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How 'Bout Us (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = How 'Bout Us

| cover = How 'Bout Us Champaign song.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Champaign

| album = How 'Bout Us

| B-side = Lighten Up

| released = {{Start date|1981|2|14}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = R&B

| length = 3:22 (single version)
4:38 (album version)

| label = Columbia

| writer = Dana Walden

| producer =Leo Graham

| prev_title = I'm on Fire

| prev_title2 = Spinnin'

| prev_year = 1981

| next_title = Can You Find the Time?

| next_title2 = Whiplash

| next_year = 1981

| misc = {{External music video|header=Official video|{{YouTube|YBUqDr14DEw|"How 'Bout Us"}}}}

}}

"How 'Bout Us" is the most successful single released by R&B music group Champaign. Composed by band keyboardist Dana Walden and originally released on the band's debut album How 'Bout Us, the title track peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. A romantic ballad, the song was released on Valentine's Day, 1981.{{cite book |title=The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950-1981 |page=95 |last1=Hoffman |first=Frank W. |last2=Hoffman |first2=Lee Ann |date=1983 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810815957}}

Song information

The song was originally released in 1975 by an earlier incarnation of the group, then called the Water Brothers Band.American Top 40, June 6, 1981 It was released as the B-side of their single, "Have You Ever Been Lonely?" on Sky Records NR6668. The band at the time of recording was made up of Dana Walden on keyboards & vocals, Howard "Leon" Reeder on vocals, lead & rhythm guitars, Keith Harden on vocals, lead & rhythm guitars, Scott Karlstrom on bass, and Bobby Carlin on drums.Down State Sounds, Saturday, October 24, 2020 - [https://www.downstatesounds.com/2020/10/ Michael Day & His Unreleased Solo Album (1973)]45Cat - [https://www.45cat.com/record/nr6668 Record Details, Artist: The Water Brothers Band, Comments and Reviews, downstatesounds, 6th Sep 2021]

It was re-recorded by Champaign, and it was Champaign's version that became a hit single. "How 'Bout Us" peaked at number 4 on the soul chart and was one of three releases to make the Top 10 on the soul 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=109}} It was on the Hot 100 chart for 23 weeks, peaking at number 12 on June 6, 1981, and also reached the top of the Adult Contemporary chart for two weeks.{{cite book |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=51}} Jet magazine listed the song in its "Soul Brothers Top 20 Singles" list for May and June 1981.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zLYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA65 |page=65 |title=Soul Brothers Top 20 Singles |magazine=Jet |date=4 June 1981 |volume=60 |number=12 |issn=0021-5996}}

Champaign's membership included former Water Brothers members, Walden, Reeder and Day.

Casey Kasem played a portion of the Champaign version on his American Top 40 show. He then played the entire version of the Water Brothers release. This was broadcast on June 6, 1981.{{cite book | last=Battistini | first=Pete | title=American Top 40 with Casey Kasem | publisher=AuthorHouse | date=2010 | isbn=978-1-4520-5038-6}}

Chart performance

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1981)

! Peak
position

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ |title=Australian Chart Book |website=Austchartbook.com.au |access-date=October 19, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160305064644/http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ |archive-date=March 5, 2016 }}

| style="text-align:center;"|24

{{single chart|Flanders|1|artist=Champaign|song=How 'Bout Us|access-date=September 28, 2021}}
Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0356&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0356.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0356 |title=Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada |website=Bac-lac.gc.ca |date=July 17, 2013 |access-date=October 19, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|19

Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0352&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0352.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0352 |title=Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada |website=Bac-lac.gc.ca |date=July 17, 2013 |access-date=October 19, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|3

{{single chart|Dutch40|1|year=1981|week=22|access-date=September 28, 2021}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|1|artist=Champaign|song=How 'Bout Us|access-date=September 28, 2021}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|2|artist=Champaign|song=How 'Bout Us|access-date=September 28, 2021}}
South Africa (Springbok Radio){{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(C).html|access-date=September 2, 2018}}

|align="center"|8

{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|5|artist=Champaign|access-date=September 28, 2021}}
US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/search?artistname=Champaign&charttitle=&label=&chartcode=HSI|title=Champaign, HSI|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 28, 2021|url-access=subscription}}

| style="text-align:center;"|12

US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/search?artistname=Champaign&charttitle=&label=&chartcode=ASI|title=Champaign, ASI|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 28, 2021|url-access=subscription}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/search?artistname=Champaign&charttitle=&label=&chartcode=BSI|title=Champaign, BSI|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 28, 2021|url-access=subscription}}

| style="text-align:center;"|4

US Cash Box Top 100 {{cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/19810613.html |title=Cash Box Top 100 6/13/81 |website=Tropicalglen.com |date=June 13, 1981 |access-date=October 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022054616/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/19810613.html |archive-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=dead }}

| style="text-align:center;"|10

{{single chart|West Germany|42|songid=15411|artist=Champaign|song=How 'Bout Us|access-date=September 28, 2021}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
align="left"|Chart (1981)

! style="text-align:center;"|Position

Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1981|title=Jaaroverzichten 1981|publisher=Ultratop|access-date=September 28, 2021}}

|align="center"|1

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1981|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=September 28, 2021}}

|align="center"|1

Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|title= Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981 |publisher= Single Top 100. Hung Medien |access-date= March 13, 2018 |url= http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1981&cat=s |language= nl}}

|align="center"|2

New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1981-12-31 |title=Top Selling Singles of 1981 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart |website=Nztop40.co.nz |date=December 31, 1981 |access-date=October 19, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|4

UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine |author= |title=Chart File Top 100 |url=http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/1981/UK%20Charts%201981%20-%20Singles%20and%20albums.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404163119/http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/1981/UK%20Charts%201981%20-%20Singles%20and%20albums.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 4, 2013 |magazine=Record Mirror |location=London |publisher=Spotlight Publications |page=27 |date=December 26, 1981 |access-date=June 13, 2016 }}

| style="text-align:center;"|45

US Billboard Hot 100 {{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1981.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=October 19, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|45

US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1981/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1981|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 28, 2021}}

| style="text-align:center;"|13

US Cash Box {{cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/1981YESP.html |title=Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1981 |website=Tropicalglen.com |date=December 26, 1981 |access-date=October 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022115158/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/1981YESP.html |archive-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=dead }}

| style="text-align:center;"|69

{{col-end}}

Cover versions

  • The song has been covered as a duet between blue-eyed soul singer Grayson Hugh and R&B singer Betty Wright; their version, from the soundtrack of the 1989 film True Love, peaked at number 30 on Billboard{{'s}} R&B chart, crossing over to number 67 on the pop singles chart and number 15 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
  • A cover by American country music group Girls Next Door peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1990.{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944–2012|publisher=Record Research, Inc|page=131|year=2013|isbn=978-0-89820-203-8}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • MOODS channel - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8k1gCKnG1c Champaign - How 'bout Us (single version) (audio)]
  • downstate sounds channel - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Nmu4LuQkM The Water Brothers Band - How 'Bout Us (Sky, 1975) (Original version) (audio)]

{{authority control}}

Category:1975 songs

Category:1981 singles

Category:Champaign (band) songs

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Girls Next Door songs