Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves

"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a 1985 song recorded as a duet by the British pop duo Eurythmics and American soul/R&B singer Aretha Franklin. It was released as a single by RCA Records in October 1985, and was featured on both Eurythmics' Be Yourself Tonight and Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who? albums.

Background

"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is considered to be a modern feminist anthem and was written by Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They had originally intended to duet with Tina Turner, who was unavailable at the time and so the duo approached Aretha Franklin instead.

The song was highly successful, reaching #9 on the UK Singles Chart and #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

The track also features three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers; Stan Lynch on drums, Benmont Tench on organ, and Mike Campbell on lead guitar, plus session bassist Nathan East.

Music video

This music video was taped at Detroit's Music Hall. The video is interspersed with clips from old black and white films, including 1962's A Kind of Loving. The video uses the single version of the song, as opposed to the album version.

Track listings

A: "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" (7" Version) - 4:35
B: "I Love You Like A Ball And Chain" (LP Version) - 4:08

12"

A1: "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" (LP Version) - 5:54
B1: "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" (ET Mix) - 7:53
B2: "I Love You Like A Ball And Chain" (LP Version) - 4:08

Personnel

Annie Lennox – vocals, keyboards
David A. Stewart – guitars, keyboards
Nathan East – bass guitar
Stan Lynch – drums
Mike Campbell – lead guitar
Benmont Tench – organ
Aretha Franklin – guest vocals
The Charles Williams Singers – gospel choir

Cover versions

The song was performed by the cartoon character Lisa Simpson (as sung by actress Yeardley Smith) along with Ann & Nancy Wilson and Lisa's aunts Patty and Selma Bouvier on The Yellow Album released in 1998.
In 2005, The Pointer Sisters recorded a cover version of the song with Belgian singer Natalia. The single was released only in Belgium in October 2005 and reached number two on the Belgian singles chart.
Dutch singer Raffaëla Paton, winner of the 3rd season of the reality series Idols Netherlands, recorded a cover of the song with Idols runner-up Floortje Smit. Their rendition was included on Paton's 2006 debut album Raffaëla.
Hazell Dean recorded a cover version of this song with American Diva Marina in 1998 on MRK Records.^[3]
The television show Xena: Warrior Princess featured a cover of the song by actress Lucy Lawless in the episode Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire.

Live cover performances

In 1986 prior to her music career, Kylie Minogue and sister Dannii performed a live cover version of the song on Australian TV Show Young Talent Time.^[4]
In 1998 the Spice Girls performed a live cover version of the song on their Spiceworld Tour, as a duet between Mel C (Sporty Spice) and Mel B (Scary Spice). They also performed it on TFI Friday.
In 2011 Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson & Yolanda Adams covered this song at 53rd Grammy Awards.

Chart performance

Chart (1985)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[5]	15
Belgian Singles Chart	17
Canadian Singles Chart^[6]	33
Dutch Singles Chart^[7]	17
German Singles Chart^[8]	22
Irish Singles Chart^[9]	5
New Zealand Singles Chart^[10]	6
Polish Singles Chart	29
Swiss Singles Chart^[11]	20
UK Singles Chart^[12]	9
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[13]	18
U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart^[13]	10
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales Chart^[14]	36

References

↑ United Sound Systems » Museum » Detroit's Musical History
↑ SoulfulDetroit - United Sound Systems - Great Soul Music Recording Studios of Detroit
↑ HazellDean.net
↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIHxEq-Ql60
↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and 19 June 1988.
↑ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
↑ Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Group - http://www.fireballmedia.ie. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
↑ "ChartArchive - Eurythmics And Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves". Chartstats.com. 1986-01-25. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
1 2 http://www.billboard.com/artist/301929/eurythmics/chart?f=359
↑ Eurythmics. "Eurythmics - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-23.

External links

Aretha Franklin

Studio albums

Columbia	Aretha (1961) The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962) The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin (1962) Laughing on the Outside (1963) Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington (1964) Runnin' Out of Fools (1964) Yeah!!! (1965) Soul Sister (1966) Take It Like You Give It (1967) Take a Look (1967) Soft and Beautiful (1969)

Atlantic	I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967) Aretha Arrives (1967) Lady Soul (1968) Aretha Now (1968) Soul '69 (1969) This Girl's in Love with You (1970) Spirit in the Dark (1970) Young, Gifted and Black (1972) Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) (1973) Let Me in Your Life (1974) With Everything I Feel in Me (1974) You (1975) Sparkle (1976) Sweet Passion (1977) Almighty Fire (1978) La Diva (1979)

Arista	Aretha (1980) Love All the Hurt Away (1981) Jump to It (1982) Get It Right (1983) Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) Aretha (1986) Through the Storm (1989) What You See Is What You Sweat (1991) A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998) So Damn Happy (2003)

Other	Songs of Faith (1956) This Christmas, Aretha (2008) Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011) Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics (2014)

Live albums

Aretha in Paris (1968)
Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971)
Amazing Grace (1972)
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (1987)
Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly, 1972 (2007)

Compilation albums

Aretha's Gold (1969)
Aretha's Greatest Hits (1971)
The Best of Aretha Franklin (1973)
Aretha Sings the Blues (1980)
30 Greatest Hits (1985)
Greatest Hits: 1980–1994 (1994)
The Early Years (1997)
Greatest Hits (1998)
Aretha's Best (2001)
Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul (2007)
Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen (2007)
A Deeper Love: The Best of Aretha Franklin (2009)
The Great American Songbook (2011)
Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin (1980-1998) (2012)

Box sets

Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings (1992/2014)
Take A Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia (2011)

Singles

"Precious Lord (Part 1)" (1959)
"Today I Sing the Blues" (1960)
"Won't Be Long" (1960)
"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (1961)
"Operation Heartbreak" (1961)
"I Surrender, Dear" (1962)
"Try a Little Tenderness" (1962)
"Say It Isn't So" (1963)
"Skylark" (1963)
"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (1964)
"One Step Ahead" (1965)
"You Made Me Love You" (1965)
"Mockingbird" (1967)
"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967)
"Respect" (1967)
"Baby I Love You" (1967)
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967)
"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"
"Chain of Fools" (1967)
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1968)
"(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (1968)
"Think" (1968)
"You Send Me" (1968)
"The House That Jack Built" (1968)
"I Say a Little Prayer" (1968)
"See Saw" (1968)
"My Song" (1968)
"The Weight" (1969)
"Tracks of My Tears" (1969)
"I Can't See Myself Leaving You" (1969)
"Gentle on My Mind" (1969)
"Share Your Love with Me" (1969)
"Eleanor Rigby" (1969)
"Call Me" (1970)
"Son of a Preacher Man" (1970)
"Spirit in the Dark" (1970)
"The Thrill Is Gone" (1970)
"Don't Play That Song" (1970)
"Border Song (Holy Moses)" (1970)
"You're All I Need to Get By" (1971)
"Bridge over Troubled Water" (1971)
"Spanish Harlem" (1971)
"Rock Steady" (1971)
"Day Dreaming" (1972)
"Wholy Holy" (1972)
"Angel" (1973)
"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" (1973)
"I'm in Love" (1974)
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1974)
"Something He Can Feel" (1976)
"Break It to Me Gently" (1977)
"What a Fool Believes" (1981)
"It's My Turn" (1981)
"Jump to It" (1982)
"Get It Right" (1983)
"Freeway of Love" (1985)
"Who's Zoomin' Who" (1985)
"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (1985)
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986)
"Jimmy Lee" (1986)
"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987)
"Oh Happy Day" (1988)
"Gimme Your Love" (1989)
"It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (1989)
"Everyday People" (1991)
"Someday We'll All Be Free" (1992)
"A Deeper Love" (1993)
"A Rose Is Still a Rose" (1998)
"Here We Go Again" (1998)
"Put You Up on Game" (2007)
"Rolling in the Deep (The Aretha Version)" (2014)