazine included the song in their list of the "25 Best Slow Jams of All Time".[2]

Track listing
  1. "Sweet Thing"
  2. "Circles"

Charts
Chart (1975) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 5
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] 1

Mary J. Blige version
"Sweet Thing"
US retail cassette edition; the US CD release was promo-only
Single by Mary J. Blige
from the album What's the 411?
ReleasedApril 2, 1993 (1993-04-02)
Recorded1992
Genre
Length3:44
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"Reminisce"
(1992)		 "Sweet Thing"
(1993)		 "Love No Limit"
(1993)

In 1992, American singer Mary J. Blige recorded a rendition for her debut album What's the 411? (1992). It became Blige's third top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 28. In addition, it marked Blige's first entry on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Blige also performed the song live on the eighteenth season of Saturday Night Live on March 13, 1993.

Critical reception

Daryl McIntosh from Albumism stated that Blige's "savory rendition" of the Rufus song "helped provide depth to her groundbreaking album".[5] Stanton Swihart from AllMusic described it as "gospel-thrusted", stating that songs like "Sweet Thing" "are and will remain timeless slices of soul even after their trendiness has worn off".[6] Larry Flick from Billboard said that the singer's version is "a faithful rendition of the Chaka Khan & Rufus classic. A shoulder-swaying rhythm base firmly supports an appealing, diva-style vocal and familiar funk guitar chords." He added, "Watch this one glide onto pop and urban playlists within seconds."[7] The Daily Vault's Mark Millan noted that "Sweet Thing" "is probably the most "pop" of all the songs on offer here. It's another love song and Blige softens her tone a little to keep everything sweet."[8] Havelock Nelson from Entertainment Weekly called it "a jazzy remake".[9]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the What's the 411? liner notes.[10]

Track listing

Charts
Chart (1993) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 48
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 28
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[13] 11

Other cover versions

In 1997, contemporary jazz saxophonist Boney James did another remake of the song; it was included on the album titled Sweet Thing. The album's title track included background vocals by original co-writer Tony Maiden.[14][15] UK soul singer Beverley Knight has also recorded a version of the song. Knight's version was recorded for a BBC Radio 2 session and was included as the B-side to her 2004 single "Not Too Late for Love". Due to the popularity of Knight's version with her fans, it was later included on her Voice - The Best of Beverley Knight (2006) compilation. Knight has since been invited to perform the song at Khan's London O2 Arena date on her UK tour, after collaborating with the singer on her Blige duet "Disrespectful" at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 505.
  2. "25 Best Slow Jams of All Time".
  3. "Rufus Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  4. "Rufus Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April , 2017.
  5. McIntosh, Daryl (July 28, 2017). "Mary J. Blige's Debut Album 'What's the 411?' Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  6. Swihart, Stanton. "Mary J. Blige – What's the 411?". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  7. Flick, Larry (January 30, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 83. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  8. Millan, Mark (July 5, 2010). "What's The 411? – Mary J. Blige". The Daily Vault. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  9. Nelson, Havelock (August 7, 1992). "Music Review: 'What's the 411?'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  10. Blige, Mary J. (1992). What's the 411? (Liner Notes) (Compact Disc). Mary J. Blige. Uptown Records.
  11. "Charts.nz – Mary J Blige – Sweet Thing". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  12. "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  13. "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April , 2017.
  14. Widran, Jonathan. "Sweet Thing - Boney James | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-26. Retrieved 2010-05-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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