Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Express Yourself (Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band song)

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Released
  
August 1970

Recorded
  
1970

Length
  
3:51

Format
  
Single

Genre
  
R&B, Funk

B-side
  
"Living on Borrowed Time"

"Express Yourself" is a song written by Charles Wright and performed by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. It was released in 1970 as the title song of their 1970 album, Express Yourself, and is their signature song. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also their biggest hit on the U.S. R&B chart, reaching #3.

Contents

The song was produced by Wright.

The single was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1971, losing to The Delfonics song "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" and ranked #57 on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970.

Covers and samples

  • Idris Muhammad released a version of the song on his 1971 album, Black Rhythm Revolution!
  • N.W.A sampled this song in their 1989 song also titled "Express Yourself". A member of N.W.A., Eazy-E, is a nephew of Wright. The song reached #40 on the U.S. R&B chart and #50 on the UK Singles Chart. It was featured on their 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton.
  • Saccharine Trust released a version of the song on their 1989 album, Past Lives.
  • The House Jacks recorded a version for Tommy Boy Records that appears on their 1997 album, Funkwich.
  • Francis Rocco Prestia recorded a version that appears on his 1999 album, ...Everybody on the Bus with vocals by Tamara Champlin.
  • Snooks Eaglin covered the song on his 2002 album The Way It Is with Jon Cleary.
  • Tinchy Stryder sampled the song on his 2009 album, Catch 22 on the song "Express Urself".
  • Labrinth sampled the song on the track "Express Yourself" from his 2012 album Electronic Earth. The song reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart.
  • The song appears in the 2017 film "The Emoji Movie".
  • It was featured in an iPad commercial.
  • A version of the song by Fu-Schnickens was featured at the end credits of the 1993 film Addams Family Values.
  • The song appears in the 2000 film Remember the Titans.
  • The Mocean Worker Remix of the song was featured during the end credits of the 2005 film Guess Who.
  • The song appears during the fight scene in the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
  • The song is featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on radio station Master Sounds 98.3.
  • The song is also featured in the video game Driver: Parallel Lines where it plays in the 1978 era.
  • A cover version by Jason Mraz was featured in 2005 film Cheaper by the Dozen 2

    • References

    Express Yourself (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA