634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)

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"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" is a soul song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Wilson Pickett on December 20, 1965 [1] and included on his 1966 Atlantic Records album The Exciting Wilson Pickett with backing vocals by Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. The single reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart and number 13 on the Hot 100 singles chart.[2] The phone number 634-5789 is a reference to the Marvelettes' 1962 hit "Beechwood 4-5789".[3]

Tina Turner version[]

"634-5789"
Tina Turner - 6345-789.jpg
Single by Tina Turner & Robert Cray
from the album Tina Live in Europe
B-side"Help!" (Live)
Released1989
Recorded1986
GenrePop, Soul, Rock, R&B
Length3:05
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Eddie Floyd
Steve Cropper
Producer(s)John Hudson
Tina Turner singles chronology
"Tonight (Live)"
(1988) 		"634-5789 (live)"
(1989) 		"The Best"
(1989)

Tina Turner recorded a live version of the track in 1986 as part of a segment in her Break Every Rule TV special, in which she interpreted classic soul songs with guitarist and singer Robert Cray, including "634-5789", Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Wilson Pickett's "Land of a Thousand Dances" and "In the Midnight Hour". The four tracks were later included on her 1988 album Tina Live in Europe and "634-5789", sung as a duet with Cray, was also issued as a single in certain territories, reaching number 14 on the Dutch singles chart. The B-sides were "Private Dancer" and "Help!", both taken from the Tina Live in Europe album.

Chart performance[]

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 23
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] 14

Other recordings[]

The song has also been recorded by: Otis Redding, Ry Cooder, Johnny Van Zant, Tower of Power, Trace Adkins and Rare Earth.

Popular culture[]

  • Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, and Jonny Lang appeared in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000 and performed "634-5789". Floyd and Pickett played the proprietors of "Ed's Love Exchange" which, according to the storyline in the movie, could be reached at 1-900-634-5789 (a reference to phone sex lines).

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Second Hand Songs website
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 461.
  3. ^ "Single Stories: Wilson Pickett, "634-5789"". Rhino. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Ultratop.be – Tina Turner & Robert Cray – 634-5789" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tina Turner & Robert Cray – 634-5789" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 28, 2015.

External links[]


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