I'll Be Good to You

"I'll Be Good to You"
"I'll Be Good to You"
Single by Quincy Jones featuring Ray Charles and Chaka Khan
from the album Back on the Block
Released	September 22, 1989
Genre	New jack swing
Length	4:17 (Single edit); 4:54 (Album Version)
Label	Qwest; Warner Bros.;
Songwriter(s)	George Johnson; Louis Johnson; Sonora Sam;
Producer(s)	Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones singles chronology

"I'll Be Good to You"
"I'll Be Good to You"
	US single picture sleeve
Single by The Brothers Johnson
from the album Look Out for #1
B-side	"The Devil"
Released	April 1976
Genre	R&B, disco
Length	3:30 (Single Edit); 4:44 (Album Version)
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	George Johnson; Louis Johnson; Sonora Sam;
Producer(s)	Quincy Jones
The Brothers Johnson singles chronology

"I'll Be Good to You" is a 1976 hit song by R&B duo the Brothers Johnson. George Johnson, one of the two Johnson brothers in the band, wrote the song after deciding to commit to a relationship with one woman, instead of dating several at a time. While George was recording a demo for the song, family friend Senora Sam came by and added some lyrics.^[1] Brothers Johnson producer and mentor Quincy Jones heard the song, liked it, and convinced George to sing lead on the finished track. Released from their debut album, Look Out for #1, it was a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot Singles Charts, peaking at number three, and a number one song on the Billboard R&B Charts during the summer of 1976.^[2] The single was later certified gold by the RIAA.

Thirteen years later in 1989, it became a number one R&B hit again, with Chaka Khan and Ray Charles doing the lead vocals on Quincy Jones' Back on the Block album, and went to number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.^[3] It also topped the American dance chart in early 1990.^[4] This was Ray Charles' first No. 1 R&B hit in twenty-four years.

Chart performance

The Brothers Johnson version

Weekly charts

Chart (1976)	Peak position
Canada RPM^[5]	12
US Billboard Hot 100^[6]	3
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles^[6]	1
US Cash Box Top 100^[7]	7

Year-end charts

Chart (1976)	Rank
Canada ^[8]	120
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[9]	61
U.S. Cash Box ^[10]	68

Quincy Jones featuring Ray Charles and Chaka Khan version

Chart (1989–90)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[11]	34
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[12]	46
Germany (GfK)^[13]	28
Ireland (IRMA)^[14]	18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[15]	38
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[16]	7
UK Singles (OCC)^[17]	21
US Billboard Hot 100^[18]	18
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[19]	30
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[20]	1
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)^[21]	1

Personnel

Ray Charles, Chaka Khan: lead vocals featured rap artist on remix Kyle "Magic" Jackson
Quincy Jones: producer, vocal and rhythm arranger
David Paich, Greg Phillinganes, Ian Prince: keyboards
Louis Johnson: Moog synthesizer bass, Fender slap bass, background vocals
Ian Underwood, Larry Williams, Michael Boddicker, Steve Porcaro: synthesizer programming
Bruce Swedien: drum programming
Harvey Mason: hi-hat, cymbals
George Johnson: guitar, background vocals
James Ingram, James Gilstrap, Phil Perry, Siedah Garrett, Syreeta Wright: background vocals

Cover versions

It was later covered by Vanessa Williams and James "D. Train" Williams on Vanessa's 2005 studio album Everlasting Love.
Boney James covered the song on his 2009 studio album Send One Your Love.

References

^ allmusic
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 80.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 307.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 139.
^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
^ ^a ^b "I'll Be Good to You (song by The Brothers Johnson)". MusicVF.com. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 7/24/76". Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
^ "Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
^ Musicoutfitters.com
^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1976". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
^ "Quincy Jones feat. Ray Charles & Chaka Khan – I'll Be Good to You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6713." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Quincy Jones feat. Ray Charles & Chaka Khan – I'll Be Good to You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'll Be Good to You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Quincy Jones feat. Ray Charles & Chaka Khan – I'll Be Good to You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Quincy Jones feat. Ray Charles & Chaka Khan – I'll Be Good to You". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Quincy Jones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Quincy Jones Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Quincy Jones Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
^ "Quincy Jones Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2024.

External links

The Brothers Johnson - I'll Be Good to You on YouTube

v t e The Brothers Johnson
Louis Johnson George Johnson Alex Weir Richard Heath Wayne Vaughn Ricky Lawson Richard Diamond Michael "Patches" Stewart Michael Perkins Malcolm Robinson Mark Johnson
Studio albums	Look Out for #1 Right on Time Blam! Light Up the Night Winners Out of Control Kickin'
Compilations	Stomp: The Best of the Brothers Johnson
Songs	"I'll Be Good to You" "Strawberry Letter 23" "Stomp!"