"Express Yourself" was written by Charles Wright and Michael Snyder and performed by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. It became their signature song after its release in 1970 on their album, Express Yourself.[1] The song was produced by Wright.[2]
| "Express Yourself" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band | ||||
| from the album Express Yourself | ||||
| B-side | "Living on Borrowed Time" | |||
| Released | August 1970 | |||
| Recorded | 1970 | |||
| Genre | R&B, funk, soul | |||
| Length | 3:51 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Charles Wright | |||
| Producer(s) | Charles Wright | |||
| Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also their biggest hit on the U.S. R&B chart, reaching #3.[3][4]
The single was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1971, losing to The Delfonics song "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" and ranked #57 on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970.[5]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[6] | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| U.S. R&B | 3 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 17 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[7] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Covers and samples
edit- Idris Muhammad on his 1971 album, Black Rhythm Revolution![8]
- N.W.A sampled it in their 1989 song also titled "Express Yourself". It reached #40 on the U.S. R&B chart and #50 on the UK Singles Chart.[9] and was featured on their 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton.[10]
- Kurtis Blow on his 1988 album, Back by Popular Demand.
- Saccharine Trust on their 1989 album, Past Lives.[11]
- Roger and Fu-Schnickens on the 1993 soundtrack album Addams Family Values: Music from the Motion Picture.
- The House Jacks, for Tommy Boy Records, on their 1997 album, Funkwich.[12]
- Francis Rocco Prestia on his 1999 album, ...Everybody on the Bus with vocals by Tamara Champlin.[13]
- Snooks Eaglin on his 2002 album The Way It Is with Jon Cleary.[14]
- Jason Mraz in Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
- Tinchy Stryder sampled it on his 2009 album, Catch 22 on the song "Express Urself".[15]
- Labrinth sampled it on the track "Express Yourself" from his 2012 album Electronic Earth.[16] The song reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart.[17]
In popular culture
edit- Fu-Schnickens - over the end credits of the 1993 film Addams Family Values.[18]
- The 2000 film Remember the Titans.[19]
- Remix by Mocean Worker - during the end credits of the 2005 film Guess Who.[20]
- During the fight scene in the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.[21]
- Labrinth, in a 2012 commercial for Windows 8.[22]
- Teaser trailer for the 2017 film The Emoji Movie.[23]
- Cheaper By the Dozen (2005)
- The 1999 documentary One Day in September.[24]
- The BMW i5 commercial in 2024.
References
edit- ^ Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Express Yourself Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Express Yourself" single release Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Weiss, Jeff (2014-12-17). "Watts Soul Legend Charles Wright's "Mistake" Turned Into "Express Yourself"". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- ^ Hudak, Joseph. "Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, 'You're So Beautiful' - 20 R&B Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s You Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1970". Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1970-10-24. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "British single certifications – Charles Wright/Watts 103Rd St – Express Yourself". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ Idris Muhammad, Black Rhythm Revolution! Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ N.W.A., "Express Yourself" chart positions Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Saccharine Trust, Past Lives Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ The House Jacks, Funkwich Archived 2015-05-29 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Francis Rocco Prestia, ...Everybody on the Bus Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Snooks Eaglin, The Way It Is Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Tinchy Stryder, Catch 22 Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Labrinth, Electronic Earth Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Labrinth, "Express Yourself" chart position Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Addams Family Values soundtrack Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Remember the Titans soundtrack Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Guess Who soundtrack Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Mr. & Mrs. Smith soundtrack Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ Retrieved April 17, 2018
- ^ "The Emoji Movie" soundtrack Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ^ One Day in September soundtrack Retrieved October 3, 2023.
