Am I the Same Girl
Encyclopedia
"Am I the Same Girl" is a popular soul
song written by Eugene Record
and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin
, "Am I the Same Girl" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister
. However the song had its greatest impact as a 1968-69 instrumental hit single by Young-Holt Unlimited
under the title "Soulful Strut".
Although Barbara Acklin — who was married to Eugene Record — recorded the song first, producer Carl Davis
removed her voice from the track, replaced it with a piano solo by Floyd Morris, and released the resultant track in November 1968 as "Soulful Strut" credited to Young-Holt Unlimited; it became a #3 hit in the United States and went to #1 in Canada. Neither Eldee Young nor Red Holt is believed to have played on the track, which was the work of session musician
s identified only as the Brunswick Studio Band. Acklin's version was released in February 1969 and reached #33, R&B crossing over to #79 Pop.
, who had heard Acklin's version, recorded "Am I the Same Girl" at Philips Studios Marble Arch
in August 1969; Bill Landis produced the session which was arranged by Keith Mansfield
. The track marked Springfield's last UK chart appearance of the 1960s but was not a major hit, stalling at #43. "Am I the Same Girl" also gave Springfield a minor hit in Australia (#75).
In 1976, Peru
vian musician Otto de Rojas, with his Ultra 76 Orchestra, recorded a disco
version of Young-Holt's "Soulful Strut": "Al Ritmo del Bump-Bump" ("Dancing to the Bump-Bump rhythm"), which gained a high profile in Peru via its use in a pop music TV show hosted by the Mexican comedian Rodolfo Rey "Cachirulo", aired through the local Panamericana Television station. Also in 1979, George Benson
did a cover of "Soulful Strut" on his Livin' Inside Your Love
album.
The vocal version "Am I the Same Girl" had its most successful incarnation via a 1992 remake by Swing Out Sister
, whose lead vocalist Corinne Drewery
has acknowledged Dusty Springfield as a major influence. Recorded for the Get in Touch with Yourself
album and released as the lead single, "Am I the Same Girl" gave Swing Out Sister their highest UK chart ranking since their inaugural hits in 1986-87, the top ten "Breakout
" and "Surrender
"; however, it was a much more moderate success, with a #21 peak. The track did better internationally, peaking at #8 in Germany, #15 in the Netherlands and #13 in Italy, also giving Swing Out Sister their best ever chart showing in France at #54. "Am I the Same Girl" also represented a strong comeback for Swing Out Sister in the US, where it was released in September 1992 and reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100
— the track's peak on the Cash Box Pop 100 was #32 — while reaching #1 on the A/C chart
.
In September 2005, Martha Stewart
began to use the Swing Out Sister version in her promo commercials for her show Martha
on NBC
television in America and then as the opening introduction theme song of the show. Each show starts with the song playing over a montage of images and photos of Martha Stewart growing up.
Young-Holt Unlimited's "Soulful Strut" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1998 film The Parent Trap
, subtly referencing how the plot revolves around twin girls secretly swapping places (the title of "Soulful Strut's vocal version being "Am I the Same Girl"). "Soulful Strut" was also used in the film's advertising.
In 1999, saxophonist Kim Waters recorded "Am I the Same Girl (Soulful Strut)" for his One Special Moment album; featuring vocalist Meli'sa Morgan
, the track was a non-charting single release in February 2000.
In 2005, Joss Stone
used the Young-Holt version as a starting point for her song "Don't Cha Wanna Ride
", and credited the composers of "Am I the Same Girl" as co-composers of her song.
Dionne Bromfield
covered this song on her debut album Introducing Dionne Bromfield
(2009).
An apparently unique male version, "Am I the Same Guy", was cut by Tom Gaebel
for his 2008 Don't Wanna Dance album.
The French rendering "Je suis bien la même" was recorded in 1969 by Séverine
.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
song written by Eugene Record
Eugene Record
Eugene Record was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based band, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s.He was born Eugene Booker Record in Chicago...
and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin
Barbara Acklin
Barbara Jean Acklin was an American soul singer and songwriter who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" in 1968...
, "Am I the Same Girl" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister are a British "sophisti-pop" group best known worldwide for their 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game" and a remake of "Am I the Same Girl?" Though album sales in the U.S. and Europe have levelled off since the early 1990s, the...
. However the song had its greatest impact as a 1968-69 instrumental hit single by Young-Holt Unlimited
Young-Holt Unlimited
Young-Holt Unlimited were an American soul and jazz instrumental musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois.Drummer Isaac "Red" Holt and bassist Eldee Young, formerly members of Ramsey Lewis' jazz trio, formed a new outfit called the Young-Holt Trio with pianist Don Walker in 1966...
under the title "Soulful Strut".
Although Barbara Acklin — who was married to Eugene Record — recorded the song first, producer Carl Davis
Carl Davis (record producer)
Carl H. Davis is an American record producer and music executive, who was particularly active in Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s when he was responsible for hit R&B records by Gene Chandler, Major Lance, Jackie Wilson, The Chi-Lites, Barbara Acklin, Tyrone Davis and others.-Life and career:He was...
removed her voice from the track, replaced it with a piano solo by Floyd Morris, and released the resultant track in November 1968 as "Soulful Strut" credited to Young-Holt Unlimited; it became a #3 hit in the United States and went to #1 in Canada. Neither Eldee Young nor Red Holt is believed to have played on the track, which was the work of session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s identified only as the Brunswick Studio Band. Acklin's version was released in February 1969 and reached #33, R&B crossing over to #79 Pop.
Other versions
Dusty SpringfieldDusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, who had heard Acklin's version, recorded "Am I the Same Girl" at Philips Studios Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
in August 1969; Bill Landis produced the session which was arranged by Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield is a British composer and arranger known for his creation of prominent television theme tunes, including the Grandstand theme for the BBC...
. The track marked Springfield's last UK chart appearance of the 1960s but was not a major hit, stalling at #43. "Am I the Same Girl" also gave Springfield a minor hit in Australia (#75).
In 1976, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian musician Otto de Rojas, with his Ultra 76 Orchestra, recorded a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
version of Young-Holt's "Soulful Strut": "Al Ritmo del Bump-Bump" ("Dancing to the Bump-Bump rhythm"), which gained a high profile in Peru via its use in a pop music TV show hosted by the Mexican comedian Rodolfo Rey "Cachirulo", aired through the local Panamericana Television station. Also in 1979, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
did a cover of "Soulful Strut" on his Livin' Inside Your Love
Livin' Inside Your Love
Livin' Inside Your Love is a double-LP by jazz musician George Benson, which was released in 1979. It was certified Gold by the RIAA.-Side A:# "Livin' Inside Your Love" – 6:37# "Hey Girl" – 4:31...
album.
The vocal version "Am I the Same Girl" had its most successful incarnation via a 1992 remake by Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister are a British "sophisti-pop" group best known worldwide for their 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game" and a remake of "Am I the Same Girl?" Though album sales in the U.S. and Europe have levelled off since the early 1990s, the...
, whose lead vocalist Corinne Drewery
Corinne Drewery
Corinne Drewery is the lead singer of the pop music band, Swing Out Sister.-Early life:Drewery grew up in Nottingham and the Lincolnshire village of Authorpe and went to South Reston Primary School, then Monks' Dyke High School and King Edward VI Grammar School in nearby Louth, then Lincoln College...
has acknowledged Dusty Springfield as a major influence. Recorded for the Get in Touch with Yourself
Get in Touch with Yourself
Get in Touch with Yourself is the title of the third studio album by the British pop group Swing Out Sister. The album was released on Fontana Records in 1992 and was produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy.-Lineup and musical style:...
album and released as the lead single, "Am I the Same Girl" gave Swing Out Sister their highest UK chart ranking since their inaugural hits in 1986-87, the top ten "Breakout
Breakout (Swing Out Sister song)
"Breakout" is a single from British pop act Swing Out Sister's debut album It's Better to Travel.The single reached the number four position in the UK in 1986, and rose to number six pop and number one adult contemporary in the U.S. in 1987...
" and "Surrender
Surrender (Swing Out Sister song)
"Surrender" is a 1987 single released by British pop act Swing Out Sister from their debut album, It's Better to Travel. It was issued as the follow-up to the successful single, "Breakout". The song peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1987 and logged four weeks in the top ten.Over a...
"; however, it was a much more moderate success, with a #21 peak. The track did better internationally, peaking at #8 in Germany, #15 in the Netherlands and #13 in Italy, also giving Swing Out Sister their best ever chart showing in France at #54. "Am I the Same Girl" also represented a strong comeback for Swing Out Sister in the US, where it was released in September 1992 and reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
— the track's peak on the Cash Box Pop 100 was #32 — while reaching #1 on the A/C chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
.
In September 2005, Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
began to use the Swing Out Sister version in her promo commercials for her show Martha
Martha (TV series)
Martha, also known as The Martha Stewart Show, is an American, weekday one-hour talk show hosted by Martha Stewart. Previously airing in first-run syndication, the show began exclusively airing on cable network Hallmark Channel since September 13, 2010.-History:The program originally debuted on...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television in America and then as the opening introduction theme song of the show. Each show starts with the song playing over a montage of images and photos of Martha Stewart growing up.
Young-Holt Unlimited's "Soulful Strut" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1998 film The Parent Trap
The Parent Trap (1998 film)
The Parent Trap is a remake of the 1961 family film of the same name. It was directed and co-written by Nancy Meyers, and produced and co-written by Charles Shyer. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a dual role as their...
, subtly referencing how the plot revolves around twin girls secretly swapping places (the title of "Soulful Strut's vocal version being "Am I the Same Girl"). "Soulful Strut" was also used in the film's advertising.
In 1999, saxophonist Kim Waters recorded "Am I the Same Girl (Soulful Strut)" for his One Special Moment album; featuring vocalist Meli'sa Morgan
Meli'sa Morgan
Meli'sa Morgan is an African American R&B singer born in Queens, New York who had a string of urban contemporary and house music hits in the 1980s and 1990s. She got her start in the music industry whilst singing with a church gospel choir called the Starlets of Corona...
, the track was a non-charting single release in February 2000.
In 2005, Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
used the Young-Holt version as a starting point for her song "Don't Cha Wanna Ride
Don't Cha Wanna Ride
"Don't Cha Wanna Ride" is a song by English soul singer-songwriter Joss Stone from her second studio album, Mind Body & Soul . Released in the United Kingdom in July 2005 and in the rest of Europe in August 2005 as the album's fourth and final single, the track was written by Stone, Desmond Child,...
", and credited the composers of "Am I the Same Girl" as co-composers of her song.
Dionne Bromfield
Dionne Bromfield
Dionne Julia Bromfield is a British soul singer-songwriter. Bromfield's debut album, Introducing Dionne Bromfield, was released in 2009 by Amy Winehouse's Lioness Records label...
covered this song on her debut album Introducing Dionne Bromfield
Introducing Dionne Bromfield
Introducing Dionne Bromfield is the debut album from British singer Dionne Bromfield. In September 2009, it was announced that Bromfield, then 13 years old was the first artist to be signed to her godmother Amy Winehouse's new record label Lioness Records...
(2009).
An apparently unique male version, "Am I the Same Guy", was cut by Tom Gaebel
Tom Gaebel
Tom Gaebel is a German singer and leader of a big band named after himself. He changed the spelling of his last name, avoiding the umlaut to give it an international sheen. In addition to singing and arranging music, Gaebel writes lyrics in English....
for his 2008 Don't Wanna Dance album.
The French rendering "Je suis bien la même" was recorded in 1969 by Séverine
Severine
Severine or Séverine can refer to:* the nom de plume of the French journalist Caroline Rémy de Guebhard* a pseudonym of the Hungarian model Eve Angel...
.
| SINGLE VERSIONS CHART PERFORMANCES | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | Year | Title | US Chart positions | International chart positions |
| Young-Holt Unlimited Young-Holt Unlimited Young-Holt Unlimited were an American soul and jazz instrumental musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois.Drummer Isaac "Red" Holt and bassist Eldee Young, formerly members of Ramsey Lewis' jazz trio, formed a new outfit called the Young-Holt Trio with pianist Don Walker in 1966... |
1968 | Soulful Strut | Pop #3 * R&B #3 A/C #3 |
Canada #1 |
| Barbara Acklin Barbara Acklin Barbara Jean Acklin was an American soul singer and songwriter who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" in 1968... |
1969 | Am I the Same Girl | Pop #79 * R&B #33 | Canada #52 |
| Dusty Springfield Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s... |
1969 | Am I the Same Girl | - | UK #43 * Australia #75 |
| Swing Out Sister Swing Out Sister Swing Out Sister are a British "sophisti-pop" group best known worldwide for their 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game" and a remake of "Am I the Same Girl?" Though album sales in the U.S. and Europe have levelled off since the early 1990s, the... |
1992 | Am I the Same Girl | Pop #45 A/C #1 |
Canada #5 * France #54 * Germany #8 Italy #13 * the Netherlands #15 * UK #21 |