Woman to Woman

Shirley Brown

About Woman to Woman

"Woman to Woman" is the title of a 1974 deep soul single recorded by Shirley Brown for whom it was a #1 R&B hit. The song was written by James Banks, Eddie Marion and Henderson Thigpen, who had previously written hits for Little Milton, the Bar-Kays and other Stax Records artists. According to Thigpen, he and Banks were brainstorming ideas for songs at Stax Studio (quote:)"trying to come up with...something different. When people get serious, they say: 'Hey, let's talk man to man'. .. We thought it would be interesting to have a song with somebody coming up [with]: 'Hey, let's talk woman to woman'." Thigpen had recently overheard his wife on the phone arguing with a friend about an involved couple of their acquaintance, and - with Eddie Marion - Thigpen and Banks completed their "Woman to Woman" song structuring it as a phone call from a wife to her husband's mistress."Woman to Woman" was first offered to Inez Foxx, then signed to Stax's Volt label, who turned it down because - according to Banks - she didn't want to do the spoken intro, feeling that format could only work for a male singer. Around this time Shirley Brown was introduced to Stax president Jim Stewart by Albert King in whose live revue she'd performed while a teenager: Stewart was impressed enough by Brown to himself produce her Stax debut recording - Stewart's first production task in two years - of "Woman to Woman" (Stewart co-produced the track with Al Jackson Jr.) with Brown cutting her vocal in a single take. Brown would state in a 1975 interview (quote:)"The guys who wrote ['Woman to Woman'] sang it through to me and I felt it needed a rap to begin it, so I wrote one off the top of my head"; however the song's co-writer James Banks has stated that the spoken intro was part of the song when it was offered to Inez Foxx, whose dislike of the "rap" caused her to turn the song down. Reportedly selling a million units in its first eight weeks of release, "Woman to Woman" spent two weeks at #1 on Billboard magazine's Hot Soul Singles chart in November 1974 and crossed-over to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking there at #22. The song is notable for being the last big hit for Stax Records. 


Year:
1974
3:54
79 
#1

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Hello, may I speak to Barbara
Barbara, this is Shirley
You might not know who I am
But the reason I am calling you is because
I was going through my old man's pockets this morning
And I just happened to find your name and number

So woman to woman
I don't think it's being anymore than fair 
Then to call you and let you know where I'm coming from

Now Barbara, I don't know how you're gonna take this
But whether you be cool or come out of a bag on me
You see it doesn't really make any difference

But it's only fair that I let you know that
That the man you're in love with, he's mine
From the top of his head, to the bottom of his feet
The bed he sleeps in and every piece of food he eats
You see, I make it possible 

The clothes on his back
Ha ha, I buy them
The car he drives, I pay the note every month

So I'm telling you these things
To let you know how much I love that man 
And woman to woman
I think you'll understand just how much I'll do to keep him

Woman to woman
If you've ever been in love
Then you know how I feel
And woman to woman
Now, if you were in my shoes
Wouldn't you have done the same thing too

Oh, oh, woman to woman
Can't you see where I'm coming from
Woman to woman
Ain't that the same thing you would've done

Woman to woman
Now should I just step aside
And let her take what's rightfully mine

Oh, oh, woman to woman
Was I right or was I wrong
I ain't gonna let you break up my happy home

Now woman to woman
Now you see I don't want no trouble now
I hope you understand
I love that man and he's mine

I'm talking to you
Woman to woman
You should be woman enough to understand
That man, I love that man

Woman, woman
Woman to woman, he's mine
And I ain't gonna give him up
My baby, I ain't lying, now

Best of my years into that man
I hope you'll understand

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Shirley Brown

Shirley Brown (born January 6, 1947, West Memphis, Arkansas) is an American soul singer, best known for her million-selling single "Woman to Woman" which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975. more »

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Written by: EDDIE MARION, HENDERSON JR. THIGPEN, JAMES BANKS

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


15 facts about this song

Release Details
"Woman to Woman" was released in October 1974 by American singer Shirley Brown.
Record Label
The song was recorded under Stax Records, a well-known American record label known for southern soul, funk, jazz, and blues recordings.
Song's Genre
"Woman to Woman" falls under the categories of soul and R&B genres.
Song's Duration
The duration of the song "Woman to Woman" is a notable 3 minutes and 55 seconds.
Hit Chart
The song topped the R&B chart in 1974 and reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.
Song's Background
"Woman to Woman" is a trademark song of Shirley Brown; it's a monologue where she calls Barbara to talk about her relationship with a man coincidentally involved with both women.
Unique Feature
One unique aspect of "Woman to Woman" is that it starts with a conversation, unusual for a song, making its introduction quite unique.
Song's Reception
"Woman to Woman" sold one million copies within eight weeks of its release.
Certified Status
The RIAA certified the song gold on January 6, 1975, marking a significant milestone in Brown's career.
Not Just a One-Hit-Wonder
Despite the significant success of "Woman to Woman," Brown was not a one-hit-wonder. She continued to make music, and in the 1980s, she had more modest hits on the R&B chart.
Featuring Artists
The song features background vocals by American soul vocal quartet, The Emotions.
Writer/Producer
The song was written and produced by two members of the songwriting team Homer Banks and Carl Hampton.
Cover Versions
The song has since been covered by several artists, including Barbara Mandrell, who named her live album after the song.
Influence on Other Artists
Some artists, such as Mary J. Blige, have sampled "Woman to Woman" in their own music.
Album
“Woman to Woman” is also the title track of her debut album which was released in 1974.

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    Woman to Woman

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1974

    Billboard #22


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