634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)

{{Infobox song

| name = 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Wilson Pickett

| album = The Exciting Wilson Pickett

| B-side = That's a Man's Way

| released = January 1966

| recorded = 1965

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = *R&B

soul

| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=55}}

| label = Atlantic

| writer = Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd

| producer = *Jim Stewart

Steve Cropper

| prev_title = Don't Fight It

| prev_year = 1965

| next_title = Ninety Nine and a Half (Won't Do)

| next_year = 1966

}}

"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" is a soul song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Wilson Pickett on December 20, 1965 Second Hand Songs website and included on his 1966 Atlantic Records album The Exciting Wilson Pickett with backing vocals by Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. The single reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart and number 13 on the Hot 100 singles chart.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=461}}

Background

The phone number 634-5789 is a reference to the Marvelettes' 1962 hit "Beechwood 4-5789".{{cite web |title=Single Stories: Wilson Pickett, "634-5789" |url=https://www.rhino.com/article/single-stories-wilson-pickett-634-5789 |website=Rhino |access-date=5 January 2020}}

Personnel

Charles "Packy" Axton – tenor saxophone
Steve Cropper – guitar
Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass
Isaac Hayes – keyboards
Al Jackson Jr. – drums
Wayne Jackson – trumpet
Andrew Love – tenor saxophone
Floyd Newman – baritone saxophone
Wilson Pickett – vocals

Pickett, Wilson, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, Atlantic #8129, released 1966. Notes from Atlantic CD released 1993

Chart performance

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1966)

!Peak
position

UK Singles (The Official Charts Company){{cite web|title=officialcharts.com|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/12003/wilson-pickett/|website=officialcharts.com|accessdate=December 25, 2021}}

|align="center"|36

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=115}}

|align="center"|13

US Top Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles (Billboard){{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=84}}

|align="center"|1

Tina Turner version

{{Infobox song

| name = 634-5789

| cover = Tina Turner - 6345-789.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Tina Turner & Robert Cray

| album = Tina Live in Europe

| B-side = "Help!" (Live)

| released = 1989

| recorded = 1986

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop, Soul, Rock, R&B

| length = 3:05

| label = Capitol

| writer = Eddie Floyd
Steve Cropper

| producer = John Hudson

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Tina Turner singles

| type = single

| prev_title = Tonight (Live)

| prev_year = 1988

| title = 634-5789 (live)

| year = 1989

| next_title = The Best

| next_year = 1989

}}

Tina Turner recorded a live version of the track in 1986 as part of a segment in her Break Every Rule TV special, in which she interpreted classic soul songs with guitarist and singer Robert Cray, including "634-5789", Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Wilson Pickett's "Land of a Thousand Dances" and "In the Midnight Hour". The four tracks were later included on her 1988 album Tina Live in Europe and "634-5789", sung as a duet with Cray, was also issued as a single in certain territories, reaching number 14 on the Dutch singles chart. The B-sides were "Private Dancer" and "Help!", both taken from the Tina Live in Europe album.

=Chart performance=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

!scope="col"| Chart (1989)

!scope="col"| Peak
position

{{singlechart|Flanders|23|artist=Tina Turner & Robert Cray|song=634-5789|rowheader=true|access-date=September 28, 2015}}

{{singlechart|Dutch40|15|artist=Tina Turner|rowheader=true|access-date=April 1, 2023}}

{{singlechart|Dutch100|14|artist=Tina Turner & Robert Cray|song=634-5789|rowheader=true|access-date=September 28, 2015}}

Other recordings

The song has also been recorded by: Otis Redding, Ry Cooder, Bon Jovi, Johnny Van Zant, Tower of Power, Trace Adkins, The Elgins, Rare Earth, and Sam & Dave.

Popular culture

Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett performed "634-5789" in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000, appearing as the proprietors of "Ed's Love Exchange" which, according to the storyline in the movie, could be reached at 1-900-634-5789 (a reference to phone sex lines).