Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now

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"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"
Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now McFaden & Whitehead.jpg
Single by McFadden & Whitehead
from the album McFadden & Whitehead
B-side"I Got the Love"
ReleasedApril 1979
Recorded1978
StudioSigma Sound Studios (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
GenreFunk, disco
Length7:02 (album version)
3:38 (single edit)
10:45 (12" version)
LabelPhiladelphia International
Songwriter(s)Jerry Cohen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead
Producer(s)Jerry Cohen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead
McFadden & Whitehead singles chronology
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"
(1979) 		"I've Been Pushed Aside"
(1979)
Audio
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" on YouTube

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is a 1979 disco song performed by American R&B duo McFadden & Whitehead, from their debut album McFadden & Whitehead. They wrote and produced the song along with keyboard player Jerry Cohen.[1] McFadden & Whitehead would revisit the song in their 1984 single "Ain't No Stoppin' (Ain't No Way)."

Background[]

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is about succeeding despite having faced previous disadvantages ("so many things that held us down"). It was widely interpreted to be about the experience of the African American community, and after attaining popularity, became referred to as "the new black national anthem"[2] (the original being the 1900 song "Lift Every Voice and Sing").

Production[]

Despite being seen as social commentary, in an interview conducted by Philadelphia video producer Bob Lott, John and Gene revealed that the song was actually about their frustration with Philadelphia International Records owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who for many years preferred that they remain as house songwriters and not performers. Gamble has confirmed that upon first hearing "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now", he tried unsuccessfully to convince McFadden and Whitehead to give the song to the O'Jays, as he felt it was better to write and produce for the prominent recording artists of the day than to try to compete with them as on-stage performers.[3]

This song features a female Chorus in the repeated refrain. Electronic Beeping feedback sounds are heard towards the ending of the longer version of the song.

Chart performance[]

Released as the lead single from the album, the song spent a week at number one on the R&B singles chart. It also proved to be a successful crossover hit, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached number 5 in the UK.[4] The single also made it to number 10 on the disco charts.[5] It eventually went double platinum, selling over 2 million copies.

Notable cover versions[]

  • Luther Vandross did a cover version of this song for his 1994 cover album Songs.[14] His version of the song was also performed as a duet with British girl group the Spice Girls for their An Audience With... special on the UK's ITV in 1997, and later appeared as a B-Side to their single "Stop".
  • Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson of the B-52's recorded the song for the 1996 soundtrack The Associate.[15]

Soundtrack appearances[]

Other appearances[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now by McFadden & Whitehead Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  2. ^ A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul, John A. Jackson, 2004, page 228
  3. ^ "John Whitehead". Celebrity Crime Files. August 2013. TV One.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 390.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 172.
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  8. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  9. ^ "Top 100 1979-07-28". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  10. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  11. ^ "Chart Archive – 1970s Singles". everyHit.com. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  12. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1979/Top 100 Songs of 1979". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  13. ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1979". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  14. ^ "Songs overview". Allmusic.com.
  15. ^ "The Rippingtons : Discography : Brave New World". Vervemusicgroup.com.
  16. ^ https://www.buzzfeed.com/monicamark/what-do-you-do-with-your-life-after-youve-already-been-the-w
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