Let's Groove

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For the song by Archie Bell & the Drells, see Dance Your Troubles Away.

"Let's Groove"
Single by Earth, Wind & Fire
from the album Raise!
B-side"Let's Groove" (Instrumental)
ReleasedSeptember 1981
Genre
Length5:39 (album version)
4:02 (single version)
3:56 (video version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Maurice White
Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology
"And Love Goes On"
(1981) 		"Let's Groove"
(1981) 		"Wanna Be with You"
(1981)
Music video
"Let's Groove" on YouTube

"Let's Groove" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as the first single from their eleventh studio album, Raise! (1981). It is written by Maurice White and Wayne Vaughn, and produced by White. The song was a commercial success, and was the band's highest-charting single in various territories. It peaked inside the top 20 in countries including the United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and other component charts in America. In 1979 and the early 1980s, there was a severe backlash against disco music. In spite of this, the band decided to revive the disco sound that was included on their previous works and later records. Musically, "Let's Groove" is post-disco, pop and funk which includes instrumentation of synthesizers and keyboards along with live electric guitars.

Overview[edit]

"Let's Groove" was produced by Maurice White for Kalimba Productions. With a duration of five minutes and thirty nine seconds, the song has a tempo of 126 beats per minute.[3][4]

Critical reception[edit]

Ken Tucker of Rolling Stone described Let's Groove as "city music" where "the horn section screams like a car running a red light."[5] Record World praised the "deep, brawny bass line."[6] Ed Hogan from AllMusic noted that White "brought in guitarist Roland Bautista and began co-writing, with Emotions member Wanda Vaughn and her husband Wayne Vaughn, a song that reflected the then-emerging electronic sound of the '80s. Not to be confused with the same-named hit by Archie Bell & the Drells, "Let's Groove" certainly was a change. Starting off with a robotic-sounding vocoder riff, it served up a more gritty-sounding EWF for the 1980s, laced with Brecker Brothers-supplied horn blasts that rival those of EWF's 1976 gold single 'Getaway'."[7] People though said that the album's "biggest disappointment is Let's Groove, yet another gotta-boogie tune."[8] Jordan Bartel of The Baltimore Sun noted that the song was "quite possibly the funkiest thing to come out of the early 1980s".[9] Richard Williams of The Times wrote "Let's Groove, the bass-heavy new single, is a reliable pointer".[10] Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly declared that "I actually love this song, especially the little computer voice in the background, like Pac-Man has come to life to boogie just for me!"[11]

NME placed Let's Groove at number 16 on their Singles of the Year list of 1981.[12] "Let's Groove" was also Grammy nominated in the category of Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.[13]

Commercial performance[edit]

The song peaked at number three in the US, becoming their 7th and last top 10 hit.[14] It also spent eight weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart in late 1981 and early 1982 and was the second R&B song of 1982 on the year-end charts.[15]

The single sold over a million copies in the US and has been certified gold by the RIAA as until the RIAA lowered the sales levels for certified singles in 1989, a gold single equalled 1 million units sold.[16] "Let's Groove" was also certified platinum in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry.[17]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video of "Let's Groove" was the first ever to be played on Video Soul on BET.[18][19] Heavy with vintage electronic effects, the video was created by Ron Hays using the Scanimate analog computer system at Image West, Ltd.[20]

The style of the music video influenced that of Bruno Mars' "Treasure".[21]

Personnel[edit]

  • Writing – Maurice White, Wayne Vaughn
  • Producer – Maurice White
  • Assistant Producer - Larry Dunn, Verdine White
  • Programmer – Larry Dunn
  • String, horn arrangement – Billy Meyers

Engineers[22]

  • Assistant Engineer – Tom Perry
  • Mixing Engineer – Mick Guzauski, Tom Perry
  • Recording Engineer – Ken Fowler, Mick Guzauski, Ron Pendragon

Performers[23]

  • Saxophone – Tom Saviano
  • Alto Saxophone – Don Myrick
  • Tenor Saxophone – Andrew Woolfolk, Don Myrick
  • Bass – Verdine White
  • Cello – Frederick Seykora, Jerome Kessler, Larry Corbett, Marie Louise Zeyen, Paula Hochhalter, Selene Burford
  • Concert Master – Assa Drori, James Getzoff
  • Drums – Fred White
  • Guitar – Beloyd Taylor, Johnny Graham, Roland Bautista
  • Keyboards – Billy Meyers, David Foster, Wayne Vaughn
  • Percussion – Fred White, Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson
  • Piano – Larry Dunn
  • Synthesizer – Larry Dunn, Michael Boddiker
  • Trombone – Bill Reichenbach, Charles Loper, Dick Hyde, George Bohanon, Lew McCreary, Louis Satterfield
  • Trumpet – Chuck Findley, Gary Grant, Jerry Hey, Larry Hall, Michael Harris, Oscar Brashear, Rahmlee Michael Davis
  • Viola – Alan Deveritch, Allan Harshman, Gareth Nuttycombe, Pamela Hochhalter, Virginia Majewski
  • Violin – Anton Sen, Arkady Shindelman, Arnold Belnick, Betty Lamagna, Brian Leonard, Denyse Buffum, Endre Granat, Haim Shtrum, Henry Ferber, Irving Geller, Jerome Reisler, John Wittenbert, Mari Tsumura Botnick, Marvin Limonick, Myra Kestenbaum, Nathan Ross, Norman Leonard, Reginald Hill, Ronald Folsom, Sheldon Sanov, Thomas Buffum, William Hymanson, William Kurasch
  • Vocal – Beloyd Taylor, Maurice White, Ms. Pluto, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson
  • Background Vocal – Maurice White, Philip Bailey

Accolades[edit]

Year Publication Country Accolade Rank
1981 NME UK[12] Singles of the Year 16

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[50] Platinum 90,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sampling[edit]

"Let's Groove" was interpolated in "Feels" by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry and Big Sean,[51] and in "Alright" by Kent Jones.

CDB version[edit]

"Let's Groove"
Single by CDB
from the album Glide with Me
Released1995
Recorded1994
Length4:17
LabelSony Music
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
CDB singles chronology
"Hey Girl (This Is Our Time)"
(1994) 		"Let's Groove"
(1995) 		"Don't Stop"
(1996)

In 1995, "Let's Groove" was covered by the Australian R&B/pop boy band CDB. In Australia, the song reached number 2 and was certified platinum for shipments of over 70,000 units.[52][53] In New Zealand, it peaked at number 1 for three weeks and also received a platinum certification, indicating sales exceeding 10,000 copies.[54][55] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1996, "Let's Groove" won the Highest Selling Single category.[56]

Track listing[edit]

CD single (662147 2)[57]

  1. "Let's Groove" – 4:17
  2. "You Will Be Mine" – 4:07
  3. "Let's Groove" (Summer Groove) – 5:05
  4. "Let's Groove" (Instrumental) – 4:19

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1995–1996) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[52] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[54] 1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1995) Position
Australia (ARIA)[53] 8
Chart (1996) Position
Australia (ARIA)[58] 80
New Zealand (RIANZ)[59] 14

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[53] Platinum 70,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[55] Platinum 10,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Asia's Got Talent judges version[edit]

"Let's Groove"
Single by Asia's Got Talent judges
ReleasedMay 14, 2015
Length3:32
LabelUniversal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David Foster

"Let's Groove" was covered by the Asia's Got Talent judges—David Foster, Anggun, Melanie C and Vanness Wu—and released as a promotional single on May 14, 2015, by Universal.[60] It was released as a charity single for the May 2015 Nepal earthquake and all money raised was donated to the victims.[61] This version was produced by David Foster.[62]

Promotion[edit]

On May 14, 2015, the four artists performed the song in the final of first season of Asia's Got Talent.[63] On June 4, the Asia's Got Talent released the behind the scenes video of the recording.[64]

Track listing[edit]

  • Digital download[60]
  1. "Let's Groove" – 3:32

Release history[edit]

Country Date Format Label
Hong Kong[60] May 14, 2015 Digital download Universal
Indonesia[65]
Malaysia[66]
Singapore[67]
Vietnam[68]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Smith, Ben (August 20, 2014). "Meghan Trainor Helps Count Down 10 Songs That Are All About That Bass". VH1. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014. This post-disco pop funk epic is centered on a relentless, repeating bassline that really does make you want to, uh, groove.
  2. ^ Molanphy, Chris (October 15, 2022). "Give Up the Funk Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Earth, Wind & Fire: Let's Groove. Columbia Records. September 1981.
  4. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Let's Groove". GetSongBPM. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  5. ^ Tucker, Ken (February 4, 1982). "Raise!". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 3, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Hogan, Ed. "Earth, Wind & Fire – Let's Groove". AllMusic. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  8. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Raise!". People. Vol. 17, no. 2. January 18, 1982. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  9. ^ Bartel, Jordan (January 29, 2015). "Throwback Thursday: The top 10 songs this week in 1982". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  10. ^ Williams, Richard (November 6, 1981). "Jazz/Rock". The Times. p. 40.
  11. ^ Pastorek, Whitney (January 4, 2007). "A Journey back to this week in '81..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Albums and Tracks of the Year: 1981". NME. October 10, 2016.
  13. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire". Grammy.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  14. ^ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. p. 289. ISBN 0-87586-207-1.
  15. ^ a b "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 1982". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
  16. ^ a b "American single certifications – Earth, Wind & Fire – Let's Groove". Recording Industry Association of America.
  17. ^ a b "British single certifications – Earth Wind & Fire – Let's Groove". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  18. ^ Bailey, Philip; Zimmerman, Keith; Zimmerman, Kent (2014). Shining Star: Braving the Elements of Earth, Wind & Fire. Penguin Group. ISBN 978-1-101-60793-0.
  19. ^ Prato, Greg (2011). MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video. Greg Prato. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-578-07197-8.
  20. ^ Ron Hays Music – Image 1982 demo reel. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  21. ^ Ron. "Bruno Mars Represents Earth, Wind & Fire in "Treasure" Video". iAmBoiGenius. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013.
  22. ^ "Jaxsta - Official Music Credits". jaxsta.com. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  23. ^ "Jaxsta - Official Music Credits". jaxsta.com. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  24. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  25. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire – Let's Groove" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  26. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0460." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  27. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Earth, Wind & Fire". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 69. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  28. ^ "Accès direct aux Artistes". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Earth, Wind & Fire" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  29. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Let's Groove". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  30. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  31. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire – Let's Groove" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  32. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire – Let's Groove". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  33. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969–1989 (E)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  34. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
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  37. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  38. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  39. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending DECEMBER 12, 1981". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 17, 2012.
  40. ^ "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World. December 12, 1981. p. 25. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  41. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire – Let's Groove" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  42. ^ "TOP – 1981". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  43. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  44. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  45. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
  46. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  47. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 82". RPM. Vol. 37, no. 19. Library and Archives Canada. December 25, 1982. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
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  50. ^ "Danish single certifications – Earth Wind & Fire – Let's Groove". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  51. ^ ACE Repertory
  52. ^ a b c "CDB – Let's Groove". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  53. ^ a b c "1995: ARIA Singles Charts". ARIA Charts. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  54. ^ a b "CDB – Let's Groove". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  55. ^ a b "New Zealand single certifications – C.D.B. – Let's Groove". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  56. ^ "ARIA Awards 2007 : History: Winners by Year". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007.
  57. ^ "Let's Groove by CDB". Rate Your Music. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
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  59. ^ "End of Year Charts 1996". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  60. ^ a b c "Let's Groove – Single: David Foster, Anggun, Mel C & Vanness Wu". iTunes HK. May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  61. ^ Ho, Jovi (May 15, 2015). "Asia's Got Talent Judges Release Charity Single for Nepal". Yahoo! News Singapore. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  62. ^ "Asia's Got Talent Judges Release Charity Single "Let's Groove" (Earth, Wind & Fire) For Nepal Earthquake Relief". Getmusic Asia. May 15, 2015. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  63. ^ "WATCH: 'Asia's Got Talent' judges perform 'Let's Groove'". ABS-CBNnews.com. May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  64. ^ "Let's Groove". Asia's Got Talent. May 15, 2015. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  65. ^ "Let's Groove – Single: David Foster, Anggun, Mel C & Vanness Wu". iTunes ID. May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  66. ^ "Let's Groove – Single: David Foster, Anggun, Mel C & Vanness Wu". iTunes MY. May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  67. ^ "Let's Groove – Single: David Foster, Anggun, Mel C & Vanness Wu". iTunes SG. May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  68. ^ "Let's Groove – Single: David Foster, Anggun, Mel C & Vanness Wu". iTunes VN. May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
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