You Gotta Be
Encyclopedia
"You Gotta Be" is a song recorded by the British
pop
and soul
singer Des'ree
. Written by the singer with the track's producer Ashley Ingram, "You Gotta Be" was the first single
release from Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin'
(1994).
book Creative Visualization which had abetted the singer's recovery from a painful romantic breakup; "I've always been blindly optimistic, and that [book] helped me rise from my melancholia," explains Des'ree who it is said "swears by daily affirmations."
"You Gotta Be" was released several times in the UK: first in 1994, then in 1995, and in 1999 in a remixed version following the success of Des'ree's previous singles "Life
" and "Kissing You
". The latter release of "You Gotta Be" charted in its highest position out of all three releases in the UK, peaking at #10. The 1995 release peaked at #5 in the United States
and is the most popular version of the song. The remixed version of the song was released in 1998 in Spain, and went to #1 there.
began airing an ad campaign for Good Morning America
, aimed at attracting a younger demographic and also boosting male viewership, in which Des'ree's "You Gotta Be" played under scenes of "Americans immersed in morning rituals: commuters rushing, a young man shaving, school-bound children" intercut with shots of the Good Morning America hosts.
In Italy
, the song became popular after it was chosen as the soundtrack
of some TV adverts, including those of Breil
in 1996 and Ford Focus of 2000. In Australia, circa early 2000s, this song was used in a Westpac
bank advert.
The music video is filmed in black and white. In 1995, it was nominated in the category of "Best Female Video" at that year's MTV Video Music Awards
, but lost to Madonna's
Take a Bow.
The year it was released, this song was used for the ending credits of The Next Karate Kid
.
A reworked version of this song was used in the Big Sing 2008. The Big Sing is to raise money for Childline by hundreds of schools singing this song at the same time across Ireland and England. If the number of children participating is big enough, the Big Sing will make it into the Guinness Book of World Records 2010.
on her 1998 album If Women Ruled the World, by a cappella
singing group DeCadence on their 2005 album Songs From the Closet, by Natalie Cole
on her 2006 album Leavin, by British/Japanese singer MiChi on her 2008 album MiChi Madness, by Japanese emo
band Nature Living
on their album 2008 album After All. Patti Austin
recorded "You Gotta Be" as her contribution to the 2003 album Church - Songs of Soul and Inspiration, with the track being included on Austin's 2011 album release Sound Advice.
NEWLIN
1 Remixed version
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Des'ree
Des'ree
Des'ree is an English pop/soul singer who was popular during the 1990s. She is well known for her hits: "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be", "Life", and "Kissing You"...
. Written by the singer with the track's producer Ashley Ingram, "You Gotta Be" was the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
release from Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin'
I Ain't Movin'
I Ain't Movin is a full-length album by soul singer-songwriter Des'ree. It was released on July 5 1994 on Epic Records, and features the top 5 smash hit, "You Gotta Be"...
(1994).
Background
Described by Stuart Elliott in The New York Times as "an infectiously sunny tune about the affirmative powers of self-confidence," "You Gotta Be" according to Des'ree is, like all the songs on its parent album, "about having the inner strength to figure out who you are" with "You Gotta Be" specifically being "born out of me stopping myself and thinking everyday how you gotta be something. You have to be cool and calm in [one] situation, and then you have to be bold and strong in another situation." Des'ree drew inspiration for "You Gotta Be" from the Shakti GawainShakti Gawain
Shakti Gawain is an author and proponent of what she calls "personal development". Her books have sold over 10 million copies, according to her website. Gawain's best known book is "Creative Visualization"...
book Creative Visualization which had abetted the singer's recovery from a painful romantic breakup; "I've always been blindly optimistic, and that [book] helped me rise from my melancholia," explains Des'ree who it is said "swears by daily affirmations."
"You Gotta Be" was released several times in the UK: first in 1994, then in 1995, and in 1999 in a remixed version following the success of Des'ree's previous singles "Life
Life (Des'ree song)
"Life" is a popular song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. It was the third single from her third album Supernatural and was released on 2 June 1998...
" and "Kissing You
Kissing You (Des'ree song)
"Kissing You" is a song by British singer Des'ree. It was written by the singer with Timothy Atack for Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film Romeo + Juliet. The song was included on the film's soundtrack album and Des'ree's third studio album, Supernatural...
". The latter release of "You Gotta Be" charted in its highest position out of all three releases in the UK, peaking at #10. The 1995 release peaked at #5 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is the most popular version of the song. The remixed version of the song was released in 1998 in Spain, and went to #1 there.
Media appearances
Im March 1995 ABC-TVAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
began airing an ad campaign for Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, aimed at attracting a younger demographic and also boosting male viewership, in which Des'ree's "You Gotta Be" played under scenes of "Americans immersed in morning rituals: commuters rushing, a young man shaving, school-bound children" intercut with shots of the Good Morning America hosts.
In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the song became popular after it was chosen as the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of some TV adverts, including those of Breil
Binda Group
The Binda Group is an Italian watch and jewelry company founded in 1906, headquartered in Milan and headed by brothers Marcello and Simone Binda, grandsons of the founder Innocente Binda...
in 1996 and Ford Focus of 2000. In Australia, circa early 2000s, this song was used in a Westpac
Westpac
Westpac , is a multinational financial services, one of the Australian "big four" banks and the second-largest bank in New Zealand....
bank advert.
The music video is filmed in black and white. In 1995, it was nominated in the category of "Best Female Video" at that year's MTV Video Music Awards
1995 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1995 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 7, 1995, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1994, to June 15, 1995. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. David Sandlin was commissioned to design the program catalogue.TLC and Weezer were...
, but lost to Madonna's
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
Take a Bow.
The year it was released, this song was used for the ending credits of The Next Karate Kid
The Next Karate Kid
The Next Karate Kid is a 1994 American martial arts drama film starring Hilary Swank and Pat Morita. It is the fourth and final film in the original The Karate Kid series. It was directed by Christopher Cain, written by Mark Lee with music by Bill Conti. This is the only film in the original...
.
A reworked version of this song was used in the Big Sing 2008. The Big Sing is to raise money for Childline by hundreds of schools singing this song at the same time across Ireland and England. If the number of children participating is big enough, the Big Sing will make it into the Guinness Book of World Records 2010.
Other versions
"You Gotta Be" has been covered by Ethel EnnisEthel Ennis
Ethel Llewellyn Ennis is an American jazz musician. Ethel Ennis began performing on the piano in high school, but her natural vocal abilities soon eclipsed those as a pianist...
on her 1998 album If Women Ruled the World, by a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
singing group DeCadence on their 2005 album Songs From the Closet, by Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
on her 2006 album Leavin, by British/Japanese singer MiChi on her 2008 album MiChi Madness, by Japanese emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
band Nature Living
Nature Living (band)
Nature Living is a Tokyo-based Japanese emo/screamo band formed in 1998. It is composed of Seiichiro, Konchi, Kenta, Takashi, Toru, and Kayo. In their album, "After All," the band did covers to Material Girl, one of Madonna's hit singles in 1985 and You Gotta Be, a song by Des'Ree.- Formation...
on their album 2008 album After All. Patti Austin
Patti Austin
-Life and career:Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents....
recorded "You Gotta Be" as her contribution to the 2003 album Church - Songs of Soul and Inspiration, with the track being included on Austin's 2011 album release Sound Advice.
Track listings
1994 release
|
NEWLIN 1995 release
|
Peak positions
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
9 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Mega Top 50 The Mega Top 50 is a Dutch music chart, originally started on May 23, 1969 as the Hilversum 3 Top 30. Throughout the years, the chart has had several names and lengths:*1969 - 1974: Hilversum 3 Top 30... |
47 |
| German Singles Chart | 76 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
20 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
16 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 9 |
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 72 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 24 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 6 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 20 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
14 |
| Chart (1998)1 | Peak position |
| Spanish Singles Chart PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
1 |
| Chart (1999)1 | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |
1 Remixed version
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| French Singles Chart | 87 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |