The Ghetto (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Ghetto" is a socially conscious, mostly instrumental Jazz/Latin Jazz flavored anthem, released as the first single off American
soul singer Donny Hathaway
's debut album, Everything Is Everything
, released as a single in 1970 on Atlantic Records
.
The song was co-written by Hathaway and Leroy Hutson
. The song was a six minute and fifty second workout which built upon a cinematic feel with its lengthy instrumental though it did feature vocal ad-libs from Hathaway, who played electric piano
on the song, and constant chants of the song, which had a distinguished Afro-Cuban
sound with congas.
The song also featured additional backgrounds, dialogue from what sound like men talking on a street corner and a baby crying before Hathaway ended the song with frenetic hand claps.
When originally released in 1970, the song became a modest charted single peaking at number eighty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100
and number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart
.
The song was also featured on Hathaway's revered Live
album in which Hathaway and his musicians played a faster version of the song and later featured Hathaway getting the audience into it singing the final chorus.
Since then, the song has been covered in hip-hop singles, most famously, Too Short's "The Ghetto", which featured Gerald Levert
re-singing the chorus.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul singer Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
's debut album, Everything Is Everything
Everything Is Everything (Donny Hathaway album)
Everything Is Everything is the first studio album by American soul artist Donny Hathaway, which was released on July 1, 1970 on the Atco label. The album was Hathaway's first release after being signed to Atlantic in 1969. Hathaway had already built a reputation early in his life, first as a...
, released as a single in 1970 on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
.
The song was co-written by Hathaway and Leroy Hutson
Leroy Hutson
Leroy Hutson is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of the R&B band, which came to fame vocal group, The Impressions....
. The song was a six minute and fifty second workout which built upon a cinematic feel with its lengthy instrumental though it did feature vocal ad-libs from Hathaway, who played electric piano
Electric piano
An electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
on the song, and constant chants of the song, which had a distinguished Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cuban
The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
sound with congas.
The song also featured additional backgrounds, dialogue from what sound like men talking on a street corner and a baby crying before Hathaway ended the song with frenetic hand claps.
When originally released in 1970, the song became a modest charted single peaking at number eighty-seven 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...
and number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart
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,...
.
The song was also featured on Hathaway's revered Live
Live (Donny Hathaway album)
Live is a 1972 live album by American Soul artist Donny Hathaway. It was recorded at two concerts: side one at The Troubadour in Hollywood, and side two at the The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, Manhattan...
album in which Hathaway and his musicians played a faster version of the song and later featured Hathaway getting the audience into it singing the final chorus.
Since then, the song has been covered in hip-hop singles, most famously, Too Short's "The Ghetto", which featured Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert was an American R&B singer. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also a part of LSG, an R&B supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and Levert...
re-singing the chorus.
Personnel
- Donny HathawayDonny HathawayDonny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
: All vocals, spoken dialogue (except for the crying baby), hand claps and electric piano - Instrumentation by assorted musicians
- Master Henry Gibson: conga
- Morris Jennings: drums
- Marshall Hawkins: bass
- Phil Upchurch: guitar
- Richard Powell: percussion
- Written and composed by Donny Hathaway and Leroy Hutson
- Conducted and arranged by Donny Hathaway
- Produced by Donny Hathaway and Ric Powell