634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)
"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" is a soul song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Wilson Pickett on December 20, 1965 [1] and included on his 1966 Atlantic Records album The Exciting Wilson Pickett with backing vocals by Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. The single reached number 1 on the US "Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles" chart and number 13 on the "Pop Singles" chart.[2] The phone number 634-5789 is a reference to The Marvelettes' 1962 hit "Beechwood 4-5789".[3]
Tina Turner version
"634-5789" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Tina Turner & Robert Cray | ||||
from the album Tina Live in Europe | ||||
B-side | "Help!" (Live) | |||
Released | 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1986 | |||
Genre | Pop, Soul, Rock, R&B | |||
Length | 3:05 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | Eddie Floyd Steve Cropper | |||
Producer(s) | John Hudson | |||
Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
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Tina Turner recorded a live version of the track in 1986 as part of a segment in her Break Every Rule TV special, in which she interpreted classic soul songs with guitarist and singer Robert Cray, including "634-5789", Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Wilson Pickett's "Land of a Thousand Dances" and "In the Midnight Hour". The four tracks were later included on her 1988 album Tina Live in Europe and "634-5789", sung as a duet with Cray, was also issued as a single in certain territories, reaching number 14 on the Dutch singles chart. The B-sides were "Private Dancer" and "Help!", both taken from the Tina Live in Europe album.
Chart performance
Chart (1989) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] | 23 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] | 14 |
Other recordings
The song has also been recorded by:
- Otis Redding
- Ry Cooder
- Johnny Van Zant
- Tower of Power
- Trace Adkins
- Bruce Springsteen has played the song live on many occasions; on his Wrecking Ball Tour, it was usually included in the set list as part of the "Apollo Medley"
Popular culture
- Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, and Jonny Lang appeared in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000 and performed "634-5789". Floyd and Pickett played the proprietors of "Ed's Love Exchange" which, according to the storyline in the movie, could be reached at 1-900-634-5789 (a reference to phone sex lines).
See also
References
- Second Hand Songs website
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 461.
- "Single Stories: Wilson Pickett, "634-5789"". Rhino. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- "Ultratop.be – Tina Turner & Robert Cray – 634-5789" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Tina Turner & Robert Cray – 634-5789" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 28, 2015.