Bring the Boys Home

"Bring the Boys Home" is a song recorded by rhythm and blues singer Freda Payne in 1971 during the Vietnam War era. It was an anti-war song that was aimed at the sending of troops to fight in an increasingly unpopular war.

"Bring The Boys Home"
Single by Freda Payne
from the album Contact
B-side"I Shall Not Be Moved"
ReleasedMay 1971
GenreSoul
Length3:08
LabelInvictus Is 9092
Songwriter(s)Angelo Bond, General Johnson, Greg Perry
Producer(s)Greg Perry
Freda Payne singles chronology
"Cherish What Is Dear to You (While It's Near To You)" "Bring The Boys Home" "You Brought the Joy"

Background

The song was produced by Greg Perry and released on the Invictus label. It was backed with "I Shall Not Be Moved".[1] The song came out at a time when soldiers were returning to America dead and in body bags. A higher than normal amount of the soldiers were black. The soldiers were only boys at the age of 20, which was the average age that many of them were killed.[2] In spite of the healthy amount of airplay it received in the US, the US Command from the American Forces Network banned it. The reason given was that it would be of benefit to the enemy. 50,000 copies of the album Contact were pressed before it was added to the album after it became a hit.[3] It replaced "He's In My Life" which was the first track on side 1.[4][5]

The Soul Source section of the May 22 issue of Billboard named it the best new record of the week.[6]

Weekly charts

By July 10, the single had reached number four on the Billboard soul singles chart.[7] The song spent 13 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 12.[8]

Chart performance
Chart (1971) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 12
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard) 8

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 1,008,000[10]

References
  1. Billboard, May 15, 1971 - Page 46 TOP 60 POP SPOTLIGHT
  2. Elsewhere.co.nz, Jul 17, 2014 - Freda Payne: Bring the Boys Home (1971) - Graham Reid
  3. Song Facts - Bring The Boys Home by Freda Payne
  4. Discogs - Freda Payne – Contact
  5. Discogs - Freda Payne – Contact
  6. Billboard, May 22, 1971 - Page 32 Soul, Soul Sauce BEST NEW RECORD OF THE WEEK: "Bring the Boys Home" FREDA PAYNE (Invictus) By ED OCHS
  7. Billboard, July 10, 1971 - 0Page 24 Soul, Best Selling Soul Singles
  8. Billboard - Bring The Boys Home, Freda Payne
  9. "American single certifications – Freda Payne – Bring the Boys Home". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  10. Joseph Murrells (1984). Million Selling Records from the 1900s to the 1980s: An Illustrated Directory. Batsford Books. p. 333. ISBN 0-7134-3843-6.
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