"Brick House" is a song from the Commodores' 1977 self-titled album. The single peaked at number 5 in the U.S. and number 32 in the UK Singles Chart.
Creation and recording
In 1977, the Commodores were in the studio recording when there was a problem with the equipment. While the equipment was being repaired and replaced, the group took a break. Ronald LaPread, the group's bass player, began jamming. Bit by bit the rest of the band joined in until they came up with a track and bass line. Upon returning, James Carmichael, the Commodores' producer, heard and recognized that this could be a song worth recording. He asked everyone to see if they could use the riff to come up with a song. Taking the tapes home, William King played them for his wife, Shirley Hanna-King. While he slept, she was inspired to write lyrics for the riff, modifying the expression "built like a brick shithouse" for the song. The following day King sang the lyrics to "Brick House" to the band, allowing them to think he had written it. They loved it and decided that drummer Walter "Clyde" Orange had the funky voice to sing lead vocals,, and the song went on the new album. It took several years before the other members of the group discovered that it was actually Shirley Hanna-King who had written the lyrics, and although she was not originally credited, the band has publicly acknowledged her as the song's writer. Covers
In 1995, Mayte released "House of Brick", a rap version of "Brick House", on NPG Records. The track appears on her debut album Child of the Sun. The song features The New Power Generation, and Mayte's then-husband, Prince who sings the chorus and the verses with her.
"Brick House" was also covered in 2003 by Rob Zombie on the House of 1000 Corpses Soundtrack and released as a promo single. The song can also be found on Zombie's Past, Present & Future album. In the song, Zombie collaborates with Lionel Richie and Trina on vocals.
The song was covered in 2010 by M.O.D. and Staffan Thorsell with UK singer Simon Green on vocals, released on Purple Music Switzerland.
The song was covered by Most Requested Rhythm Band in 1978 on the LP Got to Give It Up.
Clarence Carter has covered this song several times with the earliest instance on the album Everybody Plays the Fool in 1999.
"Brick House" was featured in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday.
In the first 1990-1991 season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Carlton and his school's glee club, the 'Alegoroos', sing the a Capella version of the song. On hearing it, Will opines "if the Commodores heard you singing, they'd tie you down to the tracks and run you over with the Soul Train".
On an episode of Living Single, the women all sing "Brick House" in unison while preparing to go out to a nightclub.
In the sitcomDinosaurs, Roy Hess sings the song in the episode "Georgie Must Die"
The 1995 filmHouseguest starring Sinbad and Phil Hartman featured the song.
"Brick House" was featured in the opening of the 1999 film Muppets from Space.
In the 2000 filmGone in Sixty Seconds, a comical member of the car theft crew performs a burlesque show with his toy doll while singing the chorus of "Brick House" in order to distract an officer at the police impound booth.
It was featured in the 2002 filmUndercover Brother.
It was featured in the 2002 film adaptation of Scooby-Doo.
In the American sitcom TV seriesGeorge Lopez Season 3 Episode 28, the Commodores perform the song to serenade the character Benny.
Wickes Furniture has used a modified version for their commercials, changing the lyric "She's got a brick...House" to "Go to Wickes...Now".
The song was used in the season 5 Scrubs episode "My Chopped Liver", when J.D. dreams that Turk gives him his bottom.
The song was made available to download for Rock Band 4 on February 8, 2018.
The song was featured in the 2009 movie. Bumblebee played the song through his radio whilst spraying Alice with antifreeze.
