Living in America (James Brown song)
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5:57 (Gravity album version)
4:09 (single version)
| "Living in America" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by James Brown | ||||
| from the album Rocky IV and Gravity | ||||
| B-side | "Farewell" by Vince DiCola | |||
| Released | December 1985 | |||
| Genre | Funk[1] | |||
| Length | 4:42 (soundtrack version) 5:57 (Gravity album version) 4:09 (single version) | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Dan Hartman | |||
| James Brown charting singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "James Brown - Living in America" on YouTube | ||||
"Living in America" is a song written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight and performed by James Brown. It was released as a single in 1985 and reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song entered the Billboard top 40 on January 11, 1986, and remained on the chart for 11 weeks. It also became a top five hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart; it was his only top 10 single in the UK. It was his first top 40 hit in ten years on the US pop charts, and it would also be his last. In 1987, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and won Brown a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.[2][3]
The song was prominently featured in the film Rocky IV. In the film, Brown sings the song during Apollo Creed’s ring entrance, in reference to the character's patriotic image. It appeared on the Rocky IV soundtrack album.
The song was also featured in the 2003 NASCAR Pontiac commercial with drivers Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, Jerry Nadeau, Johnny Benson, Jr. and Ricky Craven.
The song's co-writer Dan Hartman later included his recording of the song on his 1994 album Keep the Fire Burnin'.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album Gravity.[4]
- James Brown – lead vocals and backing vocals
- Stevie Ray Vaughan – lead guitar
- Dan Hartman – rhythm guitar, synthesizers and backing vocals
- T. M. Stevens – bass and backing vocals
- Ray Marchica – drums and drum machine
- The Uptown Horns (Arno Hecht, Bob Funk, Crispin Cioe, "Hollywood" Paul Litteral) – trumpets, saxophones and trombones
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[25] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[26] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Track listings
- 12" release
- A. "Living in America" (R & B dance version) – 6:30
- B1. "Living in America" (instrumental) – 4:33
- B2. "Living in America" (LP version) – 4:42
- 7" release
- A. "Living in America" – 4:08
- B. "Farewell" (Vince DiCola) – 2:58
