Rescue Me (Fontella Bass song)
Encyclopedia
"Rescue Me" is a song written by Fontella Bass
, Raynard Miner and Carl William Smith. In 1965
, it was released as a single by Fontella Bass. It would prove the biggest hit of Bass' career, reaching #1 on the R&B charts for four weeks and placing at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
. "Rescue Me" also peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart
.
Bass recorded the song in three takes at Chess Studios
in Chicago; Minnie Riperton
provided background vocals. This most popular of versions is often miscredited to Aretha Franklin
; in fact, Bass delivered her fiery vocal on "Rescue Me" three years prior to Franklin's revelatory artistic and commercial breakthrough with "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)."
The soundtrack appearances for the original version of "Rescue Me" include those for the films A Cinderella Story
, Air America
, Best
, I, Robot
, Jumpin' Jack Flash
and Sister Act
.
(*) designates lists that are unordered.
: Fontella Bass has stated that she was at a low point in her life when on New Year's Day 1990 she was astonished to hear her own voice singing "Rescue Me" on the American Express television ad. The experience gave Bass the inspiration to set her life in order: it also motivated her to make queries over the commercial use of her recording of "Rescue Me" with the ultimate result a 1993 settlement with American Express and its advertising agency awarding Bass $50,000 plus punitive damages.
"Rescue Me" was also adapted as the jingle
for a 1991 TV ad campaign for Pizza Hut
, with Aretha Franklin rendering the song as "Deliver me". In 2009 "Rescue Me" was utilized in a TV ad campaign by TENA
.
"Rescue Me" has most recently been used in an advertising campaign by L'Oréal
's "Root Rescue" product line, sung in the background of their commercial.
Fontella Bass
Fontella Bass is an American soul singer, who is best known for the 1965 R&B hit "Rescue Me", which she also co-wrote.-Early life:...
, Raynard Miner and Carl William Smith. In 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
, it was released as a single by Fontella Bass. It would prove the biggest hit of Bass' career, reaching #1 on the R&B charts for four weeks and placing at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. "Rescue Me" also peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Bass recorded the song in three takes at Chess Studios
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
in Chicago; Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
provided background vocals. This most popular of versions is often miscredited to Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
; in fact, Bass delivered her fiery vocal on "Rescue Me" three years prior to Franklin's revelatory artistic and commercial breakthrough with "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)."
The soundtrack appearances for the original version of "Rescue Me" include those for the films A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story is a 2004 American romantic comedy film. The film stars Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray and Regina King and was directed by Mark Rosman. The film's plot revolves around two Internet pen pals who meet at a school dance and fall in love but two different worlds...
, Air America
Air America (film)
Air America is a 1990 American action comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. as Air America pilots, during the Vietnam War, flying missions in Laos...
, Best
Best (film)
Best is a 2000 British film portraying the football career of the Northern Irish soccer star George Best, particularly his years spent at Manchester United...
, I, Robot
I, Robot
I, Robot is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. The stories are...
, Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jumpin' Jack Flash (film)
Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, John Wood, Annie Potts, and Jonathan Pryce...
and Sister Act
Sister Act
Sister Act is a 1992 American comedy film released by Touchstone Pictures. Directed by Emile Ardolino, it features musical arrangements by Marc Shaiman and stars Whoopi Goldberg as a Reno lounge singer who has been put under protective custody in a San Francisco convent and has to pretend to be a...
.
Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to Rescue Me is adapted from acclaimedmusic.net.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Pollock | U.S. | The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 | 2005 | * |
| Dave Marsh Dave Marsh Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on... & Kevin Stein |
U.S. | The 40 Best of the Top 40 Singles by Year | 1981 | 31 |
| Dave Marsh Dave Marsh Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on... |
U.S. | The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made | 1989 | 305 |
(*) designates lists that are unordered.
Other versions
- In 1971, Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
's album Linda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt (album)Linda Ronstadt is the third solo album by Linda Ronstadt, released in 1971 on the Capitol Records label. The album peaked at #163 on Billboard's album chart and is considered to be a front-runner in the country rock music genre.-History:...
featured a live performance of "Rescue Me" as a track. - In 1974, CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
released it as a single, that was recorded for the album Dark LadyDark Lady (album)- Personnel :* Cher - lead vocals* Snuff Garrett - record producer* Lennie Roberts - sound engineer* Al Capps - arrangement assistance* Richard Avedon - photography* Calvin Klein - dress- Chart positions :...
. - In 1976, Melissa ManchesterMelissa ManchesterMelissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage....
remade the song for her Better Days and Happy Endings album; released as a single the track reached #78 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
the only Hot 100 showing for "Rescue Me" since the original version. - Australian blues rock band StarsStars (Australian band)-Other appearances:-Members:*Glyn Dowding – drums *Malcolm Eastick – guitar, vocals *Mick Pealing – vocals *Graham Thompson – bass guitar *Andrew Durant – guitar...
recorded "Rescue Me" on their final live album 1157 in 1979. - Other artists to record this song include Elkie BrooksElkie BrooksElkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
, Shirley EikhardShirley EikhardShirley Rose Eikhard is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her song, "Something to Talk About", was recorded by musician Bonnie Raitt to significant success in the 1990s. She sang the theme song to the movie The Passion of Ayn Rand, "Love is, Love is Not"...
, Bryan FerryBryan FerryBryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
, Guys 'n' Dolls, Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Gayle McCormickGayle McCormickGayle McCormick was born in St. Louis in 1949 and her recording and performing career stretched from 1965 to 1976. McCormick had started her career singing songs by Tina Turner and Etta James.-Smith:...
, Ann PeeblesAnn PeeblesAnn Peebles is an African American singer-songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s on the Hi Records label...
, and Diana RossDiana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
. - Sass JordanSass JordanSarah "Sass" Jordan is a Canadian, Juno Award winning, rock singer/songwriter who grew up in Montreal.- Biography :...
recorded the song for the soundtrack of the 1989 film American BoyfriendsAmerican BoyfriendsAmerican Boyfriends is a 1989 Canadian comedy-drama film, and the sequel to My American Cousin . As before, written and directed by Sandy Wilson, Margaret Langrick and John Wildman reprise their roles as Sandy Wilcox and Butch Walker respectively....
; her version reached #44 on the Canadian singles chart. - Pat BenatarPat BenatarPat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...
recorded the song in 1994 for the soundtrack to the film Speed. - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
included the Fontella Bass version in his jukeboxJohn Lennon's jukeboxIn 1989, John Lennon's jukebox surfaced in an auction of Beatles memorabilia at Christie's, and was sold for £2,500 to Bristol-based music promoter John Midwinter. Lennon had apparently bought the jukebox – specifically a Swiss KB Discomatic – in 1965, and filled it with forty singles...
whilst on tour. The version was included in the compilation album of tracks from the jukebox. - The song was covered by The Doc Thomas Group, the precursor to Mott the HoopleMott the HoopleMott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
. - "Rescue Me" was also remixed as a dance track by Nu Generation, titled "In Your Arms (Rescue Me)". It was released in January 2000 in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart.
- A remix of "Rescue Me" was made by Electro-House Sensation GrumGrumGraeme Shepherd, better known by his stage name Grum, is an electronic musician from Scotland.-Career:Grum's debut album, Heartbeats, was released in May 2010. A confident debut record, inspired by 1980s disco, it has been compared to Daft Punk's Discovery and Mylo's Destroy Rock & Roll...
and is titled "Turn It Up" off his debut album "Heartbeats"
Commercial use
The original version of "Rescue Me" was utilized in a TV advertising campaign by American ExpressAmerican Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
: Fontella Bass has stated that she was at a low point in her life when on New Year's Day 1990 she was astonished to hear her own voice singing "Rescue Me" on the American Express television ad. The experience gave Bass the inspiration to set her life in order: it also motivated her to make queries over the commercial use of her recording of "Rescue Me" with the ultimate result a 1993 settlement with American Express and its advertising agency awarding Bass $50,000 plus punitive damages.
"Rescue Me" was also adapted as the jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
for a 1991 TV ad campaign for Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, with Aretha Franklin rendering the song as "Deliver me". In 2009 "Rescue Me" was utilized in a TV ad campaign by TENA
Tena
Tena may refer to:* TENA , a brand of incontinence products for adults and teenagers* Tena, Ecuador, capital of Ecuador's Napo Province* Tena , a district in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia* Tena Negere, an Ethiopian long-distance runner...
.
"Rescue Me" has most recently been used in an advertising campaign by L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
's "Root Rescue" product line, sung in the background of their commercial.