"The Nitty Gritty" is a 1963 song written by Lincoln Chase and recorded by Shirley Ellis. Released by Congress Records, it reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964.[2] In Canada it was No. 19 for 2 weeks.[3][4]
"The Nitty Gritty" | ||||
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Single by Shirley Ellis | ||||
from the album The Nitty Gritty | ||||
B-side | "Give Me a List" | |||
Released | 1963 | |||
Genre | R&B, novelty | |||
Length | 2:12 | |||
Label | Congress | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lincoln Chase | |||
Producer(s) | Hutch Davie | |||
Shirley Ellis singles chronology | ||||
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"The Nitty Gritty" | ||||
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Single by Gladys Knight & the Pips | ||||
from the album Nitty Gritty | ||||
B-side | "Got Myself a Man" | |||
Released | June 26, 1969 | |||
Recorded | 1969 | |||
Studio | Motown | |||
Genre | R&B[1] | |||
Length | 2:59 | |||
Label | Soul Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lincoln Chase | |||
Producer(s) | Norman Whitfield | |||
Gladys Knight & the Pips singles chronology | ||||
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Cover versions
edit- Motown released a version of "The Nitty Gritty" by Gladys Knight & The Pips in mid-1969 on its Soul imprint. It reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the soul chart.[5] In Canada it reached No. 27.[6]
- A version by Diana Ross & The Supremes can be found on the 2001 edition of their album, Anthology
- Southern Culture on the Skids covered it on the Dirt Track Date album.
Popular culture
edit- A televised performance of the dance associated with the song by Robert Banas, recorded for a January 1964 episode of The Judy Garland Show, has had more than 18 million views on YouTube, 60 years after its original airing.[7]
References
edit- ^ Considine, J.D.; Coleman, Mark; Evans, Paul; McGee, David (1992). "Gladys Knight and the Pips". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Random House. pp. 163–164.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 205.
- ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - December 30, 1963".
- ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - January 6, 1964".
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 330.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - August 30, 1969" (PDF).
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Best 60s Dancer Boy Ever - The Nitty Gritty. YouTube.