Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
Encyclopedia
"Thank You" is a 1969 hit single
recorded by Sly and the Family Stone, recognized as one of the greatest and most influential funk songs of all time. The song, double a-sided with "Everybody Is a Star
", reached number one on the soul single charts for five weeks, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
in February 1970. "Thank You" was intended to be included on an in-progress album with "Star" and "Hot Fun in the Summertime
"; the LP was never completed, and the three tracks were instead included on the band's 1970 Greatest Hits
LP. "Thank You" and "Star", the final Family Stone recordings issued in the 1960s, marked the beginning of a twenty-month gap of releases from the band, which would finally end with the release of "Family Affair
" in 1971.
The song is always 4:48 and was re-channeled to simulate stereo on the very popular "Greatest Hits" LP. The previously unreleased full length version in stereo (6:18) was only issued on the 1990 Columbia promotional CD "Legacy: Music For The Next Generation". Since all of the other tracks on the sampler were issued on Legacy CDs, the assumption is that this full length version was supposed to be commercially issued, but due to some problem, it wasn't.
Rolling Stone
ranked the song #402 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
to date, as well as a portrait of the era at the transition from the 1960s into the 1970s. The third verse contains specific references to the group's previous hit songs, "Dance To The Music
" "Everyday People", "Sing a Simple Song
", and
"You Can Make It If You Try." The song features co-lead vocals from Sly Stone
, Rose Stone
, Freddie Stone
, and Larry Graham
.
Bassist Larry Graham, prominently uses the then-new technique of slap bass on this recording.
"Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" was the Jazz Crusaders, whose version was the first track on their Old Socks New Shoes New Socks Old Shoes album released in October, 1970. Sly & the Family Stone itself recorded another version in 1971 for There's a Riot Going On, completely transformed the song into a seven-minute track titled "Thank You For Talkin' to Me Africa". Although the lyrics, vocalists, and musicians are all the same, the record itself is as different from the original "Thank You" as that record had been from the earlier Family Stone records. The song's lyrics are delivered in a depressed tone with heavily reverberated vocals, over a slow, stripped-down deep funk backing track.
It was performed on stage in HBO's 1981 television special The Pee-wee Herman Show
.
The family gospel quartet, The Williams Brothers, included a retooled version of the song on their 1985, Malaco Records release Blessed.
The song has been covered by many other acts, including The Jackson 5
, Widespread Panic
, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Victor Wooten
, Dave Matthews & Friends
, the Dave Matthews Band
, Magazine
, Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band and Prince
(specially when on the stage with Larry Graham
). UK hip hop
act Big Brovaz
covered the song for use in the Warner Bros.
film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
. They also sampled the song to create the theme song for the movie, "We Wanna Thank You (The Things You Do)
". Gladys Knight and the Pips and several others have also covered the song. Freddie Stone's guitar riff from the bridging sections of the song is immediately recognizable to modern audiences as the backbone of Janet Jackson
's 1989 hit single "Rhythm Nation
". Van Morrison
does an expanded version of the song in a medley with "See Me Through" and "Soldier of Fortune" on his album A Night in San Francisco
. Rapper Vanilla Ice
also sampled "Thank You" as part of the soundtrack to his film, Cool as Ice
.
Janet Jackson used a sample for her 1989 hit single "Rhythm Nation
"
The song recently appeared in 2007 during the closing credits of "Shrek the Third
", as performed by Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas).
The Rolling Stones have rehearsed the song in May 2007 in Vilvoorde, Belgium before their A Bigger Bang Eur07 Tour, but the song has not been performed in concert.
Soundgarden
performed this song numerous times on their 1989 tour as well as during their John Peel
session that year.
Dave Matthews Band
performed the song numerous times on their 2008 summer tour. It was often featured as the final song of the encore. It was released on Live Trax Vol. 13
, from St. Louis, Missouri
, and also on Live at Mile High Music Festival
, from their set in Commerce City, Colorado
. It was the last song LeRoi Moore
performed as a member of Dave Matthews Band. That performance of the song is featured on Live Trax Vol. 14
.
In 2009, the song was frequently sampled during performances of "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
" on the North American leg of U2
's 360 Tour in support of their album No Line On The Horizon.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
recorded by Sly and the Family Stone, recognized as one of the greatest and most influential funk songs of all time. The song, double a-sided with "Everybody Is a Star
Everybody Is a Star
"Everybody Is a Star", released in December 1969, is a 1970 hit single recorded by Sly & the Family Stone. The song, double a-sided with "Thank You ", reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970 and was the final classic-era Family Stone recording...
", reached number one on the soul single charts for five weeks, and reached number one 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...
in February 1970. "Thank You" was intended to be included on an in-progress album with "Star" and "Hot Fun in the Summertime
Hot Fun in the Summertime
"Hot Fun in the Summertime" is a 1969 song recorded by Sly & the Family Stone. The single was released in the wake of the band's high-profile performance at Woodstock, which greatly expanded their fanbase. The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart and number 3 on...
"; the LP was never completed, and the three tracks were instead included on the band's 1970 Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Sly & the Family Stone album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, released November 21, 1970 on Epic Records. It includes all of the singles from the albums Dance to the Music , Life , and Stand! , and all of their charting b-sides...
LP. "Thank You" and "Star", the final Family Stone recordings issued in the 1960s, marked the beginning of a twenty-month gap of releases from the band, which would finally end with the release of "Family Affair
Family Affair (Sly & the Family Stone song)
"Family Affair" is a 1971 number-one hit single recorded by Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic Records label. Their first new material since the double a-sided single "Thank You "/ "Everybody is a Star" nearly two years prior, "Family Affair" became the fourth and final number-one pop hit for the...
" in 1971.
The song is always 4:48 and was re-channeled to simulate stereo on the very popular "Greatest Hits" LP. The previously unreleased full length version in stereo (6:18) was only issued on the 1990 Columbia promotional CD "Legacy: Music For The Next Generation". Since all of the other tracks on the sampler were issued on Legacy CDs, the assumption is that this full length version was supposed to be commercially issued, but due to some problem, it wasn't.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
ranked the song #402 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Overview
The title is a unique way of writing what would otherwise be "thank you for letting me be myself again." The lyrics can be interpreted as a summation of both the career of Sly & the Family StoneSly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
to date, as well as a portrait of the era at the transition from the 1960s into the 1970s. The third verse contains specific references to the group's previous hit songs, "Dance To The Music
Dance to the Music (song)
"Dance to the Music" is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul/funk/rock band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic/CBS Records label. It was the first single by the band to reach the Billboard Pop Singles Top 10, peaking at #8 and the first to popularize the band's sound, which would be emulated...
" "Everyday People", "Sing a Simple Song
Sing a Simple Song
"Sing a Simple Song" is a 1968 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, the b-side to their #1 hit "Everyday People". The song's lyrics, sung in turn by Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Rose Stone, and Larry Graham, with spoken word sections by Cynthia Robinson, offer a simple solution for...
", and
"You Can Make It If You Try." The song features co-lead vocals from Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
, Rose Stone
Rose Stone
Rose Stone is an African-American singer and keyboardist. She is best known as one of the lead singers in Sly & the Family Stone, a popular psychedelic soul/funk band founded by her brothers, Sly Stone and Freddie Stone...
, Freddie Stone
Freddie Stone
Freddie Stone is an African-American musician, best known for his role as co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist in the band Sly & The Family Stone, the frontman for which was his brother Sly Stone...
, and Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
.
Bassist Larry Graham, prominently uses the then-new technique of slap bass on this recording.
Cover versions
The first act to coverCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
"Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" was the Jazz Crusaders, whose version was the first track on their Old Socks New Shoes New Socks Old Shoes album released in October, 1970. Sly & the Family Stone itself recorded another version in 1971 for There's a Riot Going On, completely transformed the song into a seven-minute track titled "Thank You For Talkin' to Me Africa". Although the lyrics, vocalists, and musicians are all the same, the record itself is as different from the original "Thank You" as that record had been from the earlier Family Stone records. The song's lyrics are delivered in a depressed tone with heavily reverberated vocals, over a slow, stripped-down deep funk backing track.
It was performed on stage in HBO's 1981 television special The Pee-wee Herman Show
The Pee-wee Herman Show
The Pee-wee Herman Show is a stage show developed by Paul Reubens in 1980. It marks the first significant appearance of his comedic fictional character, Pee-wee Herman, five years before Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and six years before Pee-wee's Playhouse...
.
The family gospel quartet, The Williams Brothers, included a retooled version of the song on their 1985, Malaco Records release Blessed.
The song has been covered by many other acts, including The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Victor Wooten
Victor Wooten
Victor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
, Dave Matthews & Friends
Dave Matthews & Friends
Dave Matthews & Friends is an American jam band that was put together for a tour to support Dave Matthews' solo debut, Some Devil. Most of the musicians participated in the album's production...
, the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
, Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
(specially when on the stage with Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
). UK hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
act Big Brovaz
Big Brovaz
Big Brovaz were an R&B / Hip hop music group from London, England in their seven year career they released two studio albums and eight singles. There were three line up changes with two of the original members leaving half way through shaking up the dynamics of the group...
covered the song for use in the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is a 2004 film, and sequel to 2002's Scooby-Doo based on the Hanna-Barbera series classic, Scooby-Doo. It is the second installment in the Scooby-Doo Live-Action film series. It was directed by Raja Gosnell, who also directed the first film, and was written by James...
. They also sampled the song to create the theme song for the movie, "We Wanna Thank You (The Things You Do)
We Wanna Thank You (the Things You Do)
"We Wanna Thank You " is a single released in 2004 by the UK hip hop/R&B group Big Brovaz. The single was the first new material since their debut album, Nu-Flow, and was the theme song for the film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed...
". Gladys Knight and the Pips and several others have also covered the song. Freddie Stone's guitar riff from the bridging sections of the song is immediately recognizable to modern audiences as the backbone of Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's 1989 hit single "Rhythm Nation
Rhythm Nation
"Rhythm Nation" is the second single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Background:...
". Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
does an expanded version of the song in a medley with "See Me Through" and "Soldier of Fortune" on his album A Night in San Francisco
A Night in San Francisco
A Night in San Francisco is a live album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1994. Guest artists were John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells and Jimmy Witherspoon as well as Morrison's daughter, Shana Morrison...
. Rapper Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
also sampled "Thank You" as part of the soundtrack to his film, Cool as Ice
Cool as Ice
Cool as Ice is a 1991 American musical romance film directed by David Kellogg and starring rapper Vanilla Ice in his feature film debut. The film focuses on the character of Johnny, a freewheeling, motorcycle-riding rapper who arrives in a small town and meets Kathy, an honor student who catches...
.
Janet Jackson used a sample for her 1989 hit single "Rhythm Nation
Rhythm Nation
"Rhythm Nation" is the second single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Background:...
"
The song recently appeared in 2007 during the closing credits of "Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
", as performed by Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas).
The Rolling Stones have rehearsed the song in May 2007 in Vilvoorde, Belgium before their A Bigger Bang Eur07 Tour, but the song has not been performed in concert.
Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
performed this song numerous times on their 1989 tour as well as during their John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
session that year.
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
performed the song numerous times on their 2008 summer tour. It was often featured as the final song of the encore. It was released on Live Trax Vol. 13
Live Trax Vol. 13
Live Trax Vol. 13 is a live album by Dave Matthews Band, and is the 13th volume in the band's Live Trax series. The album was recorded on June 7, 2008 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri...
, from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and also on Live at Mile High Music Festival
Live at Mile High Music Festival
Live at Mile High Music Festival is a live album by the Dave Matthews Band from the 2008 Mile High Music Festival outside Denver, Colorado. In its first week of sales, the album debuted at #97 on the US charts...
, from their set in Commerce City, Colorado
Commerce City, Colorado
The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado...
. It was the last song LeRoi Moore
Leroi Moore
LeRoi Holloway Moore was an American saxophonist best known as a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. Moore often arranged music for the songs written by frontman Dave Matthews...
performed as a member of Dave Matthews Band. That performance of the song is featured on Live Trax Vol. 14
Live Trax Vol. 14
Live Trax Vol. 14 is a live album by Dave Matthews Band, and is the 14th volume in the band's Live Trax series. The album was recorded on June 28, 2008 at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia. This show is notable because it is the last concert performance by the band's founding saxophonist,...
.
In 2009, the song was frequently sampled during performances of "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
"I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is the fifth song from U2's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. The song was released as the album's third single in a digital format on 25 August 2009 and in a physical version released on 7 September 2009...
" on the North American leg of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's 360 Tour in support of their album No Line On The Horizon.
Personnel
- Co-lead vocals by Sly StoneSly StoneSly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
, Rose StoneRose StoneRose Stone is an African-American singer and keyboardist. She is best known as one of the lead singers in Sly & the Family Stone, a popular psychedelic soul/funk band founded by her brothers, Sly Stone and Freddie Stone...
, Freddie StoneFreddie StoneFreddie Stone is an African-American musician, best known for his role as co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist in the band Sly & The Family Stone, the frontman for which was his brother Sly Stone...
, and Larry GrahamLarry GrahamLarry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station... - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
by Freddie StoneFreddie StoneFreddie Stone is an African-American musician, best known for his role as co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist in the band Sly & The Family Stone, the frontman for which was his brother Sly Stone...
and Sly Stone - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
by Larry GrahamLarry GrahamLarry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
1 - DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
by Greg ErricoGreg ErricoGreg Errico, sometimes missspelled as Gregg Errico, is an Italian American musician/record producer, best known for being the drummer for the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band, Sly & the Family Stone... - HornsHorn sectionIn music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
by Jerry MartiniJerry MartiniJerry Martini is an American musician, best known for being the saxophonist for the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone...
(tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
) and Cynthia RobinsonCynthia RobinsonCynthia Robinson is an American musician, best known for being the trumpeter and vocalist in the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone...
(trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
) - Written and produced by Sly Stone (Stewart Sylvester)
See also
- Hot 100 number-one hits of 1970 (USA)Hot 100 number-one hits of 1970 (USA)These are the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1970.-See also:* 1970 in music* Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1970* List of number-one hits...
- R&B number-one hits of 1970 (USA)R&B number-one hits of 1970 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1970:See also: 1970 in music, List of number-one R&B hits -Chart comparisons:...