B-side "Sunshine" Genre R&B, Philly soul | Released July 1972 Length 3:06 | |
Label Philadelphia International Writer(s) Leon Huff, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead | ||
"Back Stabbers" is a 1972 song by The O'Jays. Released from the hit album of the same name, the song spent one week at #1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It was also successful on the pop charts, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in October 1972. The narrator in "Back Stabbers" warns men about their male "friends" who smile to their faces, but are secretly planning to steal their wives or girlfriends. It was also inspired by an earlier hit with a similar theme, The Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes", the chorus of which is quoted at the end of the song. It was part of the soundtrack for the 1977 movie Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
Cover versions
"Back Stabbers" is the second single from the 1979 album Love Explosion by Tina Turner. The song, along with the other two singles released from Love Explosion, was largely disco-oriented and was overlooked by audiences both in Europe and the United States due to the so-called "anti-disco backlash" at the time.
"Back Stabbers" was also covered by Stephen Cummings in 1983.
MFSB's 1973 debut album featured an extended instrumental cover of "Back Stabbers".
"Wish I Didn't Miss You" by Angie Stone features an interpolated composition of the song as well as samples.
R&B group TLC sampled the song on the track, "Case of the Fake People" from their 1994 album CrazySexyCool.
"Backstabbers" by Project Pat featuring Crucial Conflict have completely redone the instrumental and the chorus; released on the album Ghetty Green in 1999, produced by DJ Paul & Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia.
B.o.B aka Bobby Ray sampled "Back Stabbers" for his own song of the same name from his mixtape Who the F#*k is B.o.B? (2008).
In 1987, jazz fusion/contemporary jazz group The Rippingtons covered the song on their 1987 album "Kilimanjaro."
Rock group Barkmarket covered "Back Stabbers" on their 1991 album Vegas Throat, employing spoken-word vocals and samples from the original O'Jays cut.
In 2008, Russell Watson covered the song on his album 'People Get Ready'.
In 2011, British soul and R&B singer-songwriter Seal included the song in his second cover album Soul 2.
In 2014, the song was featured on the Simpsons episode, "Pay Pal".