Respect Yourself

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1971 single by the Staple Singers

title: "Respect Yourself" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1971-songs", "1971-singles", "1984-singles", "1986-debut-singles", "1995-singles", "the-staple-singers-songs", "kane-gang-songs", "bruce-willis-songs", "robert-palmer-(singer)-songs", "emi-records-singles", "grammy-hall-of-fame-award-recipients", "kitchenware-records-singles", "london-records-singles", "motown-singles", "songs-written-by-luther-ingram", "songs-written-by-mack-rice", "stax-records-singles"] description: "1971 single by the Staple Singers" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respect_Yourself" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1971 single by the Staple Singers ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Respect Yourself
cover	Respect_Yourself_-_The_Staple_Singers.jpg
type	single
artist	the Staple Singers
album	Be Altitude: Respect Yourself
B-side	You're Gonna Make Me Cry
released	October 1971
genre	Soul, rock
length	4:54 (album version)
3:30 (single version)
label	Stax
writer	Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
producer	Al Bell
prev_title	You've Got to Earn It
prev_year	1971
next_title	I'll Take You There
next_year	1972
::

"Respect Yourself" is a song by American R&B/gospel group the Staple Singers. Released in late 1971 from their album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, the song became a crossover hit. The Staple Singers' version peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100, No. 2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and is one of the group's most recognizable hits. In 2002, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2010 it was ranked #468 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, moving down 4 spots from #464 in 2004.

Writing and recording

The song was written by Stax Records singer Luther Ingram and house songwriter Mack Rice. Ingram, who was frustrated with the state of the world at the time, told Rice "black folk need to learn to respect themselves." Rice liked the comment so much that he built a funk groove around it, prepared a demo record, and suggested to record producer Al Bell that the Staple Singers record it. The group agreed.

Bell teamed the group with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, musicians who laid down classic tracks for Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin, and with engineer/musician Terry Manning for vocals, overdubs, and mixing, in Memphis. The musicians were Barry Beckett (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), Jimmy Johnson (guitar), and David Hood (bass), with lead vocals by "Pops" and Mavis Staples. The horns were overdubbed by Manning after the vocals were recorded, and were played by the Memphis Horns led by Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson. The song had resonance for a burgeoning self-empowerment movement for African-Americans during the post-civil-rights movement of the 1970s.

Personnel

Partial credits from Richard Buskin and Terry Manning.

;The Staple Singers

Mavis Staples - vocals
Pops Staples - vocals
Cleotha Staples - harmony and backing vocals
Yvonne Staples - harmony and backing vocals ;Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Jimmy Johnson - guitar
David Hood - bass
Barry Beckett - keyboards, Wurlitzer electric piano
Roger Hawkins - drums ;Additional musicians
Staple Sisters - harmony and backing vocals
Terry Manning - lead guitar, Moog synthesizer
The Memphis Horns (including Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love - horns (saxophones, trumpets, baritone saxophone, trombone)
Ben Cauley - horns ;Production and technical staff
Al Bell – arranger, producer
Johnny Allen - arranger
Terry Manning – engineer, additional production (uncredited), additional arrangements (uncredited)
Jerry Masters – engineer
Ralph Rhodes – engineer

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1971–72) | Peak position | |---|---| ::

The Kane Gang version

Kitchenware
London | writer =
Mack Rice
Luther Ingram | producer =
Pete Wingfield
The Kane Gang | prev_title = Closest Thing to Heaven | prev_year = 1984 | next_title = Gun Law | next_year = 1985 In 1984, English pop band the Kane Gang covered the song for their 1985 debut album The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang. Produced by Pete Wingfield and the band, it was released as the third single from the album. This version charted at number 19 in Australia and number 21 in the UK. The Kane Gang's version changes the lyric "If you don't give a heck about the man with the Bible in his hands" to "If you don't give a damn about the man with the Bible in his hands". The song was also used on Australian TV and radio in the 1980s and 1990s to promote sensible alcohol drinking habits.

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1984–1985) | Peak position | Australia (Kent Music Report) | |---|---|---| | 19 | | | ::

Bruce Willis version

| name = Respect Yourself | cover = Brucerespect.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Bruce Willis | album = The Return of Bruno | B-side = Fun Time | released = December 1986 | format = | recorded = 1986 | studio = | venue = | genre = Pop, soul | length = 3:53 | label = Motown | writer = Luther Ingram, Mack Rice | producer = Robert Kraft | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Young Blood | next_year = 1987 In 1986, American actor Bruce Willis (as his fictitious alter-ego Bruno Radolini) began a short-lived singing career by covering "Respect Yourself" for his 1987 album The Return of Bruno, a companion to the HBO special of the same name, which aired shortly after the album's release. Released in December 1986 as his debut single and produced by Robert Kraft, his version is based on the Kane Gang's interpretation (slightly sped up) and also features backing vocals by the Pointer Sisters, with June Pointer contributing a verse. Additionally, Willis' version charted in several different countries.

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1987) | Peak position | |---|---| | last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=340}} | 57 | | Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 8 | | Italy Airplay (Music & Media) | 1 | ::

::data[format=table]

Year-end chart (1987)	Position
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)	89
::

Robert Palmer version

In 1995, English singer Robert Palmer covered the song as part of The Very Best of Robert Palmer and released it as a single. Palmer's version reached number 45 in the UK and number 170 in Australia.

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1995) | Peak position | |---|---| | Australia (Kent Music Report) | 170 | | UK (OCC) | 45 | ::

References

(August 2021). "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone.com.
Myers, Marc. (2016). "Anatomy of a Song". Grove Press.
"Classic Tracks: The Staple Singers 'I'll Take You There'". Sound On Sound.
Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970–1992". Australian Chart Book.
Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970–1992". Australian Chart Book.
Peaked on RPM 100 Singles Chart on March 7, 1987
(23 May 1987). "European Playlist Reports: RAI - Italy".
(December 26, 1987). "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles".
"Robert Palmer {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company".
"Robert Palmer {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company".

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