"Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" is a song originally performed by

The Gap Band The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it was named after streets (Greenwood, Archer, and ...

in 1980 and written by member Charlie Wilson, Rudy Taylor, and producer

Lonnie Simmons Lonnie Simmons (December 12, 1944 - February 6, 2019) was an American record producer from Los Angeles, California. He was founder and president of the now-defunct Total Experience Records. As a composer, he co-wrote several #1 R&B songs for his ...

Background

The song's lyrics refer to abandonment by a lover. The phrase "Burn Rubber on Me" itself refers to said woman driving off while her lover is away. The narrative is continued in " Early in the Morning".

Chart performance

In 1981, it peaked at number eighty-four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it was a number one hit on the R&B charts. ''Billboard'' magazine ranked it as the 12th biggest R&B single of 1981. A later single released, featuring "

Humpin' "Humpin'" is a 1980 song by The Gap Band, from their fifth album '' The Gap Band III'' released as a single in 1981. The original B-side, "No Hiding Place", was originally released on '' The Gap Band II''. The song had mixed chart success, only pe ...

" on the B-side, scored a #19 appearance on the dance charts.

Releases

All releases are in the U.S. unless indicated: * 7" single * 12" single * 7" with "Nothing Comes to Sleepers" on the B-side * 7" with "Baby Baba Boogie" from 1979's ''The Gap Band'' on the B-side * 7" with "

Yearning for Your Love "Yearning for Your Love" is a 1980 ballad recorded and released by The Gap Band on Mercury Records. The single was the third release off the band's fifth album, '' The Gap Band III'' (1980). Four different singles, each with a different B-side, we ...

" on the A-side * Album, "Gap Band III" (1980), along with a radio edit and 8 other songs All the releases can be checked at Discogs

Samples

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

sampled the song on their 1987 single " You're Gonna Get Yours". *Pop singer George Michael sampled the song for his 1997 single " Star People '97".

Inspiration

On June 30, 2021, Dave Grohl said that the drumming on "

Smells Like Teen Spirit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, ''Nevermind'' (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled ''Neve ...

" was ripped off from the drum intro of "Burn Rubber on Me".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burn Rubber on Me 1980 songs 1980 singles The Gap Band songs Songs written by Charlie Wilson (singer) Songs written by Lonnie Simmons Songs written by Rudy Taylor Mercury Records singles