Brick House (song)
| "Brick House" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Commodores | |
| from the album Commodores | |
| Released | August 26, 1977 |
| Format | 7", 12", vinyl, 45 rpm |
| Recorded | 1977 |
| Genre | Disco, Funk |
| Length | 3:37 |
| Label | Motown |
| Writer(s) | Shirley Hanna-King [uncredited], Lionel Richie, Milan Williams, Walter Orange, Ronald La Pread, Thomas McClary, William King |
"Brick House" is a song from the Commodores' 1977 self-titled album (released as Zoom in the UK). The single peaked at #5 in the U.S. and #32 in the UK Singles Chart.
In 1977, the Commodores were in the studio recording when there was a problem with the equipment. While the tapes were being repaired and replaced, the group took a break. Ronald LaPread, the group's bass player, began jamming. Bit by bit the rest of the band joined in until they came up with a track and bass line. Upon returning, James Carmichael, the Commodores' producer, heard and recognized that this could be a song worth recording. He asked everyone to see if they could use the riff to come up with a song. Taking the tapes home, William King played them for his wife, Shirley Hanna-King. While he slept she was inspired to write lyrics for the riff, modifying the expression "built like a brick shithouse" for the song.
The following day King sang the lyrics to "Brick House" to the band, allowing them to think he had written it. They loved it and decided that drummer Walter "Clyde" Orange had the funky voice to sing lead vocals, (as opposed to Lionel Richie, who usually sang lead), and the song went on the new album.
It took several years before the other members of the group discovered that it was actually Shirley Hanna-King who had written the lyrics, and although she was not originally credited, the band has publicly acknowledged her as the song's writer.
In 1995, Mayte released "House of Brick", a rap version of "Brick House", on NPG Records. The track appears on her debut album Child of the Sun. The song features The New Power Generation, and Mayte's then-husband, Prince who sings the chorus and the verses with her. That same year, Dread Zeppelin covered this song as "Brick House (of the Holy!)" on their album No Quarter Pounder.
"Brick House" was also covered in 2003 by Rob Zombie on the House of 1000 Corpses Soundtrack and released as a promo single. The song can also be found on Zombie's Past, Present & Future album. In the song, Zombie collaborates with Lionel Richie (who did not sing on the original version) and Trina on vocals.
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