Work to Do

"Work to Do"
File:Work to Do.png Cover of the 1972 US single
Single by The Isley Brothers
from the album Brother, Brother, Brother
B-side	"Beautiful"
Released	October 15, 1972 (1972-10-15)
Format	7" single
Genre	Funk soul
Length	3:11
Label	T-Neck
Writer(s)	The Isley Brothers
Producer(s)	The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers singles chronology
"Love the One You're With" (1971) "Work to Do" (1972) "That Lady" (1973)

"Work to Do" is a 1972 funk song by The Isley Brothers, released on their T-Neck imprint. The song, written and produced by the group, was issued on their 1972 album, Brother, Brother, Brother, and charted at #51 pop and #11 R&B upon its initial charting. Lyrically, the song explicates a troubled situation between a man and his girlfriend/wife, concerning the lack of quality time spent with each other. The man pleads that as much as he cannot wait to get home and spend time with her, he has a more pressing obligation/commitment to attend to work.

Cover versions

Over the years, the song has got more success courtesy to various cover versions

• The Main Ingredient in 1973 (Afrodisiac)
• Average White Band in 1974 (AWB)
• R&B singer Zan (aka William Aquart) recorded a version for his self-titled album in 1989.
• Vanessa L. Williams, who recorded the track in 1991 (The Comfort Zone), and turned it into a Top 5 R&B hit in 1992.
• Mayer Hawthorne covered the song on his Impressions - The Covers EP in 2011.
• Emily King performed this song at Tin Angel in Philadelphia, PA in 2012.

Credits

• Ronald Isley: lead vocals
• O'Kelly Isley, Jr. and Rudolph Isley: background vocals
• Ernie Isley: guitars and percussion
• Marvin Isley: bass, percussion
• Chris Jasper: piano, keyboards
• George Moreland: drums
• Karl Potter: congas