If I Were Your Woman by Gladys Knight & the Pips

Album: If I Were Your Woman (1970)

Charted: 9

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Songfacts®:

This was written by Pam Sawyer and Gloria Jones, who were talking over lunch about various women's issues when they got the idea for this song. The women's liberation movement was gaining momentum, and the song explored how women could be committed in their relationships while remaining strong and independent.
Sawyer and Jones brought the song to Motown producer Clay McMurray, who took over from Norman Whitfield as producer of Gladys Knight & the Pips. Whitfield loved the song and told McMurray it would be a hit. >>
Suggestion credit:
Tenacious Peaches - Butterwings Bay, GA, for above 2
Gloria Jones was also a performer and recorded the original version of "Tainted Love." She wrote under the name La Verne Ware because you were not supposed to be a singer and songwriter when she started in the business.

Comments: 9

George from Vancouver, CanadaFunny how Sullivan censored Elvis' hips, but played this song of lesbian love in its entirety.
Paul from FloridaHearing this again~great production and performance. Props to ALL. That bass line (James Jamerson) was a monster!
Aiken Nutz from Tahlequah OkGladys & Her Pips recording is still special to me. In 1970, it was my wife Tootie's favorite song. Now, after many decades have passed, me & my wife heard it over the Walmart sound system yesterday. What a nice surprise. Gladys gave such an emotional vocalization to the song. We still love it. It was a huge hit in the Kansas City area where we lived in 1970. Thank you, Gladys & your Pips, wherever you are.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyJust an added fact to the next post below; the 'Sullivan' show of February 7th, 1971 was broadcasted live; four months later on June 6th, 1971 a tape of this episode was aired, it would be the last 'Sullivan' broadcast*...
* The first episode was on June 20, 1948; ran for 24 seasons with a total of 1,069 original episodes.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 7th 1971, Gladys Knight & the Pips performed "If I Were Your Woman" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'; and on that very same day the song peaked at #9 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart {See the next post below}.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 7th 1971, "If I Were Your Woman" by Gladys Knight and the Pips peaked at #9 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 22nd, 1970 at position #86 and spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
And on January 17th, 1971 it reached #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
It was the group's 3rd of eight #1 records on the R&B Singles chart between 1961 and 1974...
Ms. Knight will celebrated her 70th birthday in three months on May 28th (2014).
Bubblesk from Memphis, TnIn 1970 I was 5 yrs old and fell in love with this song on the radio. It was this song that introduced me to Gladys Knight and The Pimps. My Mom said she bought their first record (Every Beat of My Heart) back in the late 1950s! I was surprised they started that far back. They have so many huge hits that I love to this day. I don't know if they still perform, but I still love GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIMPS.
John from Nashville, TnThis song earned Gladys Knight & The Pips their second Grammy nomination in the category of BEST R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE BY A GROUP OR DUO. They lost to the Delfonics Philly Soul Classic "Didn't I Blow Your Mind (This Time)"
Kenneth from Cleveland, OhGladys Knight did not want to sing this song because the singer in the lyrics is "the other woman". Berry Gordy had to persuade her to sing it by betting her it would be a hit. He was right and won the bet!

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