Want Ads

"Want Ads" was a R&B/Soul/Funk song recorded by Honey Cone for their third album Sweet Replies and also appears on their fourth album Soul Tapestry (both 1971 releases). The song was written by Greg Perry, Barney Perkins, and General Norman Johnson, and produced by Greg Perry.

"Want Ads" was released as the first single off Soul Tapestry in the United States in the spring of 1971 (see 1971 in music). It reached number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B singles chart for three weeks in the United States, becoming the group's most successful single and their only number one placement on the pop charts.

Initially, Greg Perry and General Norman Johnson had writen a song for a female singer called "Stick Up," the two decided that the song wasn't substantial as a release so they did a re-write with a change in chord progressions and new lyrics.^[1] With the catchy opener "Wanted, young man, single and free," "Want Ads" was born.

The idea for the song started when engineer Barney Perkins, while looking through the classified section of a newspaper, suggested that someone write a song about want ads. Greg Perry, producer and songwriter for the project, felt that the idea might work. The duo brought General Norman Johnson (leader of Chairmen of the Board) to contribute to the writing. After co-writing "Somebody's Been Sleeping (In My Bed)" (a number eight hit) with Perry for the Hot Wax group 100 Proof Aged in Soul, and proving that his writing skills were adequate, Johnson was allowed to take part in the writing duties on the label.

The song was first recorded by another Hot Wax/Invictus act Scherrie Payne and the Glass House (the group responsible for the top ten Hot 100 single "Crumbs Off the Table") lead by Freda Payne's younger sister Scherrie Payne. Payne didn't like the song and with Perry being equally unsatisfied with that version, her an Freda recorded the song themselves. Still unsatisfied with the recording, Payne later suggested that lead singer Edna Wright of Honey Cone record it after she had passed through the studio. ^[2] The intial version of the song, titled "Stick Up," would eventually be recorded and released as the group's follow up to "Want Ads." It would peaked at number eleven on the pop charts in August and number one on the R&B charts in September.

"Want Ads" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 79 on April 10, 1971. Within nine weeks on the chart, "Want Ads" was at the number one position for the week starting June 12. ^[3] The song also remained number one on the R&B singles chart for three non-consecutive weeks for the week starting May 29, 1971 and after being bumped for one week by Aretha Franklin's rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water, the song stayed at number one for two more weeks starting June 12 through June 19.^[4]

The song would go on to receive gold certification selling more than one million units in the U.S. The song's popularity had DJs playing the long version that was available on the Sweet Replies album. This was rare at the time. The song is said to have been a major contributor to the structure, sound, and grit of the preceeding disco movement that would rock the popular music world. ^[5]