Just the Two of Us (Grover Washington Jr. song)

"Just the Two of Us"
Single by Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers
from the album Winelight
B-side "Make Me a Memory (Sad Samba)"
Released February 1981
Recorded 1980
Genre
Length 7:23 (album version)
3:58 (7" edit)
Label Elektra Records
Songwriter(s) Bill Withers, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
Producer(s) Grover Washington Jr., Ralph MacDonald
Grover Washington Jr. singles chronology
"Winelight"
(1980)		 "Just the Two of Us"
(1981)		 "Be Mine (Tonight)"
(1982)

"Winelight"
(1980)		 "Just the Two of Us"
(1981)		 "Be Mine (Tonight)"
(1982)

"Just the Two of Us" is a 1981 R&B single written by Bill Withers, William Salter and Ralph MacDonald, and recorded by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers. The song originally appeared on Washington's album Winelight (1980). An edited version reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying there for three weeks, behind "Morning Train (9 to 5)" by Sheena Easton and "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes. The song won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.[1] Bill Withers included the edited version on the 1981 compilation Bill Withers' Greatest Hits and many subsequent greatest hits collections.

Chart performance

Toshinobu Kubota version

"Just the Two of Us"
Single by Toshi Kubota featuring Caron Wheeler
from the album Kubojah: Parallel World I and Sunshine, Moonlight
Released June 25, 1996
Format CD, digital download
Recorded 1991
1995 (re-recorded)
Genre Reggae (Kubojah version)
R&B, soul (Sunshine, Moonlight version)
Length 4:28 (album version)
3:33 (single version)
Label Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Songwriter(s) Bill Withers, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
Producer(s) Toshinobu Kubota, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter, Bill Withers
Toshinobu Kubota singles chronology
"La La La Love Song"
(1996) La La La Love Song1996		 "Just the Two of Us"
(1996) Just the Two of Us1996		 "Body-Cation"
(1996) Body-Cation1996
Caron Wheeler singles chronology
"Keep On Movin' (Remix)"
(1996) Keep On Movin' (Remix)1996		 "Just the Two of Us"
(1996) Just the Two of Us1996		 "Star"
(1999) Star1999

"Just the Two of Us" was covered by Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota as a duet with Caron Wheeler in 1991, for his album Kubojah: Parallel World I. The song was credited as "Just the 2 of Us", featuring a reggae-style beat. In 1995, Kubota re-recorded the song, which appeared on his album Sunshine, Moonlight, with a more R&B-style beat. In 1996, he released the song as the second single from the album. The song charted at number 30 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart and remained on the charts for a duration of five weeks.[14] The song was included the setlist during the Oyeees! Tour. During the tour, Joi Cardwell, who sang backing vocals during the tour, performed the song as a duet with Kubota. In 2007, Double performed the song the MTV Japan Icons Special. During the performance, Kubota walk onto the stage to complete the song with her.[15] In 2012, Kubota performed the song with Japanese singer Yuri, who was also a background vocalist during his "Party Ain't A Party Tour". The performance was included on his concert DVD "Party Ain't A Party", which was released in May 2012.[16]

Music video

In 1996, Toshi Kubota and Caron Wheeler shot a music video for the song. The video setting takes place during the night at a party in Kubota's apartment. Wheeler watches the party from the fire escape of the next apartment building. The single version was used for the audio format of the video. There are also video shots of other musicians playing their instruments during the party, a group of elderly men playing cards outside the apartment on the sidewalk, and a couple dancing in another room of the apartment.

Formats and track listing

  1. "Just the Two of Us" (Butcher Bros. LP Remix) (duet with Caron Wheeler)
  1. "Just the Two of Us" (Butcher Bros. LP Remix)
  2. "Just the Two of Us" (Smooth R&B Mix)
  3. "Just the Two of Us" (So So Def Remix)
  4. "Just the Two of Us" (Club Mix Radio Edit)
  5. "Just the Two of Us" (Street Mix) (featuring Fat Man Scoop and E. Bros.)

Other cover versions

  • Bill Cosby did a parody version, "Just the Slew of Us", as the theme music for his movie Bill Cosby: Himself. Ralph MacDonald was the writer/producer.
  • In 1992, the New York City R&B vocal trio Around the Way sampled the song in "Really Into You." They reached #89 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of that year.[19]
  • Tiro de Gracia sampled "Just the Two of Us" for her song "El Juego Verdadero", off her 1997 Ser humano!! album.
  • Will Smith released a single in 1997 which samples and incorporates lyrics from the original. Instead of love between a couple, "Just the Two of Us" focuses on the relationship between a father and son. Smith originally wrote a children's book with the same title and lyrics. For his album, he performed it in rap form.
  • Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) parodied the Will Smith version in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
  • Adult Swim's online show entitled FishCenter Live made a parody of the song entitled "Just the Ten of Us" about the fish.
  • Matt Dusk and Margaret released a single to promote their collaborative jazz album Just the Two of Us.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Winelight – Grover Washington Jr. – Awards – AllMusic". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ David Kent's "Australian Chart Book 1970-1992" Archived 2016-03-05 at Archive.is
  3. ↑ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/3ecd/Grover-Washington,-Jr.-&-Bill-Withers-Just-The-Two-Of-Us
  4. ↑ "RPM Weekly Top Singles - June 6, 1981 (Volume 34, No. 26)". Library and Archives Canada. RPM Weekly (archived). Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0346&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0346.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0346
  6. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Just the Two of Us". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  7. ↑ https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Grover+Washington%2C+Jr%2E+%26+Bill+Withers&titel=Just+The+Two+Of+Us&cat=s
  8. ↑ https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Grover+Washington%2C+Jr%2E+%26+Bill+Withers&titel=Just+The+Two+Of+Us&cat=s
  9. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/8835/grover-washington-jr-/
  10. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research.
  11. ↑ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/19810509.html
  12. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4689&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062
  13. ↑ Musicoutfitters.com
  14. ↑ 久保田利伸のシングル売り上げランキング. Oricon Style. Retrieved on November 4, 2012
  15. ↑ Just the Two of Us (Live) on YouTube. Retrieved on November 4, 2012
  16. ↑ 久保田利伸 - Just the two of us 2012 on YouTube. Retrieved on November 4, 2012
  17. ↑ "Amazon.com: Toshi Kubota: Toshi Kubota / Just The Two Of Us: Music". amazon.com.
  18. ↑ "Amazon.com: Kubota Toshinobu: Just the Two of Us Butcher Bro: Music". amazon.com.
  19. ↑ [Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002]
  20. ↑ "Matt Dusk & Margaret "Just the Two of Us" (Video Premiere)". Retrieved 2015-11-10.
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