And the Beat Goes On (The Whispers song) explained

And the Beat Goes On
Cover:	And the Beat Goes On by The Whispers 12-inch US vinyl.jpg
Caption:	A-side label of U.S. 12-inch vinyl single
Type:	single
Artist:	the Whispers
Album:	The Whispers
B-Side:	Can You Do the Boogie
Released:	1979
Genre:	Post-disco^[1] electro-funk^[2]
Length:	7:30 (Long version) 4:30 (Video edit) 3:25 (7' version)
Label:	SOLAR
Prev Title:	A Song for Donny
Prev Year:	1979
Next Title:	Lady
Next Year:	1980

"And the Beat Goes On" is a 1979 single by the American music group The Whispers.^[3] The song was their first of two number-one singles on the Soul chart, and their first Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 19.^[4] "And the Beat Goes On" was the group's only number-one song on the dance chart.^[5] It was also their first and biggest hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also peaked at number 27 on the Canadian RPM chart.

In 1996 after Phyllis Hyman died, the Whispers honored her with a musical: Thank God! The Beat Goes On. The fictionalized story intertwines the long-running career of the Whispers with the rise of Hyman, using songs by the Whispers including ones Hyman sang with them such as "The Beat Goes On". The Whispers played themselves while R&B singer Alyson Williams played the role of Hyman.^[6]

Track listing

7" single

1. "And the Beat Goes On" – 3:25
2. "Can You Do the Boogie" – 3:50

12" single

1. "And the Beat Goes On" – 7:30
2. "Can You Do the Boogie" – 6:07

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "And the Beat Goes On"!Chart (1980)!Peak
position

Canada Top AC (RPM)^[7]	33
Canada Top 100 (RPM)^[8]	27
US Billboard Hot 100^[9]	19
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles	1
US Cash Box^[10]	19
US Record World^[11]	23

1987 weekly chart performance for "And the Beat Goes On"!Chart (1987)!Peak
position

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "And the Beat Goes On"!Chart (1980)!Rank

US Billboard Hot Soul Singles^[12]	5

Other notable versions

• In 1996, Lorenza released a dance club version of the song that reached number 87 in Germany.^[13]
• In 2024, the song was remixed with Celine Dion's 2002 single "I'm Alive" by Majestic and The Jammin Kid.^{[14] [15]} The single, titled "Set My Heart on Fire", debuted at number 6 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.^[16]

In popular culture

The song was sampled in Monie Love's 1989 single "I Can Do This" from her debut album Down to Earth, Will Smith's 1998 single "Miami"^[17] and BigXthaPlug's 2023 single "Mmhmm". It was also featured in the 2002 video game .^[18]

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1980 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1980 (U.S.)

Notes and References

1. Book: Ro, Ronin . Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records . 1998 . 40 . . SOLAR (...), which grew out of an association between promoter Griffey and Soul Train host Don Cornelius, released a string of post-disco hits that included Shalamar's "The Second Time Around" and the Whispers' "And the Beat Goes On..
2. Book: Stanley, Bob . Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. A Vision of Love: R&B. 13 September 2013. Faber & Faber. 978-0-571-28198-5. 719.
3. The Whispers: The Beat Goes On After 15 Years . . June 26, 1980 . 58 . 15 . 44 . Johnson Publishing Company . 0021-5996 .
4. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004 . 2004 . Record Research . 619.
5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003 . Record Research . 279.
6. The Whispers Pay Tribute to Phyllis Hyman in Stage Play 'Thank God! The Beat Goes On' . . November 11, 1996 . 90 . 26 . 22 . Johnson Publishing Company . 0021-5996 .
7. Web site: RPM Top AC Singles - July 19, 1980.
8. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - June 21, 1980.
9. Web site: The Whispers [1980] – Awards ]. . June 3, 2013.
10. Web site: CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending APRIL 12, 1980 . September 15, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120915070953/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19800412.html. . Cash Box magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
11. Web site: Songs from the Year 1980 . TsorT . April 27, 2014.
12. Web site: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 1980 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061020162030/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+R&B%2FHip-Hop+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1980 . October 20, 2006. . Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
13. https://www.chartsurfer.de/artist/lorenza/eunc.html Chartsurfer.de
14. Web site: Set My Heart On Fire (I'm Alive x And The Beat Goes On. Spotify. 3 May 2024. 10 May 2024.
15. Web site: 'Congratulations': Celine Dion praises Quebec DJ for new mashup featuring her vocals. CTV News Montreal. Lofaro. Joe. 9 May 2024. 10 May 2024.
16. Web site: Official Singles Downloads Chart on 10/5/2024 10 May 2024 - 16 May 2024. Official Charts. 10 May 2024. 10 May 2024.
17. Larry . Flick . Singles > Will Smith: Miami (3:19) . . 3 October 1998 . 110 . 40 . 24 . 0006-2510 .
18. Web site: Heather . Phares . Original Soundtrack – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Vol. 6: Fever 105 . . August 1, 2013.