"I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" is a song written by Memphis-based songwriter Earl Randle, and first recorded in 1972 by soul singer Ann Peebles. The song was also a hit in 1984 for English singer Paul Young.
| "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ann Peebles | ||||
| from the album I Can't Stand the Rain | ||||
| B-side | "One Way Street" | |||
| Released | January 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Hi | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Earl Randle | |||
| Producer(s) | Willie Mitchell | |||
| Ann Peebles singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Paul Young | ||||
| from the album The Secret of Association | ||||
| B-side | "One Step Forward" | |||
| Released | 1 October 1984 (UK)[1] August 1985 (US) | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:05 (album version) 4:39 (single version) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Earl Randle | |||
| Producer(s) | Laurie Latham | |||
| Paul Young singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Ann Peebles version
editProduced by Willie Mitchell and with performances by the Hi Rhythm Section, Ann Peebles' recording was made at the Royal Studios on South Lauderdale Avenue in Memphis.[2] It was issued as a single on the Hi label in January 1973.[3] It reached no.31 on the US R&B chart,[4] and "bubbled under" the Hot 100, reaching no.111.[5] The track was also included on her 1974 album I Can't Stand the Rain.
Writer Craig Werner said:[6]
Like the most powerful gospel soul from the early sixties, "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" serves notice on a cheating lover (white America? the brothers in the Black Panther movement?) that the free ride has come to an end. It's a restatement of the revolutionary gospel anthem "Samson and Delilah," and the message, on every level, is the same: "If I had my way, I would tear this building down."
Later versions
edit- The song was later recorded by Graham Parker and the Rumour on their 1977 album Stick to Me.
- A cover version by Paul Young reached no. 9 on the UK singles chart in 1984, and no.13 on the Billboard Hot 100 when re-released the following year.[5][7] It was included on Young's album The Secret of Association (1985).
Samples
edit- The Ann Peebles' version of "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" was sampled in the track "The Plan" by Wu-Tang Clan affiliated group Sunz of Man on their album The Last Shall Be First (1998).
Charts
editAnn Peebles
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[8] | 11 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] | 31 |
Paul Young
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] | 25 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] | 11 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] | 19 |
| France (IFOP)[13] | 28 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[14] | 8 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] | 12 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] | 17 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] | 18 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[18] | 9 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] | 14 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] | 13 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[21] | 9 |
| West Germany (GfK)[22] | 37 |
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[23] | 16 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[21] | 88 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[24] | 13 |
| US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard)[25] | 12 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[26] | 8 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[27] | 60 |
References
edit- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 28.
- ^ Miss Funkyflyy, "Ann Peebles Bio (part 2)". Retrieved June 29, 2014
- ^ 45cat.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995. Record Research. p. 344.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955–2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 783. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ Werner, Craig (2006). A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race & the Soul of America (1st ed.). p. 181. ISBN 9780472031474.
- ^ SecondhandSongs.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014
- ^ "Ann Peebles Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Ann Peebles Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Paul Young – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- ^ "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque artiste commençant par Y". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Paul Young" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Paul Young – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Paul Young – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Paul Young – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". VG-lista.
- ^ "Paul Young – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Paul Young – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ a b "Paul Young: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Young – I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0596." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Paul Young Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Paul Young Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "Paul Young Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Paul Young Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
 | This 1970s single–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |