Think (About It)

1972 single by Lyn Collins

"Think (About It)"

Single by Lyn Collins
from the album  Think (About It)
B-side| "Ain't No Sunshine"
Released| June 1972
Genre| Funk[1]
Length| 3:18
Label| People
PE 608
Songwriter(s)| James Brown
Producer(s)| James Brown
Lyn Collins singles chronology
|  | "Think (About It)"
(1972)  | "Me and My Baby Got a Good Thing Going"
(1972)

|
|

Audio video
"Think (About It)" on YouTube

"Think (About It)" is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown (who also wrote the song) and features instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s. It was the title track of Collins' 1972 debut album. The song is very popular for its raw drumbeat dressed with tambourine and multiple background vocals, which suggest the song was recorded altogether in one take, with Jabo Starks playing drums. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart and No. 66 on the Hot 100.[2] Owing to the composition, it became a fan favourite and has been featured on various compilation albums posthumously. In the closing lyrics, Collins sings lines from "Think".

"Think (About It)" is among the most sampled songs of all time, with the drum break known as the Think break.

## Sampling

[edit]

"Think (About It)" is one of the most frequently sampled songs in the history of recorded music, having been used well over three thousand times by countless hip hop and dance music artists.[3] The song appeared on the 16th volume of the Ultimate Breaks and Beats compilation series in 1986, shortly before the release of the E-mu SP-1200 sampler in 1987. This resulted in "Think" being sampled heavily in the ensuing years. Both the song's main drumbeat and a vocal passage known as the "Woo! Yeah!" break have been used as samples. Other surrounding vocals such as the lively atmosphere of the band have been used on a loop in hip hop before, such as in the Shy FX radio edit of Wiley's "Never Be Your Woman".

## Songs that sample "Think (About It)"

[edit]

"Think (About It)" has been sampled in over 3000 songs;[4] some of those songs are:

* Cookie Crew \- "Females" (1987)
* Guy \- "Teddy's Jam" (12") (1987)
* Guy - "Spend the Night" (1988)
* Roxanne Shante \- "Go On Girl" (1988)
* Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock \- "It Takes Two" (1988)
* The Real Roxanne \- "Roxanne's on a Roll" (1988)
* Roxanne Shante \- "Bad Sister" (1989)
* Roxanne Shante - "My Groove Gets Better" (1989)
* Dream Warriors \- "Face in the Basin"
* De La Soul \- "Jenifa Taught Me" (1989)
* The D.O.C. \- "Lend Me an Ear"
* Hi-Tek 3 featuring Ya Kid K \- "Spin That Wheel"
* EPMD \- "Gold Digger"
* Wreckx-n-Effect \- "Clubhead"
* Bingoboys featuring Princessa, "How to Dance" (1991)
* Kid Rock \- "The Upside" (1990)
* R.E.M. \- "Radio Song"
* Chubb Rock \- "Ya Bad Chubbs"
* Basic Black \- "Nothing But a Party"
* Dodge City Productions \- "Ain't Going for That" (1991)
* Janet Jackson \- "Alright" (1990)
* Janet Jackson - "Free Xone" (1997)
* Carmen Electra \- "Good Judy Girlfriend" (1993)
* Yo Yo & Ice Cube \- "The Bonnie & Clyde Theme" (1993)
* Danny Byrd \- "Red Mist"
* Madonna \- "Bye Bye Baby" (1993)
* N.W.A \- "Appetite for Destruction" (1991)
* Today \- "I Got the Feeling" (1989)
* TLC \- "Hat 2 Da Back"
* Snoop Dogg \- "Ain't No Fun"
* Squarepusher \- "Come On My Selector" (1997)
* Afterlife - "La Nina" (1999)
* Immortal Technique \- "Dance with the Devil" (2001)
* Styles of Beyond \- "Live Enough" (2003)
* Dizzee Rascal \- "Pussy'ole (Old Skool)" (2007)
* Kardinal Official \- "Clear" (2009)
* Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Pusha T, Cyhi the Prynce, Swizz Beatz and RZA \- "So Appalled" (2010)
* Kanye West featuring Bon Iver \- "Lost in the World" (2010)
* 2NE1 \- "I Am the Best" (2011)
* Breach featuring Andreya Triana \- “Everything You Never Had (We Had It All)” (2013)
* Sigma \- "Nobody to Love" (2014)
*   * EXID \- "Ah Yeah" (Track 1) (2015)
* Jamie xx \- "Gosh" (2015)
* Mr Oizo \- "End of the World" (2016)
* Sigala featuring Imani and DJ Fresh \- Say You Do" (2016)
* Fergie \- "You Already Know" (2017)
* Liberato \- "Me staje appennenn' amò" (2018)
* Sabrina Carpenter featuring Jonas Blue \- "Alien" (2018)
* Hyolyn \- "SEE SEA" (2018)
* Hælos \- "End of World Party" (2019)
* Porter Robinson \- "Musician" (2021)
* Soul Glo \- "Coming Correct Is Cheaper" (2022)
* Diplo and TSHA featuring Kareen Lomax - "Let You Go" (2022)
* Beyoncé \- "Church Girl" (2022)
* Gustaph \- "Because of You" (2023)
* Le Sserafim \- "Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard's Wife" (2023)
* PinkPantheress & Destroy Lonely \- "Turn Your Phone Off" (2023)
* NewJeans \- "ETA" (2023)

## Cover versions

[edit]

* Reggae fusion singer Patra covered the song in 1993. Lyn Collins made an appearance on a remix, as well as appearing in its music video.[5]
* British soul singer Beverley Knight covered the song, which was released as a B-side to her 1999 single "Made It Back 99".[citation needed]
* DJ and producer Justin Strauss covered the song (under the alias Justin) in 1982 on Stiff Records.[6][7]
* Bonnie Bramlett covered this song in 1976 for her album Lady's Choice.[5]
* A 2017 recording by Barbara Tucker went to number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart.[8][9]

## Appearances in other media

[edit]

"Think (About It)" appears on the Action 52 as an intro and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack on the Master Sounds 98.3 station. It is also used in two stage themes of the 1997 video game Street Fighter III: New Generation.

## See also

[edit]

* List of number-one dance singles of 2018 (U.S.)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Bradley, Larry (November 4, 2014). "The 1970s: Lyn Collins - "Think (About It)". The Alternative Jukebox. Cassell. p. 54\. ISBN 978-1-84403-789-6.
2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 128.
3. ^ Chennault, Sam Gold Digger: Two Decades of Kanye West Samples Third Bridge Creative. March 24, 2016
4. ^ "Think (About It) by Lyn Collins on WhoSampled". WhoSampled.
5. ^ a b "Think (About It) by Lyn Collins". secondhandsongs.com.
6. ^ "Barbara Tucker - Think (About It)". www.discogs.com. 1982. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
7. ^ "Youtube cover song". Youtube. 10 February 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
8. ^ "Barbara Tucker - Think (About It)". Discogs. September 2017.
9. ^ "Dance Club Songs – January 13, 2018". Billboard. January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

* Song Review from Allmusic
* List of songs that sample "Think (About It)" at the Wayback Machine (archived August 22, 2019)

* v
* t
* e

James Brown singles

Billboard charting singles (R&B and Pop)

1950s|

| 1956|

* "Please, Please, Please"

|

1958|

* "Try Me"

1959|

* "I Want You So Bad"

1960s|

| 1960|

* "I'll Go Crazy"
* "Think"
* "You've Got the Power"
* "This Old Heart"
* "The Bells"

|

1961|

* "Bewildered"
* "I Don't Mind"
* "Baby, You're Right"
* "Just You and Me, Darling"
* "Lost Someone"

1962|

* "Night Train"
* "Shout and Shimmy"
* "Mashed Potatoes U.S.A."
* "Three Hearts in a Tangle"
* "I've Got Money"

1963|

* "Like a Baby"
* "Every Beat of My Heart"
* "Prisoner of Love"
* "These Foolish Things"
* "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered"

1964|

* "Oh Baby Don't You Weep"
* "Please, Please, Please"
* "Caldonia"
* "The Things That I Used to Do"
* "Out of Sight"
* "Have Mercy Baby"

1965|

* "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"
* "Try Me"
* "I Got You (I Feel Good)"

1966|

* "Lost Someone"
* "I'll Go Crazy"
* "Ain't That a Groove"
* "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"
* "Money Won't Change You"
* "Don't Be a Drop-Out"
* "Sweet Little Baby Boy"

1967|

* "Bring It Up"
* "Kansas City"
* "Think"
* "Let Yourself Go"
* "Cold Sweat"
* "Get It Together"
* "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)"
* "There Was a Time"

1968|

* "You've Got to Change Your Mind"
* "I Got the Feelin'"
* "Licking Stick – Licking Stick"
* "America Is My Home"
* "I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry"
* "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud"
* "Goodbye My Love"
* "Tit for Tat (Ain't No Taking Back)"

1969|

* "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose"
* "Soul Pride"
* "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I'll Get It Myself)"
* "The Popcorn"
* "Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me)"
* "Lowdown Popcorn"
* "World"
* "Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn"
* "Ain't It Funky Now"

1970s|

| 1970|

* "It's a New Day"
* "Funky Drummer"
* "Brother Rapp"
* "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine"
* "Super Bad"
* "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay"
* "Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved"

|

1971|

* "Spinning Wheel"
* "Soul Power"
* "I Cried"
* "Escape-ism"
* "Hot Pants"
* "Make It Funky"
* "I'm a Greedy Man"

1972|

* "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing"
* "King Heroin"
* "There It Is"
* "Honky Tonk"
* "Get on the Good Foot"
* "I Got a Bag of My Own"
* "What My Baby Needs Now Is a Little More Lovin'"

1973|

* "I Got Ants In My Pants (And I Want to Dance)"
* "Down and Out in New York City"
* "Think"
* "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy"
* "Stoned to the Bone"

1974|

* "The Payback"
* "My Thang"
* "Papa Don't Take No Mess"
* "Funky President (People It's Bad)"
* "Coldblooded"

1975|

* "Reality"
* "Sex Machine"
* "Hustle!!! (Dead on It)"
* "Superbad, Superslick"
* "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)"

1976|

* "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"
* "Get Up Offa That Thing"
* "I Refuse to Lose"
* "Bodyheat"

1977|

* "Kiss in 77"
* "Give Me Some Skin"
* "If You Don't Give a Doggone About It"

1978|

* "Eyesight"
* "The Spank"
* "For Goodness Sakes, Look at Those Cakes"

1979|

* "It's Too Funky in Here"
* "Star Generation"

1980s|

| 1980|

* "Regrets"
* "Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)"

|

1981|

* "Stay with Me"

1983|

* "The Night Time Is the Right Time (To Be with the One That You Love)"

1984|

* "Unity"

1985|

* "Living in America"

1986|

* "Gravity"

1987|

* "How Do You Stop"

1988|

* "I'm Real"
* "Static"

1989|

* "Gimme Your Love"

1990s|

| 1991|

* "(So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move On"

|

1993|

* "Can't Get Any Harder"

UK-only
charting
singles|

* "Hey America" (1970)
* "Bring It On...Bring It On" (1983)
* "Froggy Mix" (1985)
* "She's the One" (1988)
* "The Payback Mix" (1988)
* "I Got You (I Feel Good) [James Brown v. Dakeyne]" (1992)
* "Funk on Ah Roll" (1999)

Notable
productions|

* "The Grunt" (1970)
* "Gimme Some More" (1971)
* "I Know You Got Soul" (1971)
* "Pass the Peas" (1972)
* "Think (About It)" (1972)
* "Doing It to Death" (1973)
* "Soul Power 74" (1973)

Other
songs|

* "(Do the) Mashed Potatoes" (1960)
* "Maybe the Last Time" (1964)
* "Old Landmark" (1980)
* "Killing Is Out, School Is In" (2001)
* "Gut Bucket" (2006)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work
* MusicBrainz release group

|

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