634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)
"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" is a soul song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Wilson Pickett on his 1966 Atlantic Records album The Exciting Wilson Pickett with backing vocals by Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. The single reached number 1 on the US "Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles" chart and number 13 on the "Pop Singles" chart.[1] The phone number 634-5789 is a reference to The Marvelettes' 1962 hit "Beechwood 4-5789".[2]
Tina Turner version
| "634-5789" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tina Turner & Robert Cray | ||||
| from the album Tina Live in Europe | ||||
| B-side | "Help!" (Live) | |||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Soul, Rock, R&B | |||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Eddie Floyd Steve Cropper | |||
| Producer(s) | John Hudson | |||
| Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Tina Turner recorded a live version of the track in 1986 as part of a segment in her Break Every Rule TV special, in which she interpreted classic soul songs with guitarist and singer Robert Cray, including "634-5789", Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Wilson Pickett's "Land of a Thousand Dances" and "In the Midnight Hour". The four tracks were later included on her 1988 album Tina Live in Europe and "634-5789", sung as a duet with Cray, was also issued as a single in certain territories, reaching number 14 on the Dutch singles chart. The B-sides were "Private Dancer" and "Help!", both taken from the Tina Live in Europe album.
Chart performance
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] | 23 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[4] | 14 |
Other recordings
The song has also been recorded by:
- Otis Redding
- Ry Cooder
- Johnny Van Zant
- Tower of Power
- Trace Adkins
- Bruce Springsteen has played the song live on many occasions; on his Wrecking Ball Tour, it was usually included in the set list as part of the "Apollo Medley"
Popular culture
- Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, and Jonny Lang appeared in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000 and performed "634-5789". Floyd and Pickett played the proprietors of "Ed's Love Exchange" which, according to the storyline in the movie, could be reached at 1-900-634-5789 (a reference to phone sex lines).
See also
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 461.
- "Single Stories: Wilson Pickett, "634-5789"". Rhino. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- "Ultratop.be – Tina Turner & Robert Cray – 634-5789" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Tina Turner & Robert Cray – 634-5789" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
