We Trying to Stay Alive

"We Trying to Stay Alive"
Single by Wyclef Jean featuring John Forté and Pras
from the album The Carnival
B-side "Anything Can Happen"
Released May 27, 1997
Format CD single, 12" single
Recorded 1996
Genre Hip hop, funk
Length 3:11
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Jean, N.W./Michel, S.P./Gibb, R./Gibb, B./Gibb, M./Forte, J.
Producer(s) Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel
Wyclef Jean featuring John Forté and Pras singles chronology
"We Trying to Stay Alive"
(1997)		 "Guantanamera"
(1997)

"We Trying to Stay Alive"
(1997)		 "Guantanamera"
(1997)

"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. The song features raps by John Forté and Pras (of The Fugees) and samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" and Audio Two's "Top Billin'" (1987). In the US, it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it reached number three in the Hot Rap Songs chart and number 14 in the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The track reached number 87 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of all time.

Reception

While the sampling of the Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" was green lighted by the Bee Gee's management, the final song was not warmly received by the Bee Gees themselves. "I have to say I do not like anyone sampling our voices." Barry Gibb told MTV News in regards to the song. "Don't like it. Don't approve of it. Don't like it." [1]

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by Roman Coppola.[2]

Track listing

UK CD1 (664681 2)
  1. "We Trying To Stay Alive" (LP Version)
  2. "We Trying To Stay Alive" (Instrumental)
  3. "Anything Can Happen" (LP Version)
  4. "Anything Can Happen" (Instrumental)
UK CD2 (664681 5)
  1. "We Trying To Stay Alive" (LP Version)
  2. "We Trying To Stay Alive" (Salaam Remi Remix)
  3. "Imagino" (Creole Version)
  4. "Flavor From The Carnival" (LP Snippets)

Chart performance

We Trying to Stay Alive peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent a total of 12 weeks on the chart. It also peaked at number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number three on the Hot Rap Songs. In the UK, the song peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Charts and spent a total of 5 weeks on the chart.

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "Bee Gees Don't Dig Wyclef's Sample". mtv.com. 26 June 1997. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Wyclef Jean - "We trying to stay alive"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  3. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
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