"Bra" is a song by British

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

band

Cymande Cymande (pronounced ) is a British funk group that was originally active in the early 1970s. The band name derives from a calypso word for "dove", which symbolises peace and love; "Dove" is also the title of one of their best-known songs. Wit ...

from their self-titled debut studio album ''

''. Written by the group's members Patrick Patterson and Steve Scipio, it was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in London, produced by John Schroeder, and released as a

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

first in 1972 and then through Janus Records in 1973. Released as the second single from the album, the song peaked at No. 51 on the

Soul Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

''Billboard'' chart in the United States. The song featured in Spike Lee's 1994 film ''

Crooklyn ''Crooklyn'' is a 1994 American semi-autobiographical film produced and directed by Spike Lee and co-written with his sister Joie and brother Cinqué. Occurring in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, during the summer ...

'' as well as on its soundtrack album. It also appeared in John Jacobsen's 1998 film ''Around the Fire'', Spike Lee's 2002 film ''

25th Hour ''25th Hour'' is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Edward Norton. Adapted by David Benioff from his own 2001 debut novel ''The 25th Hour'', it tells the story of a man's last 24 hours of freedom as he prepares to go t ...

'', and Martin Gero's 2007 film '' Young People Fucking''.

Track listing

Personnel

* Ray King – vocals, percussion * Peter Serreo – tenor saxophone * Michael "Bami" Rose –

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, bongos * Pablo Gonsales –

Conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

s * Sam Kelly –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

* Joey Dee – vocals, percussion * Derek Gibbs –

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

and

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

* Steve Scipio –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, songwriter * Patrick Eaton Patterson – guitar, songwriter * John Schroeder –

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

Charts

Sampled credits

The song was sampled by several hip hop recording artists, including: * Sugarhill Gang in "Work, Work, the Body", released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

(1985) * Gang Starr in "Movin' On" from '' No More Mr. Nice Guy'' (1989) *

Arabian Prince Kim Renard Nazel (born June 17, 1965), better known by his stage names Arabian Prince or Professor X, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. He is best known as a founding member of N.W.A. Early life Nazel was born i ...

in "SItuation Critical" from '' Brother Arab'' (1989) *

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...

in "Change in Speak" from ''

3 Feet High and Rising ''3 Feet High and Rising'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, released on March 3, 1989 by Tommy Boy Records. It is the first of three collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and ...

'' (1989) * Def Jef in "Give It Here" from ''

Just a Poet with a Soul ''Just a Poet with Soul'' is the debut alternative hip hop album by Def Jef, released by Delicious Vinyl on November 14, 1989 (see 1989 in music). The album was highly praised upon its release, with critics enjoying the sociopolitical lyrics. ...

'' (1989) It was more recently sampled in R&B artist Vivian Green's "Work" on her album ''Vivid'' (2015).

References

External links

*{{Discogs master, 261737, Cymande – Bra Funk songs 1973 singles Song recordings produced by John Schroeder (musician)