THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

721-Bryan Ferry-Let’s Stick Together.

1976-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 2.00. Jerry Hall obviously.

‘Let’s Stick Together’ can boast having one of Pop music’s most iconic video’s, which features the appearance of the American model and actress Jerry Hall, who was at that time in a relationship with Bryan Ferry, she had previously appeared on the cover of Roxy Music’s 1975 Album ‘Siren.’ In the video Jerry Hall mimes the ‘yelps,’ which were performed on the song by an unnamed performer.

‘Let’s Stick Together’ was originally written and recorded in 1962 by the American ‘Rhythm and Blues’ singer and musician Wilbert Harrison, who was born on January 5th, 1929, in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, he died of a stroke in a nursing home on October 26th, 1994, at the age of 65. Wilbert Harrison is best remembered for his recording of the 1959 Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 single ‘Kansas City,’ which sold over one million copies. ‘Kansas City’ had originally been written back in 1952 by the legendary song writing team of Jerry Leiber, (1933-2011) and Mike Stoller (see also best songs 954-804-524-124 and 86.) Due to contractual problems Harrison was not allowed to release a follow up single to ‘Kansas City’ straight away, and that caused his career to stall to a point, it would be a further 11 years until he charted on the Billboard Hot 100 again. Harrison’s original recording of ‘Let’s Stick Together’ failed to chart when issued in 1962, but in 1970, using the same melody, but adding different lyrics, he reached Number 32 on Billboard, with the track re-worked as ‘Let’s Work Together.’ Also in 1970, the American ‘Blues/Rock’ group ‘Canned Heat’ (see also best songs 1037) took their cover version of ‘Let’s Work Together’ to Number 2 in the UK, and Number 26 on Billboard. The lyrics to ‘Let’s Stick Together’ are about someone wanting to continue a relationship, whereas the lyrics to ‘Let’s Work Together’ are a call for unity.

In 1976 Bryan Ferry (see also best songs 316 and 57) recorded ‘Let’s Stick Together’ for his third solo studio Album of the same name, which was released in September of that year. The Album was issued after Roxy Music had announced their disbandment earlier on in the year, and comprised of 11 tracks, which included six cover versions, and five songs that had previously been recorded by Roxy Music, and re-recorded by Bryan Ferry, in a smoother and more oriented to ‘Jazz,’ and ‘R&B’ style. ‘Let’s Stick Together’ was the first of three singles released from the Album, which was co-produced by Ferry and Chris Thomas, the song was the Album’s only single to chart in the UK, where it gave Bryan Ferry his biggest solo hit, when reaching Number 4, although none of the three singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1988 a remix of ‘Let’s Stick Together’ by Bruce Lampcov and Rhett Davies was issued to help promote the release of ‘The Ultimate Collection,’ which brought together 16 tracks previously recorded by Roxy Music, or solo by Bryan Ferry. The new recording of ‘Let’s Stick Together’ was a hit again in the UK, this time reaching Number 12.

‘Let’s Stick Together’ and it’s parent Album were co-produced by Bryan Ferry, and the legendary music producer Chris Thomas, (see also best songs 576-316-285-92 and 27) who was born on January 13th, 1947, in Perivale, Middlesex, England. Thomas got his big break in production in 1967, when writing to the ‘Beatles’ producer George Martin (1926-2016) asking for work. Thomas soon gained the trust of George Martin, and although not credited, he was the producer of both the songs ‘Birthday,’ and ‘Happiness Is a Warm Gun,’ from the Beatles self-titled double album, which is also known as the ‘White Album,’ from 1968. Chris Thomas would go on to work closely with many other of the worlds top artists, including Elton John, the Sex Pistols, and U2. In 1973 he took on mixing duties with Pink Floyd for their ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ Album, and during the 1970’s he was also the producer of five Roxy Music Albums.

‘Well if you’re stuck for a while, consider our child, how can it be happy without its mom and pa? We stick together, come on, come on, let’s stick together. You know we made a vow not to leave one another ever.’