Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now

For the 2016 country song, seeAin't No Stopping Us Now (Kane Brown song).

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"is a 1979discosong performed by American R&B duoMcFadden & Whitehead,from their debut albumMcFadden & Whitehead(1979). They wrote and produced the song along with keyboard player Jerry Cohen.

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"
SinglebyMcFadden & Whitehead
from the albumMcFadden & Whitehead
B-side	"I Got the Love"
Released	April 1979
Recorded	1978
Studio	Sigma Sound,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre	Disco
Length	7:02(album version) 3:38 (single edit) 10:45 (12-inch version)
Label	Philadelphia International
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Cohen Gene McFadden John Whitehead
Producer(s)	Jerry Cohen Gene McFadden John Whitehead
McFadden & Whiteheadsingles chronology
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" (1979) "I've Been Pushed Aside" (1979)
Audio
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"onYouTube

Background

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is about succeeding despite having faced previous disadvantages ( "so many things that held us down" ). It was widely interpreted to be about the experience of theAfrican Americancommunity. After it gained popularity, it was often referred to as "the new black national anthem"(the original being the 1900 song "Lift Every Voice and Sing").

Kelefa Sannehnoted the song was, "an exuberant number often interpreted as an expression of Black pride". He also noted that the authors of the song were in a dispute over royalties with their record labelPhiladelphia International.SingerWhiteheadsaid, "If anything, the song was a declaration of our independence fromGamble."

Production

Although the song was taken as social commentary, in an interview conducted by Philadelphia video producer Bob Lott, Whitehead and McFadden revealed that the song expressed their frustration with Philadelphia International ownersKenny Gamble and Leon Huff.For many years the pair were encouraged to remain as house songwriters and not performers. Gamble has confirmed that upon first hearing "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now", he tried unsuccessfully to convince McFadden and Whitehead to give the song tothe O'Jays.He believed it was better for them to write and produce for the prominent recording artists of the day than to try to compete with them as on-stage performers.

This song features a female chorus in the repeated refrain. Electronic beeping feedback sounds are heard towards the ending of the longer version of the song.

Chart performance

Released as the lead single from the album, the song spent a week at number one on the R&B singles chart. It also proved to be a successful crossover hit, peaking at number 13 on theBillboardHot 100.The single also made it to number 10 on the disco charts,and reached number 5 in the UK. It eventually went double Platinum for selling 2 million copies.

Personnel

• Gene McFadden– lead vocals
• John Whitehead– lead vocals
• Jerry Cohen– keyboards
• Dennis Harris– guitar
• Bobby Eli– guitar

• Jimmie Williams – bass
• Keith Benson – drums
• Barbara Ingram,Carla Benson,Evette Benton – backing vocals
• Don Renaldo And His String & Horn Sections – orchestral accompaniment

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"

Chart (1979)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	56
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	25
Ireland (IRMA)	9
UK Singles(OCC)	5
USBillboardHot 100	13
USBillboardHot Soul Singles(Billboard)	1
USBillboardDisco (Billboard)	10
USCash BoxTop 100	12

Year-end charts

Year-end performance for "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"

Chart (1979)	Rank
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	169
UK Singles (OCC)	53
USBillboardHot 100	65
USCash Box	82

Other notable versions

In 1995,Luther Vandrossreleased his version of the song, which charted in New Zealand at number 50.His version of the song was also performed as a duet with British girl group, theSpice Girlsfor theirAn Audience With...special on the UK'sITV1in 1997. It later appeared as a B-Side to their singleStop.

Samples

The bassline of the track was used in "Ma quale idea"by Italian artistPino D'Angiò.