"Clean Up Woman" is a song by
Betty Wright
Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career in the late 1960s as a teena ...
from her second studio album, ''I Love the Way You Love'' (1972). Written and produced by
Clarence Reid and
Willie Clarke, it was released in November 1971 in the U.S. as a
7" single
In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...
with "I'll Love You Forever" on the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
. The song's distinctive guitar lick was played by Willie "
Little Beaver" Hale.
It has sold over two million copies with the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
gold disc awarded on December 30, 1972.
''Billboard'' ranked it as the
No. 49 song for 1972. The song also appears as the beginning and end songs in a medley on the 1978 album ''Betty Wright Live''.
Chart performance
The single reached No. 6 on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
chart, spending fourteen weeks on the chart.
It also reached No. 2 on the U.S.
Black Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart and remained in that spot for eight weeks, all behind "
Let's Stay Together" by
Al Green
Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Take Me to the River", ...
. It peaked at No. 4 on the
Cash Box Top 100 singles chart during the weeks ending January 29, 1972 and February 5, 1972.
In Canada, the song reached No. 39.
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Samples
The song has been sampled in at least 32 other songs, including the 2013 "Favorite Song" by
Chance the Rapper
Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape ''10 Day'' in 2012. He ...
and the 1993 remix of "
Real Love Real Love may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Real Love'' (film), a film by Claire Burger
Music
Albums
* ''Real Love'' (Derek Johnson album)
* ''Real Love'' (Dolly Parton album), or the title song (see below)
* ''Real Love'' (Lisa Stansf ...
" by
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
.
References
External links
Both Sides Now Publications* Alston release
* Atlantic release
1971 singles
Betty Wright songs
Songs written by Blowfly (musician)
1971 songs
Funk songs
Songs written by Willie Clarke (songwriter)
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