Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves

"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"
Single by Cher
from the album Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves
B-side "He'll Never Know"
Released September 1971
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1971
Genre Folk rock
Length 2:36
Label Kapp (US)
MCA (UK)
Writer(s) Bob Stone
Producer(s) Snuff Garrett
Certification Gold [1]
Cher singles chronology
"For What It's Worth"
(1969)
"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"
(1971)
"The Way of Love"
(1972)
Alternative covers
Spanish Single

"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" was a #1 single in 1971 by American singer-actress Cher from the album of the same name, her seventh solo album. It was her first chart-topper as a solo artist in the United States. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA for its sales of over 1 million copies.

Song information

"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" was the first single from Cher's 1971 eponymous album Cher with instrumental backing by L.A session musicians from the Wrecking Crew.[2] The album was subsequently renamed and re-released as Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves after the success of the single. The song was written by songwriter Bob Stone as a story-song called "Gypsys, Tramps and White Trash". Producer Snuff Garrett advised that the title be changed and Stone then changed it to "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves". The album of the same name got very positive reviews, with the lead single being highlighted by All Music reviewer.[3]

Released four years after her last top ten hit "You Better Sit Down Kids", this song was a comeback single for Cher—it was her first single in four years to chart higher than #84—not only returning her to the top ten of the charts but also giving her two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1971. It knocked off "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart which had spent the previous month at number one. The single also reached #1 in Canada and #4 in the United Kingdom. It became Cher's best-selling single at that point, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide.[4] As of November 2011, Billboard reported the digital sales of "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" to be 212,000 in the US.[5]

The song describes the life of a girl, the narrator of the song, who was "born in the wagon of a traveling show". Her mother "used to dance for the money they'd throw", while her father would do "whatever he could; preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good". Although the people of the town insulted them with such terms suggested in the title of the song, the men paid them well "every night" for their services.

When a young man is picked up in Mobile, the narrator is 16, while he is 21. Her family took care of him for a while and allowed him to travel with them to Memphis, although her father "would have shot him if he knew what he'd done" when he has sex with the narrator. Three months later, the narrator describes herself as a "gal in trouble", and her young man has disappeared.

Echoing the beginning of the song, the narrator's own daughter was "born in the wagon of a traveling show", while the narrator now dances "for the money they throw" and "Grandpa" — the narrator's own father — supported them in just the same way as before.

The title of this song has also been shown with the alternative spelling "Gypsies", this being a correct spelling of this word.

Live performances

Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:

Music video

"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"

Problems playing this file? See media help.

The video for "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" was Cher's first music video. The video was a recorded performance of the song on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1971. Throughout the video Cher is singing in front of a house wagon and in front of a fire. A second video was made, but it was very similar to the original. In the second video, clips of dancing female gypsies were shown.

Remix version

In 2002, a special remix medley was created by Dan-O-Rama for a video montage that was used in Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. The medley contains the videos of "All I Really Want to Do", "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady".

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 5
Belgian Singles Chart 27
Canadian RPM Top Singles[6] 1
Dutch Mega Top 50 Singles Chart [7] 23
German Singles Chart 25
Irish Singles Chart 3
Japanese Singles Chart 17
Malaysian Singles Chart[8] 2
New Zealand Singles Chart 2
Singapore Singles Chart[9] 2
UK Singles Chart[10] 4
US Billboard Hot 100 1
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 6
US Cash Box Top 100[11] 1

Year-end charts

Country (1971) Position
Canadian RPM Top Singles[12] 4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13] 52
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 39

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[15] Gold 1,000,000
Digital
United States (RIAA)[15] 212,000[16]

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
"Maggie May" / "Reason to Believe" by Rod Stewart
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
November 6, 1971
Succeeded by
"Theme from Shaft" by Isaac Hayes
Preceded by
"Yo-Yo" by The Osmonds
Canadian RPM number one single
November 6, 1971
Succeeded by
"Imagine" by John Lennon

In popular culture and covers

References

  1. RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for single Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves by Cher
  2. Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin’s Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
  3. "Cher's Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves All Music review". All Music. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  4. "Cher's Best Selling Singles Of The Seventies". Cher News. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  5. "Ask Billboard: Cher Information, Yes?". Billboard. 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  6. RPM chart archives at Collections Canada for the Cher single Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves.
  7. "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" in Dutch Singles Chart Dutchcharts.nl (Retrieved January 16, 2009)
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=8CcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT27&dq=Cher+gypsys,+tramps+%26+thieves+hits+of+the+world&hl=it&sa=X&ei=l40SUaKrKKmC4gT2qoCQCA&redir_esc=y.
  9. https://books.google.com/books?id=8CcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT27&dq=Cher+gypsys,+tramps+%26+thieves+hits+of+the+world&hl=it&sa=X&ei=l40SUaKrKKmC4gT2qoCQCA&redir_esc=y.
  10. "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" in UK Singles Chart . Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  11. "Cash Box 100 Singles chart
  12. RPM chart archives at Collections Canada for the Cher single Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves.
  13. "UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 1971 - Year End". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  14. "Billboard Top 100 - 1971". Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  15. 1 2 "American single certifications – Cher – Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  16. "Ask Billboard: Cher Information, Yes?". Billboard. 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  17. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751232/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd
  18. http://www.musictimes.com/articles/14236/20141103/kurt-cobain-mixtape-before-nirvana-bleach-montage-heck-listen.htm

External links

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