40 Year Itch : Hey Ya'll Prepare Yourself

The Spinners : The Rubberband Man (album version)

[Purchase]

On October 2, 1976 the new Spinners single "The Rubberband Man" cracked the US Top 40 on its way to a three week peak at #2. In the UK it was also burning up the charts.

I was 12 years old when I bought the single.  I think I was hooked by the clavinet, the bass and Phillipe Wynne's exuberant performance. Only recently have I heard the more than seven minute version on Happiness is Being with the Spinners, which I present here.

My conclusion: the 45 was one of the best single edits ever made. Every bit of fat from the Thom Bell production was trimmed away. Babies were killed. Sophie's Choice styled decisions were made. Keep most of the intro but take out huge chunks of Wynne's delirious rap.

 And the result is one of the funkiest and fastest three and a half minutes you'll ever tap your feet to.

In February of 1977 Tina Turner performed the tune on the Brady Bunch Hour. So there's that.