Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
| "Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Gap Band | ||||
| from the album The Gap Band III | ||||
| A-side | "Yearning for Your Love" | |||
| B-side |
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| Released | 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 4:11 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor | |||
| The Gap Band singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" (TopPop, 1981) on YouTube | ||||
"Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" is a song originally performed by The Gap Band in 1980 and written by member Charlie Wilson and producer Lonnie Simmons.
Song Background
The song's lyrics refer to abandonment by a lover. The phrase "Burn Rubber on Me" itself refers to said woman driving off while her lover is away.[1] The narrative is continued in "Early in the Morning".
Chart Performance
In 1981, it peaked at number eighty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was a number one hit on the R&B charts.[2] Billboard magazine ranked it as the 12th biggest R&B single of 1981. A later single released, featuring "Humpin'" on the B-side, scored a #19 appearance on the dance charts.[3]
Releases
All releases are in the U.S. unless indicated:
- 7" single
- 12" single
- 7" with "Nothing Comes to Sleepers" on the B-side
- 7" with "Baby Baba Boogie" from 1979's The Gap Band on the B-side
- 7" with "Yearning for Your Love" on the A-side
- Album, "Gap Band III" (1980), along with a radio edit and 8 other songs
All the releases can be checked at Discogs[4]
Samples
- Pop singer George Michael sampled the song for his 1997 single "Star People '97".
References
- ^ Lyrics
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 223.
- ^ Chart History
- ^ Discogs Archived April 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine