Want Ads
Encyclopedia
"Want Ads" was a R&B/Soul
/Funk
song recorded by Honey Cone
for their third album Sweet Replies
and also appears on their fourth album Soulful Tapestry
(both 1971 releases). The song was written by Greg Perry, Barney Perkins, and General Norman Johnson
, and produced by Greg Perry.
"Want Ads" was released as the first single
off Soulful Tapestry
in the United States in the spring of 1971 (see 1971 in music
). It reached number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100
and topped the R&B singles chart
for three weeks in the United States
, becoming the group's most successful single and their only number one placement on the pop charts.
had written a song for a female singer called "Stick Up," the two decided that the song wasn't substantial as a release so they did a re-write with a change in chord progressions and new lyrics. With the catchy opener "Wanted, young man, single and free," "Want Ads" was born.
The idea for the song started when engineer Barney Perkins, while looking through the classified section of a newspaper, suggested that someone write a song about want ads. Greg Perry, producer and songwriter for the project, felt that the idea might work. The duo brought General Norman Johnson
(leader of Chairmen of the Board) to contribute to the writing. After co-writing "Somebody's Been Sleeping (In My Bed)" (a number eight hit) with Perry for the Hot Wax group 100 Proof Aged in Soul, and proving that his writing skills were adequate, Johnson was allowed to take part in the writing duties on the label.
The song was first recorded by another Hot Wax/Invictus act Scherrie Payne and the Glass House (the group responsible for the top ten Hot 100 single "Crumbs Off the Table") led by Freda Payne
's younger sister Scherrie Payne
. Payne didn't like the song and with Perry being equally unsatisfied with that version, she and Freda recorded the song themselves. Still unsatisfied with the recording, Payne later suggested that lead singer Edna Wright of Honey Cone record it after she had passed through the studio. The initial version of the song, titled "Stick Up," would eventually be recorded and released as the group's follow up to "Want Ads." It would peak at number eleven on the pop charts in August and number one on the R&B charts in September.
This song was covered by Ullanda McCullough
and made into a disco song for her 1979 album "Love Zone" and by Taylor Dayne
in 1988 for her hugely successful debut album Tell It to My Heart
. The song was later used as a sample in "Heaven," Mary Mary
's 2005 lead-off single from their self-titled
third studio album. The single made history breaking and setting records when it remained at number one for nine consecutive weeks on the Billboard Gospel Radio chart back in 2005. Edna Wright also makes a brief cameo appearance at the end of the music video singing along to the chorus and lip-synching to her own sampled vocals.
for three non-consecutive weeks for the week starting May 29, 1971 and after being bumped for one week by Aretha Franklin
's rendition of Simon and Garfunkel
's Bridge over Troubled Water
, the song repositioned at number one for two more weeks starting June 12 through June 19.
The song would go on to receive gold certification selling more than one million units in the U.S. The song's popularity had DJs playing the long version that was available on the Sweet Replies
album. This was rare at the time. The song is said to have been a major contributor to the structure, sound, and grit of the preceding disco movement that would rock the popular music world.
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!align="left" width="220"|Chart (1971)
!align="center"|Peak
position
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|1
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|align="left"|U.S. Billboard R&B singles chart
|align="center"|1
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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...
/Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
song recorded by Honey Cone
Honey Cone
Honey Cone was an American R&B and soul all girl vocal group, who are best remembered for their Billboard #1 hit single, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.-Career:Honey Cone comprised...
for their third album Sweet Replies
Sweet Replies
Reviews for Sweet Replies have been positive. Robert Christgau rated it a B+, stating that "most of this is pure Vandellas." He also stated that the producer "uses every H-D-H [Holland-Dozier-Holland] trick and comes up with a few electronic effects of his own". In a retrospective review, Andrew...
and also appears on their fourth album Soulful Tapestry
Soulful Tapestry
Soulful Tapestry is the third studio album by Girl group the Honey Cone. It was released by Hot Wax/Invictus Records in 1971 .-Album information:...
(both 1971 releases). The song was written by Greg Perry, Barney Perkins, and General Norman Johnson
General Norman Johnson
General Norman Johnson was the frontman of Chairmen of the Board and an American rhythm and blues songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
, and produced by Greg Perry.
"Want Ads" was released as the first single
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...
off Soulful Tapestry
Soulful Tapestry
Soulful Tapestry is the third studio album by Girl group the Honey Cone. It was released by Hot Wax/Invictus Records in 1971 .-Album information:...
in the United States in the spring of 1971 (see 1971 in music
1971 in music
-Events:*February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.*February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music...
). It reached number one for one week 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 topped the R&B 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,...
for three weeks in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, becoming the group's most successful single and their only number one placement on the pop charts.
Song information
Initially, Greg Perry and General Norman JohnsonGeneral Norman Johnson
General Norman Johnson was the frontman of Chairmen of the Board and an American rhythm and blues songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
had written a song for a female singer called "Stick Up," the two decided that the song wasn't substantial as a release so they did a re-write with a change in chord progressions and new lyrics. With the catchy opener "Wanted, young man, single and free," "Want Ads" was born.
The idea for the song started when engineer Barney Perkins, while looking through the classified section of a newspaper, suggested that someone write a song about want ads. Greg Perry, producer and songwriter for the project, felt that the idea might work. The duo brought General Norman Johnson
General Norman Johnson
General Norman Johnson was the frontman of Chairmen of the Board and an American rhythm and blues songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
(leader of Chairmen of the Board) to contribute to the writing. After co-writing "Somebody's Been Sleeping (In My Bed)" (a number eight hit) with Perry for the Hot Wax group 100 Proof Aged in Soul, and proving that his writing skills were adequate, Johnson was allowed to take part in the writing duties on the label.
The song was first recorded by another Hot Wax/Invictus act Scherrie Payne and the Glass House (the group responsible for the top ten Hot 100 single "Crumbs Off the Table") led by Freda Payne
Freda Payne
Freda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in...
's younger sister Scherrie Payne
Scherrie Payne
Scherrie Payne is an American singer. The younger sister of singer/actress Freda Payne, Scherrie Payne was the co-lead singer of The Supremes from 1973 to 1977, after Jean Terrell left the group in the fall of 1973...
. Payne didn't like the song and with Perry being equally unsatisfied with that version, she and Freda recorded the song themselves. Still unsatisfied with the recording, Payne later suggested that lead singer Edna Wright of Honey Cone record it after she had passed through the studio. The initial version of the song, titled "Stick Up," would eventually be recorded and released as the group's follow up to "Want Ads." It would peak at number eleven on the pop charts in August and number one on the R&B charts in September.
This song was covered by Ullanda McCullough
Ullanda McCullough
Ullanda McCullough is a background singer. Ullanda began her singing career at age 13 in Detroit, Michigan. By the early 70's she was singing thousand of jingles including the famous 1971 Coca Cola jingle "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing". By 1975, Ullanda would relocate to New York City where...
and made into a disco song for her 1979 album "Love Zone" and by Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne was born Leslie Wunderman on March 7, 1962 before later adopting her current stage name. She is an American pop vocalist, songwriter, and dance artist. Overall, she has had eighteen individual hit songs reach the top ten in Billboard magazine...
in 1988 for her hugely successful debut album Tell It to My Heart
Tell It to My Heart (album)
Tell It to My Heart is the debut album by singer-songwriter Taylor Dayne. The LP yielded four top-ten singles: "Tell It to My Heart" , "Prove Your Love" , "I'll Always Love You" and "Don't Rush Me" . The album achieved double-platinum sales in the United States.Two covers were issued for the album...
. The song was later used as a sample in "Heaven," Mary Mary
Mary Mary
Mary Mary is an American gospel music duo, consisting of sisters Erica Atkins-Campbell and Tina Atkins-Campbell . The duo are often credited along with Kirk Franklin for broadening the fan base of urban contemporary gospel in the 2000s by introducing elements of soul music, hip hop, funk and jazz...
's 2005 lead-off single from their self-titled
Mary Mary (album)
Mary Mary is the third album by the recording group Mary Mary.- Track listing :# "Believer"# "Biggest, Greatest Thing"# "Heaven" # "The Real Party "# "Save Me"# "Yesterday"# "What Is This"...
third studio album. The single made history breaking and setting records when it remained at number one for nine consecutive weeks on the Billboard Gospel Radio chart back in 2005. Edna Wright also makes a brief cameo appearance at the end of the music video singing along to the chorus and lip-synching to her own sampled vocals.
Chart performance
"Want Ads" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 79 on April 10, 1971. Within nine weeks on the chart, "Want Ads" was at the number one position for the week starting June 12. The song also remained number one on the R&B singles chartHot 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,...
for three non-consecutive weeks for the week starting May 29, 1971 and after being bumped for one week by Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
's rendition of Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
's Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water (song)
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...
, the song repositioned at number one for two more weeks starting June 12 through June 19.
The song would go on to receive gold certification selling more than one million units in the U.S. The song's popularity had DJs playing the long version that was available on the Sweet Replies
Sweet Replies
Reviews for Sweet Replies have been positive. Robert Christgau rated it a B+, stating that "most of this is pure Vandellas." He also stated that the producer "uses every H-D-H [Holland-Dozier-Holland] trick and comes up with a few electronic effects of his own". In a retrospective review, Andrew...
album. This was rare at the time. The song is said to have been a major contributor to the structure, sound, and grit of the preceding disco movement that would rock the popular music world.
Charts
{| width="0%"|- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
{|class="wikitable"
!align="left" width="220"|Chart (1971)
!align="center"|Peak
position
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|1
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard R&B singles chart
|align="center"|1
|-
|}
Credits and personnel
- Lead vocals: Edna Wright
- Background vocals: Shellie Clark, Carolyn Willis
- Engineer: Barney Perkins
See also
- Honey ConeHoney ConeHoney Cone was an American R&B and soul all girl vocal group, who are best remembered for their Billboard #1 hit single, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.-Career:Honey Cone comprised...
- Hot 100 number-one hits of 1971 (USA)Hot 100 number-one hits of 1971 (USA)These are the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1971.-See also:*1971 in music*List of number-one hits *Cashbox Top 100 singles of 1971...
- R&B number-one hits of 1971 (USA)R&B number-one hits of 1971 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1971:-Chart comparisons:*Two songs went to number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Just My Imagination " and "Want Ads."...
External links
See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States)