You Are Everything

"You Are Everything" is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed that was originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics.^[1]

The Stylistics version

An R&B ballad, it was the sixth track from their 1971 debut self-titled album^[2] and was released as a single in 1971 and reached #9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[1][3] In addition, it also climbed to #10 in the Billboard R&B chart^[3] and reached number #24 in the Billboard Easy Listening chart. The Stylistics' recording sold over one million copies globally, earning the band a gold disc^[1] The award was presented by the RIAA on January 3, 1972.^[1] It was the band's first gold disc.^[1]

Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross version

Another cover was by one-time Motown singing duo, Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye. Released as the second UK single from their Diana & Marvin album, the song reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1974.^[4] It also reached #13 on the Dutch charts and #20 on the Irish Singles Chart. It was never released as a single in the U.S.

Covers and samples

The first artists to chart in the UK with this song in early 1973 were The Pearls a 1970s vocal girl duo from Liverpool . It was released on the Bell label and reached number 41 in the Top 50 chart .

Other artists to have covered the song, or referenced it, over the years include:

• Jennifer Lopez - sampled for "The One" on her album This Is Me... Then
• Rod Stewart - featured on his 1991 album Vagabond Heart
• Vanessa L. Williams - featured the song on her album of covers titled Everlasting Love; her version was a hit on Smooth Jazz, Dance and Adult Contemporary charts
• Mary J. Blige - used the title line ("You are everything, and everything is you") in her 1997 hit "Everything," from her album Share My World
• Michael McDonald
• Deborah Cox - sampled for her 1997 single, "Things Just Ain't the Same"
• Pop act 98 Degrees covered the song on their debut album.
• A duet between Gareth Gates and Rachel Stevens of S Club 7
• Lil' Cease - his 1999 album The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo, on a song titled "Everything" feat. 112 (band).
• Former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett sampled the song in her 2006 hit "Torn"
• Mila J - the song titled "Complete" contains ("You are everything, and everything is you")
• Hall & Oates - covered on 2004's Our Kind of Soul
• Human Nature - featured the song on their album Reach Out: The Motown Record
• Craig David - sampled for "Kinda Girl For Me" from the album Trust Me
• Nivea (singer) - sampled for "I Can't Mess With You" from the album Complicated
• David Sanborn - covered on 1980's Love Songs^[5][6]
• Timothy B. Schmit - covered on 2001's Feed the Fire
• Norman Connors - covered on 1977's Romantic Journey
• Regina Belle
• The Chosen Few (reggae group)
• Usher - sampled for the song titled Love in This Club, Pt. II featuring Beyoncé and Lil Wayne, released as a single in 2008 and as part of his album Here I Stand.
• Grasshopper (band) - 1991
• Childish Gambino - sampled for Put It In My Video from the 2010 album CULDESAC

References