The Right Stuff (Vanessa Williams song)

"The Right Stuff" is a song by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released as the first single from her 1988 debut studio album of the same name. The crossover single was very successful and became a top-five hit on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as making the Billboard Hot 100. "The Right Stuff" also went to number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart for one week.^[1] It peaked at number 71^[2] on the UK Singles Chart and re-entered the charts in 1989, this time peaking at number 62^[3] with a remixed version. At the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, but lost to Anita Baker's "Giving You The Best That I Got".

"The Right Stuff"
Single by Vanessa Williams
from the album The Right Stuff
Released	January 27, 1988
Recorded	1987
Studio	Jam Power (Los Angeles)[a] O'Henry Sound (Burbank, California)[b]
Genre	Dance-pop new jack swing R&B
Length	4:18
Label	Wing
Songwriter(s)	Rex Salas Kipper Jones
Producer(s)	Rex Salas
Vanessa Williams singles chronology
"The Right Stuff" (1988) "(He's Got) The Look" (1988)
Music video
"The Right Stuff" on YouTube

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine Music & Media picked "The Right Stuff" as Single of the Week. They wrote, "Excellent dance-pop/new jack swing/R&B mixture from this hot new artist, or Miss America in 1983. The groove has a definite Jam/Lewis much, but with the dry synthesized percussion and the effective use of vocals and sampling, the overall atmosphere is irresistible and bound for the clubs."^[4]

Music video

The accompanying video for "The Right Stuff" was filmed in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Track listing and formats

• CD single

1. "The Right Stuff" (Extended Version) – 5:37
2. "The Right Stuff" (Radio Version) – 4:15
3. "The Right Stuff" (Dub-A-Delic) – 5:43

• 12" vinyl maxi

A1. "The Right Stuff" (Radio Version) – 4:15

A2. "The Right Stuff" (Extended Version) – 5:37

B1. "The Right Stuff" (Edited Version) – 3:51

B2. "The Right Stuff" (Dub-A-Delic) – 5:43

Usage in media

The song was featured in the premiere of the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race, being performed by contestants Venus D-Lite and Shangela in a "lipsync for your life". It was featured again in the eighth episode of the fifteenth season in the second round of the Lip Sync LaLaPaRuZa Smackdown, being performed by contestants Luxx Noir London, Anetra and Jax.

Charts

Weekly charts 1988 weekly chart performance for "The Right Stuff" Chart (1988) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 21 UK Singles (OCC)[8] 71 US Billboard Hot 100[9] 44 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[10] 1 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[11] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12] 4 US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[13] 59 US Top Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[14] 3 1989 weekly chart performance for "The Right Stuff" Chart (1989) Peak position UK Singles (OCC)[15] 62

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "The Right Stuff" Chart (1988) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 87 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[17] 41 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[17] 19 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[18] 69

Notes

1. Basic tracks and overdubs
2. Overdubs