Shakey Ground
{{short description|1975 single by The Temptations}}
{{for|the television sitcom|Shaky Ground}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Shakey Ground
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Temptations
| album = A Song for You
| B-side = I'm a Bachelor
| released = February 1975
| format =
| recorded = 1974 at Motown Recording Studios in Los Angeles
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soul
| length = 3:11
| label = Gordy
| writer = Jeffrey Bowen
Alphonso Boyd
Eddie Hazel{{cite web|title=discogs.com|url=https://www.discogs.com/The-Temptations-Shakey-Ground-Im-A-Bachelor/release/1530156|website=discogs.com|year=1975 |accessdate=May 27, 2021}}
| producer = Jeffrey Bowen
| prev_title = Happy People
| prev_year = 1974
| next_title = Glasshouse
| next_year = 1975
}}
"Shakey Ground" is a 1975 R&B single by The Temptations. It was co-written by Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel, who plays lead guitar on the song.
Background
Original Funkadelic bassist Billy "Bass" Nelson also plays on the song.
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Dennis Edwards
- Background vocals by Damon Harris, Richard Street, Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams
- Guitar by Eddie Hazel
- Bass by Billy Bass Nelson
- Soprano saxophone by Donald Charles Baldwin
- Instrumentation by various Los Angeles studio musicians
Chart history
"Shakey Ground" was the last by the group to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart: the song also crossed over to the pop chart, reaching number twenty-six on the Billboard Hot 100.{{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=572}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1975) !Peak |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|26 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles
|align="center"|1 |
Cover versions
The song has been covered by many artists:
- Van McCoy covered it for his 1975 album Disco Baby.
- Phoebe Snow recorded it for her 1976 album It Looks Like Snow.
- Renée Geyer included the song on her 1976 album Really Really Love You: Live at the Dallas Brooks Hall.
- Delbert McClinton included it on his 1980 album The Jealous Kind.
- Etta James recorded a version for her 1989 album Seven Year Itch.
- Elton John and Don Henley performed it on John's 1993 album Duets.
- Fishbone recorded the song for their 2000 album Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx.
- Aerosmith covered it for their 2012 album Music from Another Dimension!, on which it ended up a Japanese bonus track.
- Max Creek, jam rock band, has been performing the song since the 1980s and continues to do so today.
- Founding member of the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir, has also performed the song live over 20 times; since 2012, Weir has performed the song with his bands Furthur, Ratdog, Dead & Company, Bob Weir and the Wolf Bros., as well as at solo acoustic concerts.
- Bernie Marsden (formerly of Whitesnake) recorded it for his 1981 album Look At Me Now.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Temptations}}
{{The Temptations singles}}
{{Renée Geyer}}{{Elton John songs}}{{Authority control}}
Category:The Temptations songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Jeffrey Bowen
Category:Songs written by Jeffrey Bowen
Category:Gordy Records singles
{{1970s-R&B-song-stub}}