Tailgate (song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Tailgate
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| type = single
| artist = 21st Creation
| album = Break Thru
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| A-side = Tailgate
| B-side = Mr. Disco Radio
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| released = 1977
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| length = {{Duration|02:46}}
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| composer = A. Philips-M. Davis-T. Jackson
| lyricist =
| producer = Mark Davis
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"Tailgate" aka "Tail Gate" was a 1977 single for American R&B group 21st Creation. It was a hit for them that year, charting on the Cash Box Top 100 R&B chart and the Billboard National Disco Action Top 40 chart.
Background
The song was written by Artis Phillips, Mark Davis and McKinley Jackson. It was issued in the US on Gordy 7154.MusicVF.com - [https://www.musicvf.com/21st+Creation.art 05/1977 Tailgate by 21st Creation from Break Thru] It was released in the UK on Motown TMG 1075 (E).Music Week, June 4, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1977/Music-Week-1977-06-04.pdf Page 44 T, TAILGATE. Mr Disco Radio, 213ST CREATION. Motown TMG 1075 (E)]
The back-to-back release of the song with "Born Again" by Eddie Kendricks was released on Motown M-00006D1.Billboard's 1978 International Disco Sourcebook - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1978/Billboard-1978-Disco-Sourcebook.pdf Page 7 HitDisco! Long-playing disco singles from Motown, The #1 Disco Label, "Tailgate" 21st Creation, "Born Again" Eddie Kendricks, M-00006D1]
Reception
According to the 4 June issue of RPM Weekly, "Tailgate" was one of the upcoming 7 and 12-inch singles that were to be released that week. Besides 21st Creation's single, Vitamin U by Smokey Robinson was another single that Motown Records were enthusiastic about. Discos in Canada had been importing the 12" version of the song and there was a strong reaction.RPM Weekly, Volume 27 No. 10 June 4, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/RPM/70s/1977/RPM-1977-06-04.pdf Page 10 Motown releases seven, twelve inch singles]
It was mentioned in the 11 June issue of Record World that John Luongo had made a prediction that "Tailgate" would do well in clubs. A survey of clubs was made by Record World. They had an excellent response from most of them. The record had also been issued as a 5:45 version and Motown had issued it back-to-back with a remix of "Born Again" by Eddie Kendricks.Record World, June 11, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/77/Record-World-1977-06-11.pdf Page 83 Disco File (Continued from page 76)]
Airplay
It was noted in the 14 May issue of Cash Box that "Tailgate" had been added to the playlist of WESL in St. Louis.Cash Box, May 14, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-05-14.pdf Page 45 Additions to R&B Playlists, WESL St. Louis - Jim Gates]
According to the 28 May issue of Cash Box, "Tailgate" had been added to the playlists of WJPC in Chicago and WLBS in New York.Cash Box, May 28, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-05-28.pdf Page 45 Additions to R&B Playlists, WJPC - Chicago - Richard Steele; WLBS - New York - Wanda Ramos]
Club play
As shown in the 28 May issue of Record World, "Tailgate" was on the Discotheque Hit Parade, with action at the Fantasia in New York.Record World, May 28, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/77/Record-World-1977-05-28.pdf Page 26 Discotheque Hit Parade, (Listings are in alphabetical order, by title), FANTASIA/NEW YORK, D.J: Walter Gibbons, TAILGATE - 21st Creation-Gordy (disco disc)] The following week it was seeing action at the Playground in New York and at the Experiment, also in New York.Record World, June 4, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/77/Record-World-1977-06-04.pdf Page 78 Discotheque Hit Parade, (Listings are in alphabetical order, by title), PLAYGROUND/NEW YORK, DJ: Tony Carrasco, TAILGATE -21st Creation-Motown (disco disc); EXPERIMENT/NEW YORK DJ: John Benitez, TAILGATE -21st Creation-Motown (disco disc)]
Charts
The single debuted at 100 on the Cash Box Top 100 R&B chart for the week of 4 June 1977.Cash Box, June 4, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-06-04.pdf Page 43 Cash Box Top 100 R&B, June 4, 1977 100, 5/28 -, Weens On Chart 1] It reached the peak position of no. 95 on the week of 25 June and held the position for another week.Cash Box, June 25, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-06-25.pdf Page 46 Cash Box Top 100 R&B, June 25, 1977 95, 6/18 -, Weeks On Chart 4]Cash Box, July 2, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-07-02.pdf Page 53 Cash Box Top 100 R&B, July 2, 1977 95, 6/25 95, Weeks On Chart 5]Cash Box, July 9, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-07-09.pdf Page 37 Cash Box Top 100 R&B, July 9, 1977]
For the week of 25 May, "Tailgate" debuted at no. 39 on the Billboard National Disco Action Top 40 chart.Billboard, May 28, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-05-28.pdf Page 52 National Disco Action Top 40, 39 Tailgate - 21st Creation - Motown (12 Inch)] The following week it moved up to no. 37 before disappearing on the week of 11 June.Billboard, June 11, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-06-04.pdf Page 55 National Disco Action Top 40, 37 Tailgate - 21st Creation - Motown (12 Inch)]Billboard, June 11, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-06-11.pdf Page 73 National Disco Action Top 40]
For the week of 25 June, "Tailgate" made its re-entry at no. 32 on the Billboard National Disco Action Top 40 chart.Billboard, June 18, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-06-18.pdf Page 60 National Disco Action Top 40]Billboard, June 25, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-06-25.pdf Page 41 National Disco Action Top 40, 32 Tailgate - 21st Creation - Motown (12 Inch)] The following week it had moved up one notch to no. 31.Billboard, July 2, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-07-02.pdf Page 61 National Disco Action Top 40, 31 Tailgate - 21st Creation - Motown (12 Inch)] It was also at no. 11 in the Los Angeles / San Diego, and no. 10 on the Pittsburgh sections of the Billboard's Disco Action chart.Billboard, July 2, 1977 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-07-02.pdf Page 61 Billboard's Disco Action, Los Angeles / San Diego, Tailgate - 21st Creation - Motown (12 -inch); Pittsburgh, Tailgate - 21st Creation - Motown (12 -inch)]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- Discogs - [https://www.discogs.com/master/313124-21st-Creation-Tailgate 21st Creation – Tailgate]
- Metropolitan Soul @MetropolitanSoul channel, Jan 11, 2015 - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HQzDN91hag (audio)]