And the Beat Goes On (The Whispers song)

"And the Beat Goes On" is a 1979 single by the American music group the Whispers.^[3] The song was their first of two number-one singles on the Soul chart, and their first Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 19.^[4] "And the Beat Goes On" was the group's only number-one song on the dance chart.^[5] It was also their first and biggest hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also peaked at number 27 on the Canadian RPM chart.

"And the Beat Goes On"
A-side label of U.S. 12-inch vinyl single
Single by the Whispers
from the album The Whispers
B-side	"Can You Do the Boogie"
Released	1979
Genre	Post-disco^[1] electro-funk^[2]
Length	7:30 4:30 (Video edit) 3:25 (7')
Label	SOLAR
Songwriter(s)	Leon Sylvers Stephen Shockley William Shelby
Producer(s)	Dick Griffey The Whispers
The Whispers singles chronology
"A Song for Donny" (1979) "And the Beat Goes On" (1979) "Lady" (1980)
Music video
"And the Beat Goes On" on YouTube

In 1996 after Phyllis Hyman died, the Whispers honored her with a musical: Thank God! The Beat Goes On. The fictionalized story intertwines the long-running career of the Whispers with the rise of Hyman, using songs by the Whispers including ones Hyman sang with them such as "The Beat Goes On". The Whispers played themselves while R&B singer Alyson Williams covered the role of Hyman.^[6]

Track listing

7" single^[7]

1. "And the Beat Goes On" – 3:25
2. "Can You Do the Boogie" – 3:50

12" single^[7]

1. "And the Beat Goes On" – 7:30
2. "Can You Do the Boogie" – 6:07

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "And the Beat Goes On" Chart (1980) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[7] 30 Canada Top AC (RPM)^[8] 33 Canada Top 100 (RPM)^[9] 27 Germany (Official German Charts)^[10] 20 Ireland (IRMA)^[11] 14 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[12] 26 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[13] 19 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[14] 7 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[15] 16 UK Singles (OCC)^[16] 2 US Billboard Hot 100^[17] 19 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play^[17] 1 US Billboard Hot Soul Singles^[17] 1 US Cash Box^[18] 19 US Record World^[19] 23

1987 weekly chart performance for "And the Beat Goes On" Chart (1987) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[20] 26 France (SNEP)^[21] 39 Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "And the Beat Goes On" Chart (1980) Rank US Billboard Hot Soul Singles^[22] 5

In popular culture

The song was sampled in Monie Love's 1989 single "I Can Do This" from her debut album Down to Earth and in Will Smith's 1998 single "Miami",^[23] from his 1997 album called Big Willie Style and is featured in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.^[24]

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1980 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1980 (U.S.)

References

1. Ro, Ronin (1998). Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records. Quartet Books. p. 40. SOLAR (...), which grew out of an association between promoter Griffey and Soul Train host Don Cornelius, released a string of post-disco hits that included Shalamar's "The Second Time Around" and the Whispers' "And the Beat Goes On.
2. Stanley, Bob (September 13, 2013). "A Vision of Love: R&B". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 719. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
3. "The Whispers: The Beat Goes On After 15 Years". Jet. Vol. 58, no. 15. Johnson Publishing Company. June 26, 1980. p. 44. ISSN 0021-5996.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 619.
5. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 279.
6. "The Whispers Pay Tribute to Phyllis Hyman in Stage Play 'Thank God! The Beat Goes On'". Jet. Vol. 90, no. 26. Johnson Publishing Company. November 11, 1996. p. 22. ISSN 0021-5996.
7. "The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
8. "RPM Top AC Singles - July 19, 1980" (PDF).
9. "RPM Top 100 Singles - June 21, 1980" (PDF).
10. "The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – And The Beat Goes On". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
13. "The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
14. "The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
15. "The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
17. "The Whispers [1980] – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
18. . Archived from the original on September 15, 2012.. Cash Box magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
19. "Songs from the Year 1980". TsorT. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
20. "The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On '87" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
21. "The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
22. . Archived from the original on October 20, 2006.. Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
23. Flick, Larry (October 3, 1998). "Singles > Will Smith: Miami (3:19)". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 40. p. 24. ISSN 0006-2510.
24. Phares, Heather. "Original Soundtrack – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Vol. 6: Fever 105". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved August 1, 2013.