Throwback Tuesdays: Betty Wright - "Clean Up Woman"

The soul great Betty Wright is one of Miami's best not-so-well-kept secrets. Starting out as a gospel singer with a family group, in the mid-1960s Wright switched over to R&B. Her robust mid-range belting and knack for picking funky beats and melodies made her a hit, and Wright quickly racked...

By Arielle Castillo

June 9, 2009

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The soul great Betty Wright is one of Miami's best not-so-well-kept secrets. Starting out as a gospel singer with a family group, in the mid-1960s Wright switched over to R&B. Her robust mid-range belting and knack for picking funky beats and melodies made her a hit, and Wright quickly racked up hit singles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, she's been a favorite of the hip-hop generation, and younger music fans will recognize her hits from the many newer songs that have sampled them.

Here's "Clean Up Woman," which, upon its 1971 release, reached #2 on the Billboard R&B charts, and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song provided the unforgettable riff for Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" (the remix version with Biggie which is NOWHERE on YouTube), and was also sampled on SWV's "I'm So Into You," Afrika Bambaataa's "Zulu War Chant," and Sublime's "Get Out!" remix, among others.

Ladies, listen to this and take heed -- don't make things easy for the clean-up woman. Listen to the song and you'll know what Wright is talking about.

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