Clean Up Woman
Encyclopedia
"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 1971 as a 7" single
with "I'll Love You Forever" on the B-side
, reaching number six on the U.S. Pop Singles
chart—where it stayed for fourteen weeks—and number two on the U.S. Black Singles
chart. It has sold over a million copies with the RIAA
gold disc awarded on December 30, 1971.
Lyrics and subject matter
The 7" single version simply refers to an unnamed 'Clean Up Woman' who 'cleans up', 'who
gets all the love we girls leave behind' and collects any men 'dumped in the street'. The album version is extended with Betty Wright referring to the seductive manner of several well-known soul singers of the time (none referred to by name), and singing short snatches of song in each one's characteristic style.
The song also appears as the beginning and end songs in a medley on the 1978 album 'Betty Wright Live'.
Betty Wright
Bessie Regina Norris, better known by her stage name, Betty Wright , is a Grammy winning Miami-based soul and R&B singer-songwriter, who won fame in the 1970s with hits such as "Clean Up Woman" and "Tonight Is the Night"...
from her second studio album, I Love the Way You Love (1972). Written and produced by Clarence Reid
Blowfly (artist)
Blowfly is the stage name and alternate persona of Clarence Reid , who was a songwriter for many hit R&B acts in the 1960s and 1970s. As Blowfly, he has recorded numerous albums, mostly of sex-based parodies of other songs, as well as original raps themed around sex...
and Willie Clarke, it was released in 1971 as a 7" single
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
with "I'll Love You Forever" on the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, reaching number six on the U.S. Pop Singles
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...
chart—where it stayed for fourteen weeks—and number two on the U.S. Black Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It has sold over a million copies with the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
gold disc awarded on December 30, 1971.
Lyrics and subject matter
The 7" single version simply refers to an unnamed 'Clean Up Woman' who 'cleans up', 'who
gets all the love we girls leave behind' and collects any men 'dumped in the street'. The album version is extended with Betty Wright referring to the seductive manner of several well-known soul singers of the time (none referred to by name), and singing short snatches of song in each one's characteristic style.
The song also appears as the beginning and end songs in a medley on the 1978 album 'Betty Wright Live'.