I'll Take You There

For the novel by Joyce Carol Oates, see I'll Take You There (novel).

"I'll Take You There" is a song written by Al Bell (using his real name Alvertis Isbell), and originally performed by soul/gospel family band the Staple Singers. The Staple Singers version, produced by Bell, was released on Stax Records in February 1972, and spent a total of 15 weeks on the charts and reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. By December 1972, it had sold 2 million units^[5] and is ranked as the 19th biggest American hit of 1972.^[6] It remains one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time.

"I'll Take You There"
Side A of the US single
Single by the Staple Singers
from the album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself
B-side	"I'm Just Another Soldier"
Released	February 1972
Genre	Funk[1][2] gospel[2][3] soul[4]
Length	4:43 3:16 (7" version)
Label	Stax
Songwriter(s)	Al Bell
Producer(s)	Al Bell
The Staple Singers singles chronology
"Respect Yourself" (1971) "I'll Take You There" (1972) "This World" (1972)

The song was also a significant chart hit in two later cover versions. A 1991 cover version by BeBe & CeCe Winans, with Mavis Staples featured as a guest artist, made it to #1 on the R&B chart, and also reached #90 on the Hot 100.^[7] In 1994, the British band General Public released a cover of "I'll Take You There" which peaked at #22 on the Hot 100.^[8] Rap trio Salt-N-Pepa sampled "I'll Take You There" in their 1991 hit "Let's Talk About Sex". In 1997, the song was used by automobile manufacturer Chevrolet in its commercials for the revival of their Chevy Malibu.

Original Staple Singers version

Included on the group's 1972 album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, "I'll Take You There" features lead singer Mavis Staples inviting her listeners to seek Heaven. The song is almost completely a call-and-response chorus, with the introduction and bassline being lifted—uncredited—from "The Liquidator", a 1969 reggae hit written by Harry Johnson and performed by the Harry J Allstars. In fact, the entire song, written in the key of C, contains but two chords, C and F. A large portion of the song is set aside for Mavis' sisters Cleotha and Yvonne and their father "Pops" to seemingly perform solos on their respective instruments. In actuality, these solos (and all music in the song) were recorded by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. When Mavis Staples says "Daddy, now, Daddy, Daddy" (referring to "Pop's" guitar solo), it is actually Eddie Hinton who performs the solo on the record. Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section bass player David Hood performs the song's bassline. Terry Manning added harmonica and lead electric guitar. Roger Hawkins played drums, Barry Beckett was on Wurlitzer electronic piano, and Jimmy Johnson and Raymond Banks contributed guitar parts. The horn and string parts were arranged by Detroit arranger Johnny Allen. The horns and strings were recorded at Artie Fields Recording Studios in Detroit Michigan.

Quite a few Staple Singers songs reference civil rights and social conditions. Many people interpret this song as describing an imagined world in which the civil rights movement has succeeded: "No more smilin' faces/lyin' to the races."

Rolling Stone editor David Fricke described this song as the "epitome of the Muscle Shoals Sound". It was recorded in Sheffield, AL at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, and overdubbed and mixed at Ardent Studios in Memphis by Engineer Terry Manning.

Bolstered by a "feel-good" vibe, "I'll Take You There" peaked at #1 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart for four weeks May 1972. In June, "I'll Take You There" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for one week.^[9] Billboard ranked it as the #19 song for 1972.^[10] The song, ranked #276 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time^[11] and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, remains the most successful and recognizable single of the Staples' half-century-long career.

Personnel

Partial credits from Richard Buskin and Terry Manning.^[12]

The Staple Singers

• Mavis Staples – vocals
• Pops Staples – vocals
• Cleotha Staples – harmony and backing vocals
• Yvonne Staples – harmony and backing vocals

Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section

• Jimmy Johnson – guitar
• David Hood – bass
• Barry Beckett – keyboards, Wurlitzer electric piano
• Roger Hawkins – drums

Additional musicians

• Staple Sisters – harmony and backing vocals
• Terry Manning – lead guitar, guitars, fuzz guitar, Moog synthesizer, harmonica
• Eddie Hinton – lead guitar
• Raymond Banks – guitar
• The Memphis Horns (including Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love – horns (saxophones, trumpets, baritone saxophone, trombone)
• Ben Cauley – horns

Production and technical staff

• Al Bell – arranger, producer
• Johnny Allen – arranger
• Terry Manning – engineer, additional production (uncredited), additional arrangements (uncredited)
• Jerry Masters – engineer
• Ralph Rhodes – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1972) Peak position Canada Top Singles (RPM) 21 South Africa (Springbok)[13] 7 UK Singles (OCC)[14] 30 UK Soul (Disc)[15] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 1 US R&B Songs (Billboard) 1 US Cash Box Top 100[17] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1972) Rank US Billboard Hot 100[18] 19 US Cash Box Top 100[19] 22

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[20]	Gold	15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[21]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[22]	Gold	500,000‡
United States 1972 physical sales	—	1,500,000[23]
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover recordings

General Public version

"I'll Take You There"
Single by General Public
B-side	Remix "Save It For Later" (Live)
Released	1994
Studio	Encore Studios KROQ
Genre	Electronic rock reggae soul-funk pop
Length	4:08
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Al Bell
Producer(s)	General Public Ralph Sall Tony Phillips
General Public singles chronology
"In Conversation" (1986) "I'll Take You There" (1994) "Rainy Days" (1995)
Music video
"I'll Take You There" on YouTube

In 1994, British band General Public released a cover of "I'll Take You There" featured in the film Threesome, starring Lara Flynn Boyle, Stephen Baldwin and Josh Charles. The single features an added toasted verse specific to this rendition and was produced by the band with Ralph Sall and Tony Phillips. Released by Epic Records, it peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 95 on its year-end chart. It also peaked at number 73 on the UK Singles Chart and number seven on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart, ending up as number 38 on its year-end chart.

Track listing

12-inc single, UK & Europe (1994)[24] A1. "I'll Take You There" (Sunshine Club Mix) — 8:20 A2. "I'll Take You There" (Satoshie Tomiie Experience) — 9:39 A3. "I'll Take You There" (Baby Says Huh ? Dub) — 5:14 B1. "I'll Take You There" (Sunday School Dub) — 5:24 B2. "I'll Take You There" (Private Version) — 10:00 12-inch single, US (1994)[25] A1. "I'll Take You There" (Extended 7" Mix) — 5:06 A2. "I'll Take You There" (Sunshine Club Mix) — 8:20 B1. "I'll Take You There" (Hoya Tribe Trip) — 9:55 B2. "I'll Take You There" (Baby Says Huh? Dub) — 5:14 12-inch maxi-single, Europe (1994)[26] A1. "I'll Take You There" (Extended 7" Mix) — 5:06 A2. "I'll Take You There" (Sunshine Club Mix) — 8:20 B1. "I'll Take You There" (Hoya Tribe Trip) — 9:55 B2. "I'll Take You There" (Baby Says Huh? Dub) — 5:14

CD maxi-single, Europe (1994)[27] "I'll Take You There" (7" Version) — 4:08 "I'll Take You There" (Sunshine Radio Mix) — 4:30 "I'll Take You There" (Hoya Tribe Trip) — 9:55 "Save It For Later" (Live) — 5:05 CD maxi-single, South Africa (1994)[28] "I'll Take You There" (7" Version) — 4:08 "I'll Take You There" (Sunshine Radio Mix) — 4:30 "I'll Take You There" (Hoya Tribe Trip) — 9:55 "I'll Take You There" (Baby Says Huh? Dub) — 5:14 "I'll Take You There" (Extended 7" Mix) — 5:06 "Save It For Later" (Live) — 5:05 Cassette single, US (1994)[29] A. "I'll Take You There" B. "Save It For Later" (Live)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994) Peak position Canada Top Singles (RPM) 7 Europe (European Hit Radio)[30] 28 Germany (GfK)[31] 71 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[32] 20 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[33] 8 Scotland (OCC)[34] 78 UK Singles (OCC)[35] 73 US Billboard Hot 100[36] 22 US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[37] 6 US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[38] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[39] 38 US Billboard Hot 100[40] 95

Other versions

In 1991, the song returned to number-one on the US R&B chart when it was covered by BeBe & CeCe Winans, with Mavis Staples featured as a guest artist on the track.^[41] The single also peaked at number 90 on the Hot 100^[42][43] and number 11 on the Holland National Airplay chart.^[44]

In 2005, Sammy Hagar and The Waboritas released a cover titled "Let Me Take You There" as the first single from their 2006 album Livin' It Up!

See also

• List of number-one R&B singles of 1972 (U.S.)
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1972 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1991 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance singles of 1994 (U.S.)