"Giving Up" is a popular song written by

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...

that was introduced by

Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s. Starting out as simpl ...

with an April 1964 single release.

Chart performance

"Giving Up" was a Top 40 Pop hit, reaching No. 38 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. and a Top 10 R&B hit, reaching No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' R&B singles chart. Gladys and her family group The Pips, (her brother Merald (Bubba),and their cousins, Ed Patten, and William Guest, later recorded a newer version of the song after being signed by Motown, which was released on their "Greatest Hits" album and Anthology on Motown's "Soul" subsidiary label several years later.

Other recordings

"Giving Up" has inspired cover versions by many artists: *A 1969 cover of the song by

the Ad Libs ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

that peaked at No. 34 on the US R&B chart. Van McCoy produced the track. *

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

remade "Giving Up" for his 1971 self-titled album for which it served as lead single reaching No. 21 R&B in the summer of 1972. Hathaway's version

crossed over ''Crossed Over'' is a 2002 Canadian television film directed by Bobby Roth, and starring Diane Keaton as Beverly Lowry and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Karla Faye Tucker. It is based on Lowry's memoir ''Crossed Over: A Murder, A Memoir''. Cast *Dia ...

to the pop chart, peaking at No. 81 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. *

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...

remade "Giving Up" as an intended audition for the role of Sparkle, a movie which was set to be produced by Whitney Houston and star Aaliyah. *

Jennifer Holliday Jennifer Yvette Holliday (born October 19, 1960) is an American actress and singer. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as ''Dreamgirls'' (1981–83), ''Your Arms Too Short to Box with God'' (1980–1981) and later became a su ...

recorded “Givin’ Up” which featured on her 1987 album

Get Close to My Love ''Get Close to My Love'' is the third album by soul singer and stage star Jennifer Holliday, released in 1987. Lead single, "Heart On The Line", reached number 48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Black Singles chart, followed by "Read It In My Eyes". The ...

and later on the soundtrack to the 2007 Tyler Perry motion picture

Why Did I Get Married? ''Why Did I Get Married?'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry. It was inspired by Perry's play of the same name. The film also stars Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Shar ...

References

{{authority control 1964 songs 1964 singles 1969 singles Gladys Knight & the Pips songs Songs written by Van McCoy