Respect Yourself

Album: Be Altitude: Respect Yourself (1971)
Charted: 12
Play Video
  • Lyrics currently unavailable Writer/s: Luther Thomas Ingram, Mack Rice
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Comments: 6

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1971 {December 5th} "Respect Yourself" by The Staple Singers peaked at #2 {for 3 weeks} on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles* chart, for the three weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for those three weeks was "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone...
    As noted above, "Respect Yourself" reached #12 on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    Between 1970 and 1985 the Chicago, Illinois family group had twenty-five records on the Hot Soul Singles chart, ten made the Top 10 with three reaching #1, "I'll Take You There" for four weeks in April of 1972, "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" for three weeks in December of 1973, and "Let's Do It Again" for two non-consecutive weeks in November of 1975...
    The Staple Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018...
    Sadly three members of the group have passed away, Roebuck 'Pops' Staples {1914 – 2000}, Cleotha Staples {1934 - 2013},and Yvonne Staples {1937 - 2018}...
    May all three R.I.P.
    * And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Hot Soul Singles Top 10 on December 5th, 1971:
    At #3. "Rock Steady" by Aretha Franklin
    #4. "Got To Be There" by Michael Jackson
    #5. "Have Yiu Seen Her" by The Chi -Lites
    #6. "Drowning In The Sea of Love" by Joe Simon
    #7. "I'm A Greedy Man (Part 1)" by James Brown
    #8. "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" by The Temptations
    #9. "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar
    #10. "Where Did Our Love Go" by Donnie Elbert
  • Jules from OregonOriginal is a fantastic that never gets old. Bruce Willis butchered it.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 25, 1973 the Staple Singers performed "Respect Yourself" on the NBC-TV network late-night musical program 'The Midnight Special'....
    Nineteen months earlier on October 10th, 1971 "Respect Yourself" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at #82; ten weeks later it would peak at #12 {for 1 week}, and it spent 14 weeks on the Top 100...
    And on December 5th, 1971 it reached #2 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart; the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone...
    Between 1970 and 1985 the group had twenty-five records on the Hot R&B Singles chart; ten made the Top 10 with three* reaching #1, "I'll Take You There" for 4 weeks in 1972, "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)" for 3 weeks in 1973, and "Let's Do It Again" for 1 week in 1975...
    Roebuck 'Pops' Staples passed away at the age of 85 on December 19th, 2000...
    May he R.I.P.
    * They almost had a fourth #1 when the above "Respect Yourself" peaked at #2.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 11th 1987, Bruce Willis' covered version of "Respect Yourself" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #55; and seven weeks later on March 1st, 1987 it peaked at #5 for one week...
    Was track two on his debut album; 'The Return of Bruno', and the album reached #14 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart...
    Two other covered tracks from the album also made the Top 100 chart; the Coasters' "Young Blood" {#68} and the Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk"* {#59}...
    Walter Bruce Willis will celebrate his 60th birthday in two months on March 19th {2015}...
    * His covered version of "Under the Boardwalk" peaked at #2 on the United Kingdom's Singles chart.
  • Ted from Phoenix, AzIf memory serves, R. Dean Taylor's "Indiana Wants Me," peaked at #3 in the fall of 1970, making Bruce Willis' version of this song the second U.S. top 5 hit on the Motown label. Bruce Willis was the third white male to have a top ten hit on Motown; in the summer of 1971, the late Tom Clay's "What the World Needs Now is John, Martin and Bobby" peaked at #8 on the Billboard charts.

    That said, the original Staple Singers version of this song is music to my ears. It's funky, and it has an important message about respecting the rights of others.
  • Jo from Newcastle, AustraliaAlso a hit for The Kane Gang (cracked the Australian Top 20 in March 1985)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."