Substitute

Album: Substitute (1977)
Charted: 2 67
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers. Released as a single in 1975, it went nowhere but was revived in 1977 by Clout, a 5-member, all-girl band from South Africa that was managed and produced by Graeme Beggs, who also worked with the acts Charisma and The Soweto String Quartet. Clout was brand new, and Beggs had them record this song as their first single - sort of. He had the girls sing on it, but used a band called Circus to play the instruments.

    The song became a surprise hit, going to #1 in South Africa, New Zealand and parts of Europe. It also made #2 in the UK (behind "You're The One That I Want" by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John) and #67 in America.

    This put them in a tough spot, since their breakout hit was actually recorded by a male band. Clout added a male member in 1978 and had a few other hits in South Africa, including "Save Me" and "Under Fire," but split up in 1981. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Greg Bond - Weare, NH
  • The song is about a guy whose girl isn't treating him right, with the singer letting him know that she'll step in for her and take care of him whenever he'd like.

    Transposing the gender was a little tricky: In the original Righteous Brothers version, they sing:

    Girl, you've been waiting much too long now

    The Clout version assigns a name to this person:

    Sam, you've been waiting much too long now
  • This was written by Willie Wilson, who also wrote and recorded a song called "Counterfeit" and another called "My Ship." He wrote "I Hope She Chooses Me," recorded by Tavares.
  • The disco diva Gloria Gaynor recorded this song in 1978 at the behest of her record label. At the same session, she recorded a song called "I Will Survive," which was released as the B-side of her "Substitute" single. This single stalled at #107 in the US, but many DJs flipped it and played the B-side, so it was released with the sides reversed and "I Will Survive" shot to #1.

    Gaynor's version uses the same lyrics as Clout's - it's likely that someone in her camp heard the Clout version and thought Gaynor could make it a hit in America.

Comments: 1

  • Fernando from LisbonI am portuguese living in lisbon 65 years and after more than 40 years i remember very well that beautiful SUBSTITUTE song that stayed in my memory forever. I would like to know if the 5 ladies are still alive and to congratulate them, as well as to all those involved in this musical success
    Very Attentively
    Fernando
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Intentionally Atrocious

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.