The Esquires - Get On Up (example, lyrics, comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the Esquires 1967 R&B record "Get On Up". This post includes a soundfile of that song, its complete lyrics, and selected comments about that song.

This is Part II of a six part series of posts on a sampling of African American and Caribbean songs whose titles include the words "Get Up" or "Get On Up".

I'm considering a previously published post witch I have re-titled Examples of "Get Up Stand Up" (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer) as Part I of this series. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/07/various-sound-files-videos-of-get-up.html for that post.

With the exception of that post, all other showcased records are presented in chronological order, with the oldest dated records presented first.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/james-brown-get-up-sex-machine-get-up.html for Part III of this series.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/jodeci-get-on-up-example-lyrics-comments.html for Part IV of this series.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/eeleeephant-man-get-on-up-and-dance.html [Elephant Man- Get Up and Dance"] for Part V of this series.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/public-enemy-get-up-stand-up-example.html for Part VI off this series.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, motivational, and aesthetic purpose.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to The Esquires for their musical legacy. Thansk also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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EDITORIAL COMMENT
The "Get Up" songs that are showcased in this series encourage people to get up and dance. while the "Get Up Stand Up" songs encourage people to address the wrongs that they experience in oppressive societies.

I find it interesting that James Brown's “Get Up Offa That Thing" includes lyrics that encourage people to "dance 'til you feel better" and "dance to try to relieve that pressure". And I content that Black dance songs and play songs-along with Black work songs and religious songs- helped Black people survive the horrors of slavery. And dance songs along with other non-religious songs and religious songs continue to help Black people survive the oppression we've faced post slavery up to and including today, even if it's only to take our minds off of that oppression for a little while.

Part III of this series includes more comments about this subject.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ESQUIRES
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Esquires
"The Esquires were an American R&B group from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, principally active from 1957 to 1976....

The Esquires first formed in 1957 around the Moorer family: Gilbert (died: 28 August 2008),[1] Alvis (died: 21 August 2011), and Betty. They went through many lineup changes over their first decade, which saw them aiming mostly for local recognition...

Their debut record for Bunky/Scepter was "Get on Up", (1967) which became a major hit in the United States, peaking at #11 as a pop single but reaching #3 on the R&B charts. Following the release they played Chicago's Regal Theater and the Apollo Theatre in New York City. Further singles were also successes, and the group released one full-length LP. After five singles on Bunky the group signed a deal with Scepter themselves late in 1968. They later returned to Bunky and then, in 1970, signed with Capitol Records for one single ("Reach Out") and Lamarr Records in 1971 for "Girls in the City".

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SHOWCASE SOUNDFILE - The Esquires - Get On Up



joltinjack Uploaded on Apr 3, 2008
Released in 1967

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SELECTED COMMENTS (INCLUDING LYRICS)
These comments are from the discussion thread for soundfile given above. The oldest comments (by year) are presented first, except for responses to those comments. These comments have been assigned numbers for referencing purposes only.
1.locobuick, 2008
"It was often rumoured that The Esquires association with the eclectic Scottish psychiatrist and hot-air balloon enthusiast Dr. Charles Follen McKim Maloney had something to do with the title and lyrics of this song. "Get on Up" was what the famed doctor usually said before lift-off."

2. MrCsmall, 2010 (in reply to locobuick)
"The song ''Get On Up'', as I remember, had nothing to do with a doctor, catch phrase or balloons, it's simply asking a fine young lady to dance after she's been dancing with other guys & finally sits down for a rest, listen again."

3. NewDay, 2009
"Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid to late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground. Unlike R&B and soul songs, which had many chord changes, funk songs are often based on an extended vamp on a single chord."

4. madero111, 2009 (in reply to New Day)
"Thanks for clarifying for "those people". Funk and other r&b styles eventually got lost in the wasteland of Disco; and Disco had a few decent tunes but that boom boom boom boom beat carried over into 'watering-down' other styles of music. Yes James Brown, The Meters too....!"

5. WickedWonder1979, 2010
"My mother said she used to play this song every morning to wake her brothers up for school. I played this song for her and she started doing the dances from back in the day. Love this song. Thanks for posting"

6. floydcheatham, 2009
"the montclairs were the esquires favorite back-up band i'm floyd cheatham ...alto sax..mrcsmall and i were in the pocket."

7. MICKEYSMONKEY, 2009
"l love good falsetto cuts.....ol school magic."

8. DVRBS, 2009
"Great track, still the bomb after 40+ years."
-snip-
"Track" = record; jam
The bomb = DSmething that is very good. Using "the bomb" this way may have come from the African American slang usage of "Dynomite!" to refer to something that is very good.

9. MrCsmall, 2011
"In the '60's & '70's,Milwaukee had a great,thriving,& diversed music scene,plenty of live jazz,blues,soul, & rock& roll. The leading acts of soul music were ,of course, The Esquires, next it was Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds,both groups had major label record deals,The Esquires having the biggest hits.There were many popular singing groups & bands at that time."

10. moviechick007, 2011 (in reply to MrCsmall)
"@MrCsmall - wow! What wonderful music. It brings back memories of my childhood growing up in San Francisco. I remember doing the Boogaloo, the Jerk, the Philly Dog (which I can't describe to anyone), the Monkey, and the Sissy! I don''t think kids name their dances any more so there's nothing to pass along!"

11. Charles Moorer, 2011
"@MrCsmall, Who were the original members of the group?
MrCsmall

12. MrCsmall, 2011 (in reply to Charles Moorer)
"@chasmoor1 , The original members that recorded the hit records were Gilbert, Alvis Moorer, Sam Pace, Miller Edwards,there was another member named Sean,who also sang lead on the live shows,he would leave the group & return, after Miller left in 1970, Sean returned . The earlier members ,before the hits, included sister, Betty Moorer,& Harvey Scales.Now ,those are the people I knew & worked with in'69 thru '71."

13. John923T, 2014
"Danced to this classic in the 67' this was up there with the "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & the Drells. Clark JHS Bronx NY, yess sir, this was the jammy at that time friends.
3 quarter leather jackets, English leather cologne, Mini Skirts, patent leather shoes, Kangol hats tipped to side, shark skin or Pepper Silk pants, Knit shirts, was the dress at that time in the Bronx, lookin' good and dancin' to the this jammy at the school dances or at parties. Great song for that time still is.
58 yrs. young but still a kid when I listen to "Holt Unlimited"
Peace 2 ya"

14. Lawrence Forde (in reoly to John923T), 2014
"William Howard Taft H.S. and...Don't forget Blye Shop knits, Playboys, Beaver caps and hats, lizard shoes, gator shoes....hey do you remember those little restaurants in the West Bronx where they used to have the 2 for 25 cents hamburgers?...not White Castle that was something else...boy those were the days!

15.siemon j. franken, 2014 [LYRICS]

Ooh ooh ooh dit-dit-dit-do
Ooh ooh ooh dit-dit-dit-do
Get on up (get on up)
Get on up (get on up)
How can you sit yourself down for a rest
When you now that I'm trying my best
To dance with you girl (get on up)
To dance with you girl (get on up)

So get on up (get on up)
On the floor (get on up)
Get on up now (get on up)
And dance some more (get on up)
Get on up (get on up)
Let's boogaloo (get on up)
Get on up now (get on up)
Just me and you (get on up)
{repeat chorus}

Hey you (get on up)
Over there (get on up)
Get on up now (get on up)
Don't go nowhere (get on up)
We gonna dance dance dance
We gonna dance dance dance
The boogaloo(get on up)
Too (get on up)

We're gonna do the Monkey (the Philly dog too)
We're gonna do the Jerk (just me and you)
We're gonna dance dance dance
We're gonna Shing-a-ling
We're gonna do the Thing
Tonight
Dit-dit-dit-do

So get on up (get on up)
And sock it to me (get on up)
Get on up (get on up)
And rock it to me (get on up)
So get on up (get on up)

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EDITORIAL COMMENT
Although the "Get On Up" in The Esquires' record referred to getting up out of your seat and dancing, I recall in the 1960s and 1970s that Black power advocates grafted the meaning of "Get up and fight for your rights" to those words. This unintended meaning was probably heavily influenced by Bob Marley's & Peter Tosh's popular Reggae song "Get Up Stand Up (stand up for your rights).

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