You Gotta Be
| "You Gotta Be" | |||||||||||||
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 Original CD single cover | |||||||||||||
| Single by Des'ree | |||||||||||||
| from the album I Ain't Movin' | |||||||||||||
| Released |
9 April 1994 3 June 1995 (re-release) 22 May 1999 (1999 Mix) | ||||||||||||
| Format | |||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1993 | ||||||||||||
| Genre | |||||||||||||
| Length | 4:04 | ||||||||||||
| Label | Sony Soho Square | ||||||||||||
| Writer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Ashley Ingram | ||||||||||||
| Des'ree singles chronology | |||||||||||||
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"You Gotta Be" is a song by British singer Des'ree. Written by the singer with the track's producer, Ashley Ingram, it was the first single release from her second album I Ain't Movin'.
Background
Described by Stuart Elliott in The New York Times as "an infectiously sunny tune about the affirmative powers of self-confidence,"[1] "You Gotta Be" according to Des'ree is, like all the songs on its parent album, "about having the inner strength to figure out who you are" with "You Gotta Be" specifically being "born out of me stopping myself and thinking everyday how you gotta be something. You have to be cool and calm in [one] situation, and then you have to be bold and strong in another situation."[2] Des'ree drew inspiration for "You Gotta Be" from the Shakti Gawain book Creative Visualization which had abetted the singer's recovery from a painful romantic break-up; "I've always been blindly optimistic, and that [book] helped me rise from my melancholia," explains Des'ree who it is said "swears by daily affirmations."[3]
"You Gotta Be" was released several times in the United Kingdom: first in April 1994, it was then re-released in March 1995 after it had become a USA top 10 hit, and in 1999 in a remixed version because of its use in the 1999 Ford Focus advertising campaign and following the success of Des'ree's previous singles "Life" and "Kissing You". The latter release of "You Gotta Be" charted in its highest position out of all three releases in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 10. This version, entitled the "1999 Mix" was added to a re-issue of her third studio album Supernatural. The original release first charted in September 1994 in the United States and slowly climbed the charts peaking at No. 5 in March 1995, and staying 44 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The remixed version of the song was a number one hit in Spain for two weeks, in February/March 1999.
Media appearances
In April 1994, it was used by Sky Movies, for their summer preview commercial. Also, in March 1995, ABC began airing an ad campaign for Good Morning America, aimed at attracting a younger demographic and also boosting male viewership, in which Des'ree's "You Gotta Be" played under scenes of "Americans immersed in morning rituals: commuters rushing, a young man shaving, school-bound children" intercut with shots of the Good Morning America hosts.[1]
In Italy, the song became popular after it was chosen as the soundtrack of some TV adverts, including those of Breil in 1996 and Ford Focus of 2000.[4][5] In Australia, circa early 2000s, this song was used in a Westpac bank advert.
This song was featured in the films The Next Karate Kid and The Object of My Affection. It was also used in a special promo for PBS Kids shown every Martin Luther King, Jr. Day between 1999 to 2004.
A reworked version of this song was used in the Big Sing 2008. The Big Sing is to raise money for Childline by hundreds of schools singing this song at the same time across Ireland, England and Wales. If the number of children participating is big enough, the Big Sing will make it into the Guinness Book of World Records 2010.[6]
Music video
The music video is filmed in black and white. In 1995, it was nominated in the category of "Best Female Video" at that year's MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Madonna's "Take a Bow".
Other versions
"You Gotta Be" has been covered by:
- Ethel Ennis on her 1998 album If Women Ruled the World.
- Natalie Cole on her 2006 album Leavin'.
- British/Japanese singer MiChi on her 2008 album MiChi Madness'.
- Japanese emo band Nature Living on their album 2008 album After All.
- Patti Austin as her contribution to the 2003 album Church – Songs of Soul and Inspiration, also included on her 2011 album Sound Advice.
- Ronan Parke on his 2011 debut album Ronan Parke.
- DJ Okawari featuring vocals by Amadori, on his 2009 album Mirror.
Track listings
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Charts
Peak positions
1 Remixed version |
Year-end charts
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References
- 1 2 Elliott, Stuart (6 March 1995). "Pop music takes center stage in a 'Good Morning America' campaign to attract younger viewers". New York Times. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
- ↑ Billboard vol 107 No. 4 (28 January 1995) p.12
- ↑ Romero, Michele (17 February 1995). "In Goddess, a Diva: Daily Affirmations with Des'ree". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- ↑ Habib, Elia (2002). Muz hit.tubes (in French). Alinéa Bis. p. 431. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X.
- ↑ King, Alex P. (2004). Hit-parade – 20 ans de tubes (in French). Paris: Pascal. p. 347. ISBN 2-35019-009-9.
- ↑ Big Sing 2008
- 1 2 3 4 5 "You Gotta Be", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved 24 February 2008)
- ↑ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
- ↑ German Singles Chart (Retrieved 9 January 2012)
- ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
- ↑ UK Singles Chart (1995 release) Chartstats.com (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
- ↑ UK Singles Chart (1999 release) Chartstats.com (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
- ↑ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
- ↑ 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved 30 January 2009)
- ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1995". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
External links
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