Betcha by Golly, Wow

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"Betcha by Golly, Wow"
File:Betcha by Golly, Wow - Stylistics.jpg
Single by The Stylistics
from the album The Stylistics
B-side "Ebony Eyes"
Released February 17, 1972
Format 7"
Genre Soul, Philly soul
Length 3:48 (album version)
3:17 (single edit)
Label Avco
Writer(s) Thom Bell, Linda Creed
Producer(s) Thom Bell
Certification Gold
The Stylistics singles chronology
"You Are Everything"
(1971)		 "Betcha by Golly, Wow"
(1972)		 "People Make the World Go Round"
(1972)

"Betcha By Golly, Wow" is a song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed that was originally recorded by Connie Stevens as "Keep Growing Strong" on the Bell Records label in 1970. The composition later scored a hit when it was released by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics in 1972.[1]

The Stylistics version

An R&B ballad, it was the third track from The Stylistics' 1971 debut self-titled album[2] and was released as a single in 1972 and reached #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.[1][3] Billboard ranked it as the No. 18 song for 1972.[4] In addition, it also climbed to #2 in the Billboard R&B chart[3] and reached number #13 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1972.[5] The Stylistics' recording sold over one million copies globally, earning the band a gold disc[1] The award was presented by the RIAA on April 17, 1972.[1] It was the band's second gold disc.[1] There are two mixes of the song—the 3:17 version released as a single is the one most familiar to listeners, while the 3:48 album version has an instrumental break prior to the song's finale.

Chart performance

Prince version

"Betcha by Golly Wow!"
File:Prince betcha.jpg
UK CD single
Single by Prince
from the album Emancipation
B-side "Right Back Here In My Arms"
Released November 13, 1996
Format Cassette single
CD single
Recorded Paisley Park Studios, 1995
Genre Pop
Length 3:30
Label NPG/EMI
Writer(s) Linda Creed, Thom Bell
Producer(s) Prince
Prince singles chronology
"Gold"
(1995)		 "Betcha By Golly Wow!"
(1996)		 "The Holy River"
(1997)

Another cover version was released by Prince (his stage name at that time being a symbol with no known pronunciation, see cover art) on his 1996 album Emancipation. Prince had stated that he always wanted to release a cover version but his record company, Warner Bros. Records, had not permitted it. The CD single was released in two formats in the UK, one with a picture sleeve and one with an orange cardboard sleeve that included a picture disc and a mini-poster. The song was also issued on cassette. All versions of the single had "Right Back Here In My Arms" as the B-side. Both tracks were the album version. The track was released as a promotional single in the U.S., a music video was also produced.

The song was released on Mayte Garcia's (Prince's then-wife) 23rd birthday. Garcia also appeared in the video playing herself, in the doctor's office, later to reveal Prince walking into the room revealing she is pregnant with their first child. One of the backgrounds of the video is Prince's own Paisley Park Studios. It charted fairly well in the U.S., based on airplay figures (in the U.S. promotional singles were not allowed to chart until late 1998) and almost made the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.[9]

Chart (1997) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 31
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay 10
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 10
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Top 40 23
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks 38
UK[9] 11

Other cover versions

Angela Bofill, Norman Connors, Grant Green, Ramsey Lewis, Freddie Hubbard, Leah LaBelle, Tuck Andress, Cleveland Eaton, Errol Dunkley, Dionne Warwick, Johnny Mathis, Phyllis Hyman, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Aaron Neville, Tweet, Pat Metheny, Horace Andy and the Sugababes have also covered the song.

Ramsey Lewis' version of the song was sampled on the Mariah Carey track "Stay The Night" from her 2005 The Emancipation of Mimi album.

The song also appears on the album For You, released in 2002 by the Hawaiian group Three Plus.

The song was spoofed by Philippine Comedian, Beethoven Bunagan in 1996.

The song was also sampled on the Busta Rhymes track "Salute Da Gods!!" from his 2000 Anarchy album.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Allmusic - Charts & Awards
  4. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1972-05-13
  7. ↑ http://www.musicandyears.com/year/1972
  8. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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