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"Getaway" is a song by R&B/funk band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in 1976 on Columbia Records as the first single from the band's seventh studio album Spirit.[1] The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[2][3] "Getaway" also peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Dance Singles charts.[4] A remixed version appears on the soundtrack for Gran Turismo 4.
| "Getaway" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Earth, Wind & Fire | ||||
| from the album Spirit | ||||
| B-side | "Getaway (Instrumental)" | |||
| Released | July 7, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:47 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bernard "Beloyd" Taylor, Peter Cor Belenky | |||
| Producer(s) | Maurice White, Charles Stepney | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Getaway" was produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney and composed by Beloyd Taylor and Peter Cor Belenky.[1]
An instrumental version of "Getaway" was included as the single's B-side.
Joe McEwen of Rolling Stone said "'Getaway', a current pop smash, is EWF at its best. The theme is in line with urban escapist classics like 'Up on the Roof' and 'World of Fantasy', with pyramid mumbo-jumbo temporarily laid aside. A propulsive funk track laced with dizzying changes makes the song one of the most sophisticated pop hits in recent memory".[5] Record World said that "A tapestry of electronics and syncopated vocals provides an inertia that should send the song skyrocketing to the top."[6] Ed Hogan of AllMusic described "Getaway" as a "fantastically frantic jam". He also noted that "listen to the opening horn blasts which could be termed assaultive if this wasn't such a cut as well as the earth-shaking energy that's released on the track, it's easily one of the band's most sensational sides."[7] Music Week declared that the song "opens proceedings in fine style, with Philip Bailey's falsetto sweetening its funky rhythms".[8]
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| Chart (1976–1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 29 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 1 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
- "Getaway" was sampled by Poor Righteous Teachers on the song "Strictly Ghetto".
- The song was also sampled by Papoose and Sheek Louch Featuring Busta Rhymes, Raekwon and Young Chris on the song "Power Cypher".[10][11]
- It was also sampled on the Boards of Canada album Music Has the Right to Children, on the track "Sixtyten".
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