The Ghetto (Donny Hathaway song)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The Ghetto" is a socially conscious, mostly instrumental jazz-flavored anthem, released as the first single off American soul singer Donny Hathaway's debut album, Everything Is Everything, released as a single in 1970 on Atlantic Records.
The song was co-written by Hathaway and Leroy Hutson. The song was a 6 minute and 50 second extravaganza which built upon a cinematic feel with its lengthy instrumental though it did feature vocal ad-libs from Hathaway, who played electric piano on the song, and constant chants of the song, which had a distinguished Afro-Cuban sound with congas.
The song also featured additional backgrounds, dialogue from what sound like men talking on a street corner and a baby crying before Hathaway ended the song with frenetic hand claps.
When originally released in 1970, the song became a modest charted single, peaking at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.
The song was also featured on Hathaway's revered Live album in which Hathaway and his musicians played a faster version of the song and later featured Hathaway getting the audience into it singing the final chorus. The song was also used in the 1977 film Short Eyes.
Co-writer Leroy Hutson recorded a version of the song entitled "The Ghetto '74" for his album The Man! (1973). Since then, the song has been covered in hip-hop singles, most famously, Too Short's "The Ghetto", which featured Gerald Levert re-singing the chorus.
George Benson, accompanied by pianist Joe Sample, covered the song in his album Absolute Benson.
Personnel
- Donny Hathaway: lead vocals, electric piano, bass
- Master Henry Gibson: conga solo
- Morris Jennings: drums
- Marshall Hawkins: bass
- Phil Upchurch: guitar
- Richard Powell: percussion & Timbales Solo
- Written and composed by Donny Hathaway and Leroy Hutson
- Conducted and arranged by Donny Hathaway
- Produced by Donny Hathaway and Ric Powell
