Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves

"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves"
Four different single covers
Single by Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
from the album Be Yourself Tonight and Who's Zoomin' Who?
Released	October 1985
Format	7" single, 12" single, cassette single
Recorded	1985
Genre	Pop rock, soul
Length	5:52 (album version) 4:29 (single version)
Label	RCA Records
Writer(s)	Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart
Producer(s)	David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" (1985) "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (1985) "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" (1986)
Aretha Franklin chronology "Who's Zoomin' Who" (1985) "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (1985) "Another Night" (1986) Music video "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" by Eurythmics on YouTube

"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a 1985 song recorded as a duet by the British pop duo Eurythmics and American soul/R&B singer Aretha Franklin. It was released as a single by RCA Records in October 1985, and was featured on both Eurythmics' Be Yourself Tonight and Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who? albums.

Background

"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is considered to be a modern feminist anthem and was written by Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They had originally intended to duet with Tina Turner, who was unavailable at the time and so the duo approached Aretha Franklin instead.

The song was highly successful, reaching #9 on the UK Singles Chart and #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

The track also features three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers; Stan Lynch on drums, Benmont Tench on organ, and Mike Campbell on lead guitar, plus session bassist Nathan East.

Music video

This music video was taped at Detroit's Music Hall. The video is interspersed with clips from old black and white films, including 1962's A Kind of Loving. The video uses the single version of the song, as opposed to the album version.

Track listings

7"

• A: "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" (7" Version) - 4:35
• B: "I Love You Like A Ball And Chain" (LP Version) - 4:08

12"

• A1: "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" (LP Version) - 5:54
• B1: "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" (ET Mix) - 7:53
• B2: "I Love You Like A Ball And Chain" (LP Version) - 4:08

Cover versions

• The song was performed by the cartoon character Lisa Simpson (as sung by actress Yeardley Smith) along with the Wilson sisters and Lisa's aunts Patty and Selma Bouvier on The Yellow Album released in 1998.
• In 2005, The Pointer Sisters recorded a cover version of the song with Belgian singer Natalia. The single was released only in Belgium in October 2005 and reached number two on the Belgian singles chart.
• Dutch singer Raffaëla Paton, winner of the 3rd season of the reality series Idols Netherlands, recorded a cover of the song with Idols runner-up Floortje Smit. Their rendition was included on Paton's 2006 debut album Raffaëla.
• Hazell Dean recorded a cover version of this song with American Diva Marina in 1998 on MRK Records.^[1]

Live cover performances

• In 1986 Kylie Minogue and Dannii Minogue performed a cover of the song on Australian TV Show Young Talent Time.^[2]
• In 1998 the Spice Girls performed a live cover version of the song on their Spiceworld Tour, as a duet between Melanie C (Sporty Spice) and Mel B (Scary Spice). They also performed it on TFI Friday.
• In 2011 Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson & Yolanda Adams covered this song at 53rd Grammy Awards.

References in other media

• On an episode of The Simpsons, Milhouse Van Houten sang a line from the song while playing with Bart Simpson in drag.
• The song was performed by Xena (as played by Lucy Lawless) and the Amazons on the Xena, Warrior Princess episode, "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire".
• The song is used during a scene in The First Wives Club.
• The song was also used in scenes with Christina Applegate of an episode of Married... with Children.
• The song is referenced in the Red Dwarf episode "Krytie TV", in which Kryten, a droid who has been re-classified as a woman announces "If you need me, I'll be with my fellow sisters, doing it for ourselves!"
• This song was also sung by Miranda Hart in her sitcom Miranda in the episode "Let's Do It".
• In a Bea strip in the 2004 Dennis The Menace annual, Bea sings this song.

Chart performance

References

External links

• Youtube - Music video
• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Aretha Franklin Studio albums Columbia Aretha (1961) The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962) The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin (1962) Laughing on the Outside (1963) Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington (1964) Runnin' Out of Fools (1964) Yeah!!! (1965) Soul Sister (1966) Take It Like You Give It (1967) Take a Look (1967) Soft and Beautiful (1969) Atlantic I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967) Aretha Arrives (1967) Lady Soul (1968) Aretha Now (1968) Soul '69 (1969) This Girl's in Love with You (1970) Spirit in the Dark (1970) Young, Gifted and Black (1972) Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) (1973) Let Me in Your Life (1974) With Everything I Feel in Me (1974) You (1975) Sparkle (1976) Sweet Passion (1977) Almighty Fire (1978) La Diva (1979) Arista Aretha (1980) Love All the Hurt Away (1981) Jump to It (1982) Get It Right (1983) Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) Aretha (1986) Through the Storm (1989) What You See Is What You Sweat (1991) A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998) So Damn Happy (2003) RCA Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics (2014) Other Songs of Faith (1956) This Christmas, Aretha (2008) Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011) Live albums Aretha in Paris (1968) Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971) Amazing Grace (1972) One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (1987) Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly, 1972 (2007) Compilation albums Aretha's Gold (1969) Aretha's Greatest Hits (1971) The Best of Aretha Franklin (1973) Aretha Sings the Blues (1980) Greatest Hits: 1980–1994 (1994) Greatest Hits (1998) Aretha's Best (2001) Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul (2007) Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen (2007) A Deeper Love: The Best of Aretha Franklin (2009) The Great American Songbook (2011) Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin (1980-1998) (2012) Box sets Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings (1992/2014) Take A Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia (2011) Singles "Precious Lord (Part 1)" (1959) "Today I Sing the Blues" (1960) "Won't Be Long" (1960) "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (1961) "Operation Heartbreak" (1961) "I Surrender, Dear" (1962) "Try a Little Tenderness" (1962) "Say It Isn't So" (1963) "Skylark" (1963) "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (1964) "One Step Ahead" (1965) "You Made Me Love You" (1965) "Mockingbird" (1967) "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967) "Respect" (1967) "Baby I Love You" (1967) "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967) "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" "Chain of Fools" (1967) "Satisfaction" (1968) "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (1968) "Think" (1968) "You Send Me" (1968) "The House That Jack Built" (1968) "I Say a Little Prayer" (1968) "See Saw" (1968) "My Song" (1968) "The Weight" (1969) "Tracks of My Tears" (1969) "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" (1969) "Gentle on My Mind" (1969) "Share Your Love with Me" (1969) "Eleanor Rigby" (1969) "Call Me" (1970) "Son of a Preacher Man" (1970) "Spirit in the Dark" (1970) "The Thrill Is Gone" (1970) "Don't Play That Song" (1970) "Border Song (Holy Moses)" (1970) "You're All I Need to Get By" (1971) "Bridge over Troubled Water" (1971) "Spanish Harlem" (1971) "Rock Steady" (1971) "Day Dreaming" (1972) "Wholy Holy" (1972) "Angel" (1973) "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" (1973) "I'm in Love" (1974) "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1974) "Something He Can Feel" (1976) "Break It to Me Gently" (1977) "What a Fool Believes" (1981) "It's My Turn" (1981) "Jump to It" (1982) "Get It Right" (1983) "Freeway of Love" (1985) "Who's Zoomin' Who" (1985) "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (1985) "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986) "Jimmy Lee" (1986) "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987) "Oh Happy Day" (1988) "Gimme Your Love" (1989) "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (1989) "Everyday People" (1991) "Someday We'll All Be Free" (1992) "A Deeper Love" (1993) "A Rose Is Still a Rose" (1998) "Here We Go Again" (1998) "Put You Up on Game" (2007) "Rolling in the Deep (The Aretha Version)" (2014) Record labels Columbia Atlantic Arista Related topics Discography Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) (Tribute song by Scritti Politti) Book:Aretha Franklin

Eurythmics Annie Lennox David A. Stewart Studio albums In the Garden Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Touch Be Yourself Tonight Revenge Savage We Too Are One Peace Other albums Touch Dance 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) Live 1983–1989 Compilations Greatest Hits Ultimate Collection Boxed Singles "Never Gonna Cry Again" "Belinda" "This Is the House" "The Walk" "Love Is a Stranger" "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" "Who's That Girl?" "Right by Your Side" "Here Comes the Rain Again" "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" "Julia" "Would I Lie to You?" "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" "When Tomorrow Comes" "Thorn in My Side" "The Miracle of Love" "Missionary Man" "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)" "Shame" "I Need a Man" "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" "Revival" "Don't Ask Me Why" "The King and Queen of America" "Angel" "(My My) Baby's Gonna Cry" "Sweet Dreams '91" "I Saved the World Today" "17 Again" "I've Got a Life" Videography Sweet Dreams Live Savage We Two Are One Too Greatest Hits Peacetour Ultimate Collection Related articles Discography The Tourists Book:Eurythmics

The Pointer Sisters Anita Pointer Ruth Pointer Sadako Johnson Bonnie Pointer June Pointer Issa Pointer Studio albums The Pointer Sisters That's a Plenty Steppin' Having a Party Energy Priority Special Things Black & White So Excited! Break Out Contact Hot Together Serious Slammin' Right Rhythm Only Sisters Can Do That Live albums Live at the Opera House Compilation albums The Best of the Pointer Sisters Singles "Yes We Can Can" "Wang Dang Doodle" "Steam Heat" "Fairytale" "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" "Fire" "He's So Shy" "Slow Hand" "I'm So Excited" "Automatic" "Jump (for My Love)" "Neutron Dance" "Dare Me" Related topics Discography Book:The Pointer Sisters