Outa-Space

"Outa-Space"
Single by Billy Preston
from the album I Wrote a Simple Song
A-side "I Wrote a Simple Song"
Released December 20, 1971
Format 7-inch record
Genre Funk, psychedelic soul
Length 4:10
Label A&M
Songwriter(s) Billy Preston, Joe Greene
Producer(s) Billy Preston
Billy Preston singles chronology
"My Sweet Lord"
(1970)		 "Outa-Space"
(1971)		 "The Bus"
(1972)

"My Sweet Lord"
(1970)		 "Outa-Space"
(1971)		 "The Bus"
(1972)

"Outa-Space" is an instrumental recorded by Billy Preston that originally appeared on his 1971 A&M Records-debut album, I Wrote a Simple Song. Preston created the sound of "Outa-Space" by running the sound from a clavinet through a wah wah pedal and then improvising a groove while calling out chord changes to the backing band. He later added organ and hand claps to the track. Preston came up with the title "Outa-Space" due to the instrumental's spacy sound.[1]

While he thought it would be a hit, A&M was skeptical and issued it as the B-side of "I Wrote a Simple Song" in December 1971.[1] However, radio DJs began flipping the single and, while "I Wrote a Simple Song" only reached number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[2] "Outa-Space" peaked at number 2, showing that Preston's feelings about it were correct.[1] "Outa-Space" also topped the R&B Singles chart for a week.[3] The single was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of one million copies.[1] In late 1972, "Outa-Space" peaked at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart.[4]

"Outa-Space" won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1972. Billboard ranked it as the number 22 song for 1972.[5] In the 1990s Intel Corporation used the song to promote their MMX-enabled Pentium processors.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hogan, Ed. "Billy Preston 'Outa-Space'". AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Billy Preston: Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 85.
  4. ↑ "Billy Preston". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
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