Wilbert Harrison (January 5, 1929 – October 26, 1994) was an American singe… Read Full Bio ↴Wilbert Harrison (January 5, 1929 – October 26, 1994) was an American singer, pianist, guitarist, and harmonica player. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, the soul and rnb artist influenced numerous musicians during his mutli-decade career and also played a role in the evolution of rock n roll music. Harrison's best known for having a Billboard #1 record in 1959 with the song "Kansas City", the track still picking up widespread airplay for years and years.
The song was was one of the first credited collaborations by the acclaimed musical team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the men writing it back in 1952. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. Harrison sang "Kansas City" for the Harlem based entrepreneur Bobby Robinson, and he recorded additional singles for the Fire and Fury record labels, which were owned and operated by Robinson.
After this spike of widespread success, Harrison continued to perform and record, exciting his many fans. However, it would be another ten years before he again cracked the Billboard Top 40 when he released "Let's Work Together (Part 1)", a track that went to #32 in early 1970 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1970 hit version was distributed as a single through Sue Records (Sue 11) and was backed with "Let's Work Together (Part 2)". The full version of the tune, a five minute and ninteen second song that was included on the Sue Records album SSLP-8801, was simply called "Let's Work Together". An earlier version of the full song by Harrison came out in 1962 as "Let's Stick Together" (on Fury 1059 and Fury 1063).
A sign of Harrison's strong influence on soul music, cover versions of his song would be later be hits for both the American rock band Canned Heat and the British singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry. It was also recorded by country rock group The Kentucky Headhunters for the soundtrack to the Mickey Rourke film 'Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'. Harrison had some additional success with "My Heart Is Yours", and his non-charting singles continued to be beloved among many American rnb fans. He toured for many years with a band known as 'Wilbert Harrison and The Roamers', as well as a solo act.
Harrison died of a stroke in 1994, in a Spencer, North Carolina nursing home at the age of 65. In 2001, his recording of "Kansas City" was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, and has also been named as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Harrison was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
The song was was one of the first credited collaborations by the acclaimed musical team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the men writing it back in 1952. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. Harrison sang "Kansas City" for the Harlem based entrepreneur Bobby Robinson, and he recorded additional singles for the Fire and Fury record labels, which were owned and operated by Robinson.
After this spike of widespread success, Harrison continued to perform and record, exciting his many fans. However, it would be another ten years before he again cracked the Billboard Top 40 when he released "Let's Work Together (Part 1)", a track that went to #32 in early 1970 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1970 hit version was distributed as a single through Sue Records (Sue 11) and was backed with "Let's Work Together (Part 2)". The full version of the tune, a five minute and ninteen second song that was included on the Sue Records album SSLP-8801, was simply called "Let's Work Together". An earlier version of the full song by Harrison came out in 1962 as "Let's Stick Together" (on Fury 1059 and Fury 1063).
A sign of Harrison's strong influence on soul music, cover versions of his song would be later be hits for both the American rock band Canned Heat and the British singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry. It was also recorded by country rock group The Kentucky Headhunters for the soundtrack to the Mickey Rourke film 'Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'. Harrison had some additional success with "My Heart Is Yours", and his non-charting singles continued to be beloved among many American rnb fans. He toured for many years with a band known as 'Wilbert Harrison and The Roamers', as well as a solo act.
Harrison died of a stroke in 1994, in a Spencer, North Carolina nursing home at the age of 65. In 2001, his recording of "Kansas City" was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, and has also been named as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Harrison was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
Let%E2%80%99s Work Together
Wilbert Harrison Lyrics
Together we will stand
Divided we'll fall
Come on now people
And let's get on the ball
And work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Before when things go wrong
As they sometimes will
When the road you travel
Well seems all uphill
Let's work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Make someone happy
Make someone smile
Let's all work together
And make life worthwhile
Let's work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Two or three minutes
Two or three hours
What do they mean
Now now in this life of ours
Let's work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Divided we'll fall
Come on now people
And let's get on the ball
And work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Before when things go wrong
As they sometimes will
When the road you travel
Well seems all uphill
Let's work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Make someone happy
Make someone smile
Let's all work together
And make life worthwhile
Let's work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Two or three minutes
Two or three hours
What do they mean
Now now in this life of ours
Let's work together
Come on come on let's work together
Now now people
Say now together we will stand
Every boy girl woman and man
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Wilbert Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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James Prince
"Sock it to me baby"--Wilbert Harrrison.
Well now the marriage vow is very sacred
The man put us together now you want to make it
Stick together, come on, come on let's stick together
You know we made a vow not to leave one another never
"Let's Work Together"
Together we will stand divided we'll fall
Come on now people let's get on the ball
And work together, come on, come on let's work together, now, now people
Say now together we will stand, every boy, girl, woman, and man
Joe Writeson
Instead of arguing 'this is better than that' and dissing other versions, try showing a bit of musical maturity and appreciate that other musicians have interpreted the song their way. Yes this is the original recorded on primitive equipment ... and that's how it sounds ... raw, earthy and beautiful. Just be thankful someone took the time to upload it...thanks Hankgwe
robyonder
100% on.
robyonder
100% on.
Diane Anderson
You got that right !!!!!
64downtown
no one will disagree with your comments-well said--this shouldve been a top 100 hit in the world..canned heat gets credit and white boy ferrt takes all the gravy.
BOB KELLERMAN
This is the version I remember although the Canned Heat version probably sold much better. I hope that Wilbert Harrison got paid on that
Stevie Callaghan
A fantastic and great rendition by Wilbert give him some credit people, he wrote the bloody song.
M. W.
kudos to Gilbert....I always thought Canned heat wrote it.....P.S. he also does the best version of Kansas City
Marjory Rainey
Hell yes! All Credit to Wilbert,
Thomas Beattie
Ok he wrote it but he was not a singer!!!