Got to Give It Up

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"Got to Give It Up"
No cover available
Single by Marvin Gaye
from the album Live at the London Palladium
Released March 1977
Format 7" single, 12" single
Genre Soul/Funk
Length 11:52
Label Tamla
Writer(s) Marvin Gaye
Producer(s) Marvin Gaye, Art Stewart
Chart positions
Marvin Gaye singles chronology
"After The Dance"
(1976)		 "Got to Give It Up"
(1977)		 "Pops We Love You" (w/Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder & Smokey Robinson)
(1978)
"Got to Give It Up"
"Got to Give It Up" cover
Single by Aaliyah
from the album One in a Million
B-side(s) No Days Go By
Released 1996 (UK)
December 1998 (U.S.)
Format CD
Recorded 1995
Genre R&B
Length 4:02 (Radio Edit) / 4:41 (Album Version)
Label Blackground/Atlantic Records
Writer(s) M.Gaye
Producer(s) Kay Gee
Chart positions
Aaliyah singles chronology
"The Thing I Like"
(1995)		 "Got To Give It Up"
(1996)		 "If Your Girl Only Knew"
(1996)

"Got to Give It Up" is a 1977 hit single recorded by American soul music legend Marvin Gaye. The song held the number one position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for one week, from June 18, 1977 to June 25. It replaced "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, and was replaced by "Gonna Fly Now" by Bill Conti. On the R&B Singles Charts it held the number one spot for five weeks on April 30, until June 17, 1977 (being interrupted twice at the number one position for one week by "Whodonit" by Tavares for the week of May 21, 1977 and Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" for the week of May 28, 1977 respectively).

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] About the song

The song, solely written by the singer and co-produced with Art Stewart, is about a man who was too shy to get on the floor and dance. But the groove allows him to lose himself in the music allowing a need for escape.

Initially "Got To Give It Up" in its 11-minutes-plus version was included as the final side of his 1977 double-album live collection, Live at the London Palladium (number three pop, number one R&B). The song was issued as an edited four minutes-plus-release, titled "Got To Give It Up (Part 1)", and became Gaye's biggest hit with sales exceeding two million copies since his seminal 1973 anthem, "Let's Get It On". The single reached number one simultaneously on Billboard's Pop, R&B and Dance singles charts. Gaye became one of the few soul icons to find modest success in the disco field, as did another Motown icon, Diana Ross, with the song "Love Hangover". The song helped Gaye's live album, Live at the London Palladium, which also featured the song in its full entirety, reach the top five of the albums chart and helped it become one of the best-selling albums of that year while "Got To Give It Up" was one of the best-selling singles of that year.

The song became a precursor to the familiar percussion-led, falsetto-sung, party-fill atmosphere of Michael Jackson's 1979 hit "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough". The chant "Let's dance/let's shout/get funky what it's all about!", appearing in the latter part of the original track, was also appropriated for the chorus of The Jacksons' 1979 hit "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)".

[edit] Musicians

The song was originally recorded in a twelve minute version, and was edited to four and a half minutes for its single release. Featured on the recording were Ernie Banks on drums, Frankie Beverly of Maze, on percussion and Gaye himself playing keyboards, RMI synthesizer bass, and a glass bottle filled half way with grapefruit juice.

"Got To Give It Up" was mostly sung by Gaye on both lead and background. Marvin's brother Frankie Gaye and Janis Hunter, who would become Gaye's second wife, provided background vocals.

[edit] Aaliyah Version

Aaliyah's cover version of Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" features a rap from Slick Rick, and was included on her 1996 album One in a Million. It was released as the first single in the UK. Aaliyah's version of "Got to Give It Up" failed to chart in the U.S. when it was released there in December 1998, but it was a minor hit in the UK peaking at number 37 in the UK Singles Chart. The single's b-side, "No Days Go By", was one of Aaliyah's few self-compositions. An alternate mix of Aaliyah's "Got to Give It Up" (without Slick Rick's vocals) was included on her posthumous 2002 compilation album I Care 4 U.

[edit] Additional cover versions

"Got to Give it Up" has been covered by R&B group Zhane and also by rock music group The Dirtbombs on their album Ultraglide in Black.

[edit] Trivia

  • Marvin overdubbed dialogue from outside his recording studio to match the "disco" feel of the song.
  • Marvin's original title for "Got to Give It Up" was "Dancin' Lady".
  • Marvin was inspired to write "Got to Give It Up" after Johnnie Taylor released "Disco Lady".
  • Part two of "Got to Give It Up" was mostly an instrumental with several ad-libs by the singer.
  • The song is included on the soundtrack to the 1999 film Summer of Sam.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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This article has been tagged since January 2007.
Preceded by
"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac		 Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Marvin Gaye version)
June 25, 1977		 Succeeded by
"Gonna Fly Now (Theme From "Rocky")" by Bill Conti
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