Let's Stay Together (Al Green song)

"Let's Stay Together" is a song by American singer Al Green from his 1972 album of the same name. It was produced and recorded by Willie Mitchell, and mixed by Mitchell and Terry Manning. Released as a single in 1971, "Let's Stay Together" reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks and also topped Billboard's R&B chart for nine weeks.[1] Billboard ranked it as the number 11 song of 1972.[2]

"Let's Stay Together"
A-side label of US vinyl single
Single by Al Green
from the album Let's Stay Together
B-side"Tomorrow's Dream"
ReleasedNovember 1971
Recorded1971
GenreSoul
Length3:18
LabelHi (2202)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Willie Mitchell
Al Green singles chronology
"Tired of Being Alone"
(1971)		 "Let's Stay Together"
(1971)		 "Look What You Done for Me"
(1972)
Audio sample
"Let's Stay Together"
  • file
  • help

It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine on their 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[3] and has been covered by numerous other performers, most notably Tina Turner.

It was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4] The song went on to claim the number 1 position on the Billboard Year-End chart as an R&B song for 1972.

In 1999, the 1971 recording on Hi Records by Al Green was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[5]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[11] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[12] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[13] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Tina Turner version
"Let's Stay Together"
Single picture sleeve
Single by Tina Turner
from the album Private Dancer
B-side"I Wrote a Letter"
ReleasedNovember 7, 1983 (1983-11-07) (UK)[14]
January 1984 (US)[15]
Recorded1983
GenreNew wave[16]
Length3:36 (Single Version)
5:14 (Album Version)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Tina Turner singles chronology
"Ball of Confusion"
(1982)		 "Let's Stay Together"
(1983)		 "Help!"
(1984)
Music video
"Let's Stay Together" on YouTube
Audio sample
"Let's Stay Together"
  • file
  • help

"Let's Stay Together" was later covered by Tina Turner, her second collaboration with the British Heaven 17 and British Electric Foundation production team after "Ball of Confusion" in 1982, and served as her comeback single in late 1983. Unlike Al Green's version, Turner sings verse 2 first, then verse 1 when the band starts playing.

Released by Capitol Records in November 1983, the single charted at number 6 in the UK (one place higher than Al Green's original) and became the third time she reached the UK top ten, the first two being with former husband Ike Turner on "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Nutbush City Limits". Following the US release in January 1984,[15] the single reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart.[17][18]

At the time, the song was the most successful solo single Turner had released. It was included on her multi-platinum selling album Private Dancer, released a few months later in the spring of 1984. The music video was directed by David Mallet. The cover photography was by Norman Seeff.

Personnel

Production

  • Greg Walsh – producer & engineer
  • Martyn Ware – producer
  • Walter Samuel – engineer
  • Alan Yoshida – mastering
  • Akira Taguchi – compilation producer
  • Sam Gay – creative director
  • Roy Kohara – art direction
  • John O'Brien – design
  • Peter Ashworth – photography
  • Roger Davies – management
  • Chip Lightman – management

Track listing and formats
  • 7" single
  1. "Let's Stay Together" – 3:36
  2. "I Wrote a Letter" – 3:24
  • 12" single
  1. "Let's Stay Together" (Extended Version) – 5:14
  2. "I Wrote a Letter" – 3:24

Charts and certifications

Other cover versions

"Let's Stay Together" has been covered by:

Appearance in other media

The song has been used in the films:

The song has been featured in various television shows:

  • It was performed in an episode of Ally McBeal (1997–2002).
  • The song has featured twice in the UK version of Stars in Their Eyes. The first, notably by soul and swing singer George Anthony in 1998's episode 4 and also the series 9 Grand Final in the same year.
  • An instrumental version of the song appears in episode 23 of the anime adaptation of Monster (Japanese on September 8, 2004, and English on January 4, 2010).
  • It was parodied by The Fringemunks to recap Fringe episode 2.06, "Earthling" (November 5, 2009).[48]
  • It was played in the Parks and Recreation episode "Road Trip" (May 12, 2011). During Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt's road trip, as assigned by Chris Traeger, they listen to a series of unusual songs, until Let's Stay Together plays. It is later confirmed that Ann Perkins had burned the song in order to get them together.
  • In 2011 Kermit Ruffins and his band cover the song in season 2, episode 9 "What Is New Orleans?" of the HBO series Treme.
  • United States President Barack Obama performed a brief phrase of the song during an appearance at the Apollo Theater in New York City on January 19, 2012, for a campaign fundraiser that included Al Green as an opening act.[49] In the week following, sales of Green's recording of the song increased by 490%.

See also

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 237.
  2. Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
  3. "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2003. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  4. "The National Recording Registry 2010". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  5. "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  6. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  7. "Al Green Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  8. "Al Green Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  9. "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972" Archived April 27, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Music Outfitters.
  10. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1972". cashboxmagazine.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  11. "Italian single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 25, 2020. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Let's Stay Together" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  12. "British single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  13. "American single certifications – Al Green – Let's Stay Together". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  14. "British release date".
  15. "Feature Picks: Black Contemporary" (PDF). Cash Box: 9. January 14, 1984. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  16. Rolling Stone Staff (May 24, 2023). "Tina Turner: 15 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023. They signed Turner and put her back in the studio with Heaven 17's Martin Ware to cut a New Wave take on Al Green's classic "Let's Stay Together".
  17. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 265.
  18. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 593.
  19. David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australia: St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  21. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4454." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  22. "Singlet 1983-12 joulukuu" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  23. "Tina Turner – Top Titel" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  24. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Let's Stay Together". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  25. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  26. "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  27. "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  28. "Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  29. "Tina Turner: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  30. "Tina Turner Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  31. "Tina Turner Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  32. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1984). "Top 100 singles: 1983". BPI Year Book 1984. British Phonographic Industry. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0-906154-04-9.
  33. "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on July 10, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  34. "Top Selling Singles of 1984". RIANZ. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  35. "The Year in Music: 1984" (PDF). Billboard. December 22, 1984. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  36. "British single certifications – Tina Turner – Let's Stay Together". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  37. Margie Joseph – Margie Joseph (1973) album Archived January 17, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  38. [Al Jarreau – Call Me (1979) album] at Discogs
  39. The Rippingtons (May 15, 1989). ""Tourist in Paradise 1989" from". Answers.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  40. The Memphis Horns – Flame Out (1992) album Archived November 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  41. Bobby Ross Avila Into My Life (1995) album Archived October 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine at Discogs
  42. album Archived June 8, 2019, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  43. Ms. Marilyn Marshall – Hold On (1999) album Archived April 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine at AllMusic
  44. "Night on the Town – Eric Darius" from Billboard.com.
  45. Various – GAP – Favorite Songs (Fall 2005) album Archived February 21, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at Discogs
  46. "Shake/ Let's Stay Together". iTunes Australia. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  47. "Surf Music and Seventies Soul: The Songs of 'Pulp Fiction'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  48. "Fringemunks Web site". Davidwumusic.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  49. Michael A. Memoli (January 20, 2012). "Obama, crooner in chief, sings some Al Green at N.Y. fundraiser". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
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