I always thought this track was a jam when I'd hear it on the oldies stations, but never knew it went to #1 both Pop and R&B, in the golden soul spring of 1971. The same week this single debuted on the charts, Marvin Gaye's revolutionary What's Going On had just hit #1 on the Cashbox Top 100, #1 on the Billboard R&B charts, and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Want Ads first came out on Honey Cone's third album, Sweet Replies, and also appeared in a longer version on their fourth album, Soulful Tapestry. It was one of the first tracks that helped usher in the extended mix era.
Released as the first single off Soulful Tapestry in the United States...it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 79 on April 10, 1971. Within nine weeks on the chart, "Want Ads" was at the number one position for the week starting June 12. The song also remained number one on the R&B singles chart for three non-consecutive weeks for the week starting May 29, 1971 and after being bumped for one week by Aretha Franklin's rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water, the song stayed at number one for two more weeks starting June 12 through June 19.The song would go on to receive gold certification selling more than one million units in the U.S. The song's popularity had DJs playing the long version that was available on the Sweet Replies album. This was rare at the time. The song is said to have been a major contributor to the structure, sound, and grit of the pre-disco movement that would rock the popular music world.- Wikipedia
Honey Cone were the premier female group on Holland/Dozier/Holland's Hot Wax label. One of the trio, Shelly Clark, was an ex-Ikette who later married Verdine White, the bassist for Earth, Wind & Fire. Want Ads was co-written by one of Honey Cone's labelmates, Chairmen of the Board frontman General Norman Johnson.
- Dyn-O-Mite
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