Release and Reaction
Motown released "Got to Give It Up" as a single in March 1977. Response was immediate. By April of the year, it had already climbed to number-one on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart. Within two months, the song had also climbed to number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. It would reach number-one on the dance chart in May. The single also found success outside the United States reaching number seven on the UK Singles Chart, his biggest charted hit as a solo artist since his version of "Abraham, Martin & John" had peaked at number nine on the chart in 1970. Before, Gaye had modest success with two singles - "Save the Children" (which was released as a double-A side with Gaye's 1966 recording, "Little Darling (I Need You)") in 1971 and "Let's Get It On" in 1973 (which peaked at number 31 on the UK chart). The single also found modest success in some countries, peaking at number 24 on the Dutch singles chart and number 31 on the New Zealand charts. The single's success helped its parent album, Live at the London Palladium find substantial success—especially in Gaye's home country, where it stayed at the top ten for several weeks. Sales of the album eventually reached two million.
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Famous quotes containing the words release and, release and/or reaction:
“We read poetry because the poets, like ourselves, have been haunted by the inescapable tyranny of time and death; have suffered the pain of loss, and the more wearing, continuous pain of frustration and failure; and have had moods of unlooked-for release and peace. They have known and watched in themselves and others.”
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