Shake You Down

"Shake You Down" is a song by American R&B artist, writer and producer Gregory Abbott. It was released in August 1986 as the lead single from his debut album of the same name. It became Abbott's biggest hit and was certified platinum by the RIAA. The track is also featured in the 2007 film Are We Done Yet?

"Shake You Down"
Single by Gregory Abbott
from the album Shake You Down
B-side	"Wait Until Tomorrow"
Released	August 1986[1]
Recorded	CBS
Genre	R&B[2] smooth soul[3]
Length	4:05
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Gregory Abbott
Producer(s)	Gregory Abbott
Gregory Abbott singles chronology
"Shake You Down" (1986) "I Got the Feelin' (It's Over)" (1987)
Music video
"Shake You Down" on YouTube

The song went to number one on the black singles chart in October 1986, and on January 17, 1987, it reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1987.^[4] It was a hit across the Atlantic Ocean, as well, peaking at number six in the UK Singles Chart (spending a total of 13 weeks on that chart from 22 November 1986).^[5] It was not intended as the original single to promote the album, as "I Got the Feeling" was scheduled to be the first single. It was postponed as the follow-up, peaking at #56.

Composition

According to Billboard, the song is about sex.^[6]

Music video

Dominic Sena of Propaganda Films came up with the idea of the scrolling effect on the music video. It is recorded as a single image on a photographic film.^[7]

There is also another music video recorded in Rio de Janeiro, especially for the Brazilian TV show Fantástico.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Shake You Down" Chart (1986–1987) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 18 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 7 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 5 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 1 Spain (AFYVE)[15] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 15 UK Singles (OCC)[17] 6 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[18] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 1 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[20] 13 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 1 West Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 13

Year-end charts 1986 year-end chart performance for "Shake You Down" Chart (1986) Position UK Singles (OCC)[23] 87 1987 year-end chart performance for "Shake You Down" Chart (1987) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[24] 78 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[25] 75 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26] 19 European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)[27] 80 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28] 20 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29] 23 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[30] 24 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[31] 27 US Billboard Hot 100[32] 3 US Cash Box Top 100[33] 34 All-time charts All-time chart performance for "Shake You Down" Chart (1958-2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100[34] 436

References

1. "Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down". 45cat.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
2. Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 399. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
3. Breihan, Tom (January 27, 2021). "The Number Ones: Gregory Abbott's "Shake You Down". Stereogum. Retrieved October 1, 2023. ..."Shake You Down" is not what I'd call a terribly smart song. Instead, it's passable adult-contempo smooth soul.
4. Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1987
5. Guinness British Hit Singles (13th ed.), London, UK: Guinness World Records Ltd, 2000, p. 69, ISBN 0-85112-111-X
6. M. Tye Comer; Mariel Concepcion; Monica Herrera; Jessica Letkemann; Evie Nagy; David J. Prince (February 11, 2010). "The 50 Sexiest Songs Of All Time". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
7. "Video". Prosieben.de. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
8. "Gregory Abbott – Shake You Down" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
9. "Gregory Abbott – Shake You Down" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0775." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Shake You Down". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Gregory Abbott" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
13. "Gregory Abbott – Shake You Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
14. "Gregory Abbott – Shake You Down". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
15. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
16. "Gregory Abbott – Shake You Down". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
17. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
18. "Gregory Abbott Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
19. "Gregory Abbott Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
20. "Gregory Abbott Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
21. "Gregory Abbott Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Gregory Abbott – Shake You Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
23. "Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Music Week: 24. January 24, 1987. ISSN 0265-1548. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
24. "Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via Imgur.
25. "Jaaroverzichten 1987" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
26. "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. Vol. 47, no. 12. Library and Archives Canada. 26 December 1987. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
27. "European Charts of the Year 1987: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 34. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
28. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
29. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
30. "END OF YEAR CHARTS 1987". Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
31. "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Adult Contemporary Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. December 26, 1987. p. Y-31. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
32. "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. December 26, 1987. p. Y-22. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
33. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1987 . Top 50 Pop Singles". Cash Box. December 26, 1987. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
34. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.

External links

• Gregory Abbott at Allmusic