The Nitty Gritty (song) explained

The Nitty Gritty
Type:	single
Artist:	Shirley Ellis
Album:	The Nitty Gritty
B-Side:	Give Me a List
Released:	1963
Genre:	R&B, novelty
Length:	2:12
Label:	Congress
Producer:	Hutch Davie
Next Title:	(That's) What the Nitty Gritty Is
Next Year:	1964

The Nitty Gritty
Type:	single
Artist:	Gladys Knight & the Pips
Album:	Nitty Gritty
B-Side:	Got Myself a Man
Released:	June 26, 1969
Recorded:	1969
Studio:	Motown
Genre:	R&B^[1]
Length:	2:59
Label:	Soul Records
Producer:	Norman Whitfield
Prev Title:	Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime)
Prev Year:	1969
Next Title:	Friendship Train
Next Year:	1969

"The Nitty Gritty" is a 1963 song written by Lincoln Chase and recorded by Shirley Ellis. Released by Congress Records, it reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964.^[2] In Canada it was No. 19 for 2 weeks.^{[3] [4]}

Cover versions

• Motown released a version of "The Nitty Gritty" by Gladys Knight & The Pips in mid-1969 on its Soul imprint. It reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the soul chart.^[5] In Canada it reached No. 27.^[6]
• A version by Diana Ross & The Supremes can be found on the 2001 edition of their album, Anthology
• Southern Culture on the Skids covered it on the Dirt Track Date album.

Popular culture

• A televised performance of the dance associated with the song by Robert Banas, recorded for a January 1964 episode of The Judy Garland Show, has had more than 18 million views on YouTube, 60 years after its original airing.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Book: Considine. J.D.. Coleman. Mark. Evans. Paul. McGee. David. Gladys Knight and the Pips. DeCurtis. Anthony. Henke. James. George-Warren. Holly. 1992. Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. New York. 163-164.
2. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

   . The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition . Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 205.

3. Web site: CHUM Hit Parade - December 30, 1963.
4. Web site: CHUM Hit Parade - January 6, 1964.
5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

   . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 330.

6. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - August 30, 1969.
7. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Best 60s Dancer Boy Ever - The Nitty Gritty . YouTube.