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"'''The Ghetto'''" is a socially conscious, mostly instrumental jazz-flavored anthem, released as the first single off [[United States|American]] soul singer [[Donny Hathaway]]'s debut album, ''[[Everything Is Everything (Donny Hathaway album)|Everything Is Everything]]'', released as a single in 1969 on [[Atlantic Records]].
"'''The Ghetto'''" is a socially conscious, mostly instrumental jazz-flavored anthem, released as the first single off [[United States|American]] soul singer [[Donny Hathaway]]'s debut album, ''[[Everything Is Everything (Donny Hathaway album)|Everything Is Everything]]'', released as a single in 1969 on [[Atlantic Records]].


The song was co-written by Hathaway and [[Leroy Hutson]]. The song was a 6 minute and 50 second extravaganza which built upon a cinematic feel with its lengthy instrumental though it did feature vocal [[ad-lib]]s from Hathaway, who played [[Wurlitzer electric piano]] on the song, and constant chants of the song, which had a distinctive [[Afro-Cuban]] sound with [[conga]]s.
The song was co-written by Hathaway and [[Leroy Hutson]]. The song was a 6 minute and 50 second extravaganza which built upon a cinematic feel with its lengthy instrumental though it did feature vocal [[ad-lib]]s from Hathaway, who played [[Wurlitzer electronic piano]] on the song, and constant chants of the song, which had a distinctive [[Afro-Cuban]] sound with [[conga]]s.


The song also featured additional backgrounds, dialogue from what sound like men talking on a street corner and a baby crying - that baby being Hathaway's own daughter [[Lalah Hathaway|Lalah]] before Hathaway ended the song with frenetic hand claps.
The song also featured additional backgrounds, dialogue from what sound like men talking on a street corner and a baby crying - that baby being Hathaway's own daughter [[Lalah Hathaway|Lalah]] before Hathaway ended the song with frenetic hand claps.
Line 38: Line 38:
Co-writer [[Leroy Hutson]] recorded a version of the song entitled "The Ghetto '74" for his album ''[[The Man!]]'' (1973). Since then, the song has been covered in hip-hop singles, most famously, [[Too Short]]'s "[[The Ghetto (Too Short song)|The Ghetto]]", which featured [[Gerald Levert]] re-singing the chorus.
Co-writer [[Leroy Hutson]] recorded a version of the song entitled "The Ghetto '74" for his album ''[[The Man!]]'' (1973). Since then, the song has been covered in hip-hop singles, most famously, [[Too Short]]'s "[[The Ghetto (Too Short song)|The Ghetto]]", which featured [[Gerald Levert]] re-singing the chorus.


[[George Benson]], accompanied by pianist [[Joe Sample]], covered the song in his album ''[[Absolute Benson]]''.
[[George Benson]], accompanied by keyboardist [[Joe Sample]], covered the song in his album ''[[Absolute Benson]]''.


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
*[[Donny Hathaway]]: lead vocals, [[Wurlitzer electric piano]], bass
*[[Donny Hathaway]]: lead vocals, [[Wurlitzer electronic piano]], bass
*Eulalah Hathaway: background vocals
*Eulalah Hathaway: background vocals
*[[Henry Gibson (percussionist)|Master Henry Gibson]]: [[conga]] solo
*[[Henry Gibson (percussionist)|Master Henry Gibson]]: [[conga]] solo

Revision as of 03:18, 27 April 2021

"The Ghetto"
Single by Donny Hathaway
from the album Everything Is Everything
A-side"The Ghetto, Pt. 1"
B-side"The Ghetto, Pt. 2"
Released1969
Recorded1969
GenreSoul jazz
Length6:50
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Donny Hathaway & Leroy Hutson
Producer(s)Donny Hathaway & Ric Powell
Donny Hathaway singles chronology
"I Wanna Thank You Baby"
(1969)
"The Ghetto"
(1969)
"You've Got a Friend"
(1971)

"The Ghetto" is a socially conscious, mostly instrumental jazz-flavored anthem, released as the first single off American soul singer Donny Hathaway's debut album, Everything Is Everything, released as a single in 1969 on Atlantic Records.

The song was co-written by Hathaway and Leroy Hutson. The song was a 6 minute and 50 second extravaganza which built upon a cinematic feel with its lengthy instrumental though it did feature vocal ad-libs from Hathaway, who played Wurlitzer electronic piano on the song, and constant chants of the song, which had a distinctive Afro-Cuban sound with congas.

The song also featured additional backgrounds, dialogue from what sound like men talking on a street corner and a baby crying - that baby being Hathaway's own daughter Lalah before Hathaway ended the song with frenetic hand claps.

When originally released in 1969, the song became a modest charted single, peaking at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.[1]

The song was also featured on Hathaway's revered Live album in which Hathaway and his musicians played a faster version of the song and later featured Hathaway getting the audience into it singing the final chorus. The song was also used in the 1977 film Short Eyes.

Co-writer Leroy Hutson recorded a version of the song entitled "The Ghetto '74" for his album The Man! (1973). Since then, the song has been covered in hip-hop singles, most famously, Too Short's "The Ghetto", which featured Gerald Levert re-singing the chorus.

George Benson, accompanied by keyboardist Joe Sample, covered the song in his album Absolute Benson.

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 247.