634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)
1966 single by Wilson Pickett
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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]
| "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Wilson Pickett | ||||
| from the album The Exciting Wilson Pickett | ||||
| B-side | "That's a Man's Way" | |||
| Released | January 1966 | |||
| Recorded | 1965 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters | Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Wilson Pickett singles chronology | ||||
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Background
The phone number 634-5789 is a reference to the Marvelettes' 1962 hit "Beechwood 4-5789".[3]
Personnel
- Charles "Packy" Axton – tenor saxophone
- Steve Cropper – guitar
- Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass
- Isaac Hayes – keyboards
- Al Jackson Jr. – drums
- Wayne Jackson – trumpet
- Andrew Love – tenor saxophone
- Floyd Newman – baritone saxophone
- Wilson Pickett – vocals
Chart performance
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[5] | 36 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 13 |
| US Top Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles (Billboard)[7] | 1 |
Tina Turner version
| "634-5789" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tina Turner & Robert Cray | ||||
| from the album Tina Live in Europe | ||||
| B-side | "Help!" (Live) | |||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Soul, Rock, R&B | |||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriters | Eddie Floyd Steve Cropper | |||
| Producer | John Hudson | |||
| Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
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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)[8] | 23 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] | 15 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 14 |
Other recordings
The song has also been recorded by: Otis Redding, Ry Cooder, Bon Jovi, Johnny Van Zant, Tower of Power, Trace Adkins, The Elgins, Rare Earth, and Sam & Dave.
Popular culture
- Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett performed "634-5789" in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000, appearing as 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).
