"Muscles" is a 1982 hit single written and produced by Michael Jackson, and performed by American singer Diana Ross. It was released as the first single on September 17, 1982, by RCA from Ross's Gold-certified album Silk Electric. The single reached number No. 7 in Cash Box magazine and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It climbed as high as No. 4 on the Billboard Soul chart, whilst hitting No. 2 for 2 weeks on the Cash Box Soul chart. The track featured prominent background vocals by Patti Austin with seasoned session singers Maxine and Julia Waters. It earned Ross a twelfth Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. (Although Ross has never won a competitive Grammy, she was awarded an honorary Lifetime Achievement Award from NARAS in 2012.) The song was originally intended to be an R&B answer to the massive Olivia Newton-John hit "Physical".
Music video The single's erotic music video featured Ross in bed dreaming of muscular men. In one scene she is shown floating through the air over a landscape which turns out to be a man's musclebound body. The video features a young Gil Birmingham (The Twilight Saga film series) in one of his first-ever media appearances.
Track listing
UK vinyl, 12" (12CL 268) "Muscles" – 4:36 "I Am Me" – 3:50
US vinyl, 12", promo (JD-13382) "Muscles" – 6:38 "I Am Me" – 3:50
US vinyl, 7" (PB 13348) "Muscles" – 3:59 "I Am Me" – 3:50
US vinyl, 7", Gold Standard Stereo (GB-13798) "Muscles" – 3:59 "Pieces of Ice" – 3:57
FR vinyl, 7" (2C 008-86609) "Muscles" – 3:59 "I Am Me" – 3:50
NE vinyl, 12" (052Z-86609) "Muscles" – 4:35 "I Am Me" – 3:47
NE vinyl, 7" (1A 006-86609) "Muscles" – 3:59 "I Am Me" – 3:50
Personnel
Diana Ross – lead vocals Michael Jackson – producer, uncredited background vocals Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC – mastering Patti Austin – additional backing vocals Bill Wolfer – synthesizer Michael Boddicker – synthesizer Ray Chew – keyboards Eric Gale – guitar Yogi Horton – drums
Neil Jason – bass Denzil Miller – keyboards Jeff Mironov – guitar Jonathan Moffett – drums Julia Tillman Waters – additional backing vocals Greg Smith – synthesizer Maxine Willard Waters – additional backing vocals David Williams – guitar Nathan Watts – bass
Charts Chart (1982)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)50Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)16Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)12US Cash Box Top 1007
Cover versions The song was recorded in 1997 by producer/DJ Peter Rauhofer recording as Club 69 and was a featured single on the Club 69 album Style. The vocals on this version of "Muscles" are performed by singer-songwriter, Suzanne Palmer.
Samples Lil' Kim sampled "Muscles" for her rap "Diamonds" but it was not included in the final cut of her album The Notorious K.I.M. Young Jeezy sampled "Muscles" on the title track of his album The Inspiration. Victoria Beckham sampled "Muscles" on the song "He's My Lover", for her unreleased second album Come Together.
References