"Clean Up Woman" is a song by Betty Wright from her second studio album, I Love the Way You Love (1972). Written and produced by Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke, it was released in November 1971 in the U.S. as a 7" single with "I'll Love You Forever" on the B-side. The song's distinctive guitar lick was played by Willie "Little Beaver" Hale.
| "Clean Up Woman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Side A of the US single | ||||
| Single by Betty Wright | ||||
| from the album I Love the Way You Love | ||||
| B-side | "I'll Love You Forever" | |||
| Released | November 1971 | |||
| Studio | Criteria (Miami)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:40 | |||
| Label | Alston | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Clarence Reid, Willie Clarke | |||
| Producer(s) | Clarence Reid, Willie Clarke | |||
| Betty Wright singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Clean up Woman" on YouTube | ||||
It has sold over two million copies with the RIAA gold disc awarded on December 30, 1972.[5] Billboard ranked it as the No. 49 song for 1972. The song also appears as the beginning and end songs in a medley on the 1978 album Betty Wright Live.
Chart performance
editThe single reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, spending fourteen weeks on the chart.[5] It also reached No. 2 on the U.S. Black Singles chart and remained in that spot for eight weeks, all behind "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green.[6] It peaked at No. 4 on the Cash Box Top 100 singles chart during the weeks ending January 29, 1972 and February 5, 1972.[7] In Canada, the song reached No. 39.[8]
Samples
editThe song has been sampled in at least 32 other songs, including the 2013 "Favorite Song" by Chance the Rapper and the 1993 remix of "Real Love" by Mary J. Blige.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ McDonnell, Evelyn (22 July 2008). "Miami sound machine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
Betty Wright hit the top 10 a year later with "Clean Up Woman," another impressively slinky funk gem...
- ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "I Am Woman: Feminist Pop". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 96. ISBN 031214704X.
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (April 30, 2020). "Still Billy Joel to Me Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 306. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 638.
- ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles, week ending FEBRUARY 5, 1972". Cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ a b "RPM Top 100 Singles - February 12, 1972" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 2/05/72". Cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1972". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
External links
edit- Both Sides Now Publications
- Clean Up Woman at Discogs (list of releases) Alston release
- Clean Up Woman at Discogs (list of releases) Atlantic release
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