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DeVaughn wrote "A Cadillac Don't Come Easy", eventually re-written to become "Be
Thankful for What You Got" in 1972, and spent $ 900 toward it under a development agreement, under which an artist will record a few initial demos or tracks where, if successfully approved, the company may reserve the
401:
The edited version, which is the first part of the song, became a hit. The other half of the song is a longer instrumental with the repeated chords and rhythm before the final chorus comes in. The song is seven minutes long and radio stations preferred the sung portions over the instrumental
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372:, who also developed the separate ad lib back-up chorus with his sister's vocal choir. John Davis provided the electric Keyboard. Frank Fioravanti then secured the song's release on the
337:
The song is noted for its repeated line: "Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean", which has been sampled and interpolated in many songs.
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The song's refrain "Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean" has been referenced, sampled and/or interpolated in the following songs:
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762:. A music video was produced for the song; however, it was not released as a stand-alone commercial single. Instead, a remix by
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sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring of 1974, reaching #1 on the U.S. R&B charts and #4 on the
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Massive Attack's cover version, retitled "Be
Thankful for What You've Got", was featured on their 1991 debut album
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right to extend the arrangement to Omega Sound, a
Philadelphia production house, and release the song.
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680:("Diamond in the back, sunroof top, waiting for the credit card so she can go and shop")
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Vibraphone player Craig Peyton for
Profile Records 1983, electro sequencer arrangement.
695:(1998) ("Nine in my hand, ounce in my crotch, diggin' the scene with a gangsta slouch")
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735:("Moves is in the back, let the beat drop, diggin’ the scene, with Mackenzie and me").
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on their bootleg recording Live at Nakano
Sunplaza, Tokyo, Japan (May 11th 1986)
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312:" (also noted in some publications as "Be Thankful for What You've Got") is a
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William DeVaughn: Be
Thankful for What You Got: A Golden Classics Edition.
861:'s cover version, "Be Thankful for What You Got", appeared on his 2009 EP
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Winston
Curtisin a reggae style in 1984 (on World International Records)
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1161:(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 152.
865:, Beautiful Flying Records. The EP contains two versions of the song.
387:(and often erroneously attributed to him), its simple and encouraging
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Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop
Singles, December 28, 1974
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Lipbone
Redding and the LipBone Orchestra: Science of Bootyism
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Collectables CD COL-5271. Collectables Record Corp., 1994.
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In 1980, DeVaughn recorded a remake, on his second album,
717:(2002) ("old-school Caddy with a diamond in the back")
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942:
Addams Family Values: Music from the Motion Picture
391:hit home, to the extent that it became featured on
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1130:"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada"
1105:"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada"
1378:Be Thankful for What You've Got (2012 Mix/Master)
1212:Canada, Library and Archives (January 16, 2018).
873:Other artists who have covered the song include:
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1301:Massive Attack - Massive Attack E.P. at Discogs
766:was also included on their 1992 single release
1354:Be Thankful for What You Got (Parts 1 & 2)
1403:
906:Bunny Clarke, in a reggae style (produced by
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1182:Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990
928:as the opening theme for the 1991 movie
903:Donovan Carless in a reggae style in 1974
751:
683:"Brakes" by De La Soul on the 1996 album
376:record label, run by producer-songwriter
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1156:
383:With a sound and content influenced by
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1257:The Life and Music of William DeVaughn
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1201:Cash Box Top 100 Singles, July 6, 1974
166:"Be Thankful for What You Got, Part 2"
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1080:Curtis Mayfield - Diamond in the Back
1054:"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"
410:
349:The session featured members of the
316:song written and first performed by
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
13:
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627:The song is featured in the films
554:
14:
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776:"Be Thankful for What You've Got"
1277:"N.W.A – Gangsta Gangsta Lyrics"
1159:British Hit Singles & Albums
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1366:Be Thankful for What You've Got
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1087:from the original on 2021-12-12
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847:Jeff Eyrich for Lipbone Redding
34:needs additional citations for
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296:"Blood Is Thicker than Water"
124:"Be Thankful for What You Got"
58:"Be Thankful for What You Got"
1:
939:on the 1993 soundtrack album
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531:Chart (1980) (Re-recording)
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310:Be Thankful for What You Got
289:Be Thankful for What You Got
268:Frank Fioravanti, John Davis
195:, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
152:Be Thankful for What You Got
7:
1219:Library and Archives Canada
931:The Taking of Beverly Hills
10:
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916:Sunset Gun in 1984 for CBS
859:Lawrence "Lipbone" Redding
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1332:Nathan, David. Notes for
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1453:Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles
1445:Grant "Daddy G" Marshall
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1000:On the Streets of Dreams
674:, from their 1991 album
353:group — guitarist
16:Song by William DeVaughn
1157:Roberts, David (2006).
1134:Collectionscanada.gc.ca
1109:Collectionscanada.gc.ca
854:Lipbone Redding version
794:Science of Bootyism EP
731:"Shootin' The Gift" by
670:"Keepin' the Faith" by
617:Figures Can't Calculate
983:(titled "Be Thankful")
752:Massive Attack version
738:"Sonate Pacifique" by
1438:Adrian "Tricky" Thaws
1814:Massive Attack songs
1431:Robert "3D" Del Naja
1007:on their 2021 album
967:Blessing in Disguise
895:on their 1974 album
880:on their 1974 album
43:improve this article
1623:Unfinished Sympathy
1347:Lyrics of this song
1233:Musicoutfitters.com
908:Lee "Scratch" Perry
821:6:12 (long version)
700:Diamond in the Back
691:"West Savannah" by
437:Adult Contemporary
1584:Splitting the Atom
1551:Compilation albums
1351:William DeVaughn:
998:on her 2018 album
991:Love is the Answer
979:on his 2001 album
677:De La Soul Is Dead
652:"Keep Smiling" by
504:Adult Contemporary
276:singles chronology
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1746:DJ-Kicks: Daddy G
963:Cleveland Watkiss
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768:Massive Attack EP
722:Shut Up and Drive
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1693:Butterfly Caught
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1375:Massive Attack:
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1315:. Archived from
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1028:"Record Details"
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1009:Raw & Direct
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969:(Polydor 1991).
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792:from the album
786:Lipbone Redding
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733:Hip Club Groove
661:Gangsta Gangsta
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555:Year-end charts
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385:Curtis Mayfield
374:Roxbury Records
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241:Roxbury Records
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215:(album version)
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149:from the album
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1773:The Wild Bunch
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1679:Inertia Creeps
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1630:Safe from Harm
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1576:Extended plays
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1363:Bunny Clarke:
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1341:External links
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1319:on 2011-05-13.
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883:Energy of Love
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764:Paul Oakenfold
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686:Stakes Is High
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1686:Special Cases
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1591:Ritual Spirit
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1559:Singles 90/98
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1541:No Protection
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1487:Studio albums
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1313:"Be Thankful"
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1168:1-904994-10-5
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1058:Rolling Stone
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973:Omar Lye-Fook
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878:The Intruders
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829:
828:Songwriter(s)
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740:L'Imperatrice
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562:Chart (1974)
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423:Chart (1974)
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416:Weekly charts
413:
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406:Chart history
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381:
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371:
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366:Vince Montana
364:
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355:Norman Harris
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249:Songwriter(s)
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227:(single edit)
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99:February 2021
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60: –
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54:Find sources:
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32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1809:2009 singles
1804:1992 singles
1799:1974 singles
1744:
1737:
1700:Live with Me
1596:
1589:
1582:
1564:
1557:
1539:
1533:Remix albums
1521:
1516:100th Window
1514:
1507:
1500:
1493:
1468:Neil Davidge
1463:Tracey Thorn
1458:Shara Nelson
1443:
1436:
1429:
1333:
1317:the original
1307:
1296:
1284:. Retrieved
1280:
1271:
1261:, retrieved
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1177:
1158:
1138:. Retrieved
1136:. 1974-07-13
1133:
1124:
1113:. Retrieved
1111:. 1974-07-27
1108:
1099:
1089:, retrieved
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1073:
1062:. Retrieved
1060:. 2021-09-15
1057:
1048:
1036:. Retrieved
1031:
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1008:
999:
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966:
955:Little Honda
954:
940:
929:
898:Reel to Real
896:
881:
872:
869:Other covers
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639:(2005) and
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451:Top Singles
446:
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370:Allan Felder
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1763:Discography
1616:Daydreaming
1473:Horace Andy
1038:30 November
981:Best By Far
977:Erykah Badu
948:Yo La Tengo
842:Producer(s)
654:Gabor Szabo
611:1980 remake
378:Wes Farrell
263:Producer(s)
193:Sigma Sound
1794:1972 songs
1788:Categories
1732:I Want You
1714:The Spoils
1707:Four Walls
1644:Protection
1523:Heligoland
1502:Protection
1495:Blue Lines
1263:2022-02-04
1140:2019-11-28
1115:2019-11-28
1091:2021-07-19
1064:2022-07-05
975:featuring
889:Arthur Lee
759:Blue Lines
715:Big Tymers
672:De La Soul
642:La Mission
623:Later uses
402:portions.
359:Earl Young
357:, drummer
341:Background
174:March 1974
69:newspapers
1658:Risingson
1651:Karmacoma
1566:Collected
1509:Mezzanine
1286:20 August
1032:45cat.com
910:) in 1975
711:Still Fly
580:Billboard
536:position
501:Billboard
487:Billboard
472:Billboard
428:position
327:Billboard
1819:Cadillac
1756:See also
1665:Teardrop
1085:archived
937:Portrait
800:Released
704:Ludacris
645:(2010).
633:(2002),
592:Cash Box
582:Hot 100
570:Canada
519:Top 100
516:Cash Box
179:Recorded
171:Released
1608:Singles
1598:Eutopia
1383:YouTube
1371:YouTube
1359:YouTube
1327:Sources
1034:. 45cat
726:Rihanna
693:Outkast
636:Be Cool
490:R&B
476:Hot 100
445:Canada
433:Canada
329:Hot 100
298:(1974)
293:(1974)
83:scholar
1724:Others
1281:Genius
1188:
1165:
1005:Orgone
808:Length
782:Single
747:Covers
742:(2014)
728:(2007)
706:(2004)
667:(1988)
656:(1976)
602:
393:gospel
389:lyrics
363:vibist
322:record
320:. The
200:Length
188:Studio
161:B-side
139:Single
85:
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1672:Angel
1015:Notes
987:Rumer
724:" by
713:" by
702:" by
665:N.W.A
663:" by
590:U.S.
578:U.S.
565:Rank
513:U.S.
499:U.S.
485:U.S.
469:U.S.
332:chart
236:Label
90:JSTOR
76:books
1288:2021
1186:ISBN
1163:ISBN
1040:2017
920:Sade
893:Love
891:and
534:Peak
426:Peak
351:MFSB
314:soul
182:1972
62:news
1637:Sly
1381:on
1369:on
1357:on
965:on
784:by
630:Bug
596:64
585:60
573:68
546:44
508:31
464:31
448:RPM
435:RPM
141:by
45:by
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952:EP
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