"Back Stabbers" is a 1972 song by the O'Jays. Released from the hit album of the same name, it spent one week at number 1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It was also successful on the pop chart, peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1972.[2] The narrator in "Back Stabbers" warns men about their male "friends" who smile to their faces, but are secretly planning to steal their wives or girlfriends.[3] It was inspired by an earlier hit with a similar theme, the Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes", the chorus of which is quoted at the end of this song. It was part of the soundtrack for the 1977 movie, Looking for Mr. Goodbar. In 2002, the song was sampled by R&B artist Angie Stone for her single "Wish I Didn't Miss You".
| "Back Stabbers" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Side A of US vinyl single | ||||
| Single by the O'Jays | ||||
| from the album Back Stabbers | ||||
| B-side | "Sunshine" | |||
| Released | August 1972 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | Soul[1] | |||
| Length | 3:06 | |||
| Label | Philadelphia International | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| The O'Jays singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Back Stabbers" on YouTube | ||||
This was the O'Jays first release with Philadelphia International.[4]
Chart performance
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Kent Music Report[5] | 92 |
| Canada RPM[6] | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 3 |
| US Billboard R&B Singles | 1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[9] | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1972) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 35 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[11] | 21 |
Stephen Cummings version
edit| "Backstabbers" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 7-inch single Australian cover | ||||
| Single by Stephen Cummings | ||||
| from the album Senso | ||||
| B-side | "Hardly Working" | |||
| Released | December 1983[12] | |||
| Genre | Rock, Pop | |||
| Length | 3:20 5:29 (Extended Dance mix) | |||
| Label | Regular Records, Warner Music Group | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gene McFadden, John Whitehead, Leon Huff | |||
| Producer(s) | Martin Armiger | |||
| Stephen Cummings singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Backstabbers (Extended Dance Mix) | ||||
.jpg) 12 Inch Australian Single Cover | ||||
In 1983 Australian singer-songwriter Stephen Cummings released Backstabbers in December 1983 through the Regular Records label as the third single from the album Senso. Cummings version peaked at number 40 on the Kent Music Report.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Backstabbers" | Gene McFadden, John Whitehead, Leon Huff | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Hardly Working" | Stephen Cummings, Ian Stephen | 3:32 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Backstabbers" (Extended Dance Mix) | Gene McFadden, John Whitehead, Leon Huff | 5:29 |
| 2. | "Backstabbers" | Gene McFadden, John Whitehead, Leon Huff | 3:14 |
| 3. | "Hardly Working" | Stephen Cummings, Ian Stephen | 3:32 |
Personnel
edit- Greg Flood – brass arrangements
- Joe Creighton – bass, additional vocals
- Mark Ferry – bass
- Vince Jones – cornet (solo)
- Martin Armiger – drum programming (Drumulator), guitar, keyboards
- Peter Luscombe – drums
- Andrew Pendlebury – guitar
- Robert Goodge – guitar
- Duncan Veal – keyboards
- Jantra de Vilda – keyboards
- Stephen Bigger – keyboards
- Ricky Fataar – percussion
- Venetta Fields – additional vocals
- Nick Smith – additional vocals
- Linda Nutter – additional vocals
- Nick Smith – additional vocals
- Stephanie Sproul – additional vocals
Charts
edit| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] | 40 |
References
edit- ^ Echols, Alice (March 29, 2010). "I Hear a Symphony: Black Masculinity and the Disco Turn". Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-393-06675-3.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research. p. 438. ISBN 978-0-89820-160-4.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Back Stabbers" at AllMusic. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "The O'Jays | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". Rockhall.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ "Australian Chart Books". Australianchartbooks.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- ^ "Archived copy". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ "Archive". Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
- ^ "Musicoutfitters.com". Archived from the original on 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
- ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1972". Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
- ^ Stephen Cummings - Backstabbers
- ^ Kent, David (1984). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 94. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.
External links
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