The Chi-Lites' "Oh Girl" is one of the classic soul ballads of the '70s, and the finest of many classics written by the group's leader, the perpetually broken-hearted Eugene Record. His restrained but aching lead vocal is almost a solo performance (the other three Chi-Lites add only a few wordless harmonies and one line per verse), and his passionate delivery of his own beseeching lyrics is a marvel. (Compare Record's tasteful restraint to the over-emotional wailing on covers by Leo Sayer, Paul Young, and even the usually more aware Smokey Robinson for a quick demonstration of how true soul is not always about keening and melisma.) The arrangement, credited to someone named Tom Tom (probably Record again, who also produced the song and was probably getting shy by his third or fourth solo credit), is magnificently simple, with an almost minimalist string section that adds to the lushness of the vocals without being overbearing, and the brilliant stroke of a wailing harmonica part, a surprisingly down-home touch for such a stylish ballad that's probably the song's crowning achievement. Nearly every cover of the song has swiped the harmonica part wholesale, proof of how key it is to the song's success.
The Chi-Lites
Oh Girl
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Song Review by Stewart Mason
Appears On
| Year | Artist/Album | Label | Time | AllMusic Rating | |||
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1972 | Import | 3:43 | ||||
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1989 |
Various Artists
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Time / Life Music | 3:30 | |||
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1990 |
Various Artists
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Perfect Pitch Marketing | ||||
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1991 |
Various Artists
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K-Tel Distribution | 0:00 | |||
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1992 |
Various Artists
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Time / Life Music | ||||
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1993 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:51 | |||
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1993 |
Various Artists
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The Right Stuff | 3:30 | |||
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1994 |
Various Artists
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Laserlight / Delta Distribution | 3:50 | |||
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1994 |
Various Artists
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Delta Distribution | ||||
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1994 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:20 | |||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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Spectrum Music | 0:00 | |||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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JCI Associated Labels | ||||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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Universal Special Products | 3:35 | |||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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Quality Music / Quality | 3:47 | |||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:50 | |||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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K-Tel Distribution | 0:00 | |||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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K-Tel Distribution | ||||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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K-Tel Distribution | 3:40 | |||
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1995 | Charly Records | 4:49 | ||||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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Friedman Fairgfax | 3:41 | |||
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1996 |
Various Artists
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Quality | 3:47 | |||
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1996 |
Various Artists
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Priority Records | ||||
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1996 |
Various Artists
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Intercontinental Records | 3:50 | |||
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1996 |
Various Artists
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Sony Music Distribution | 0:00 | |||
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1996 |
Original Soundtrack
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The Right Stuff / Capitol | 3:47 | |||
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1996 |
Various Artists
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K-Tel Distribution | 3:48 | |||
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1997 | Prime Kutz / Prime Cuts | 2:57 | ||||
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1997 | Intercontinental Records | 3:05 | ||||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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Prime Cuts | 3:00 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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Rhino Flashback | ||||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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Deuce | 3:00 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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3 for 3 | 2:56 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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Columbia River Entertainment Group | ||||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair / Sixties / Seventies | 3:04 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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BMG Special Products | 3:50 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
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3:45 | ||||
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1998 |
Various Artists
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Crimson Productions | 3:36 | |||
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1998 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair / Number 1 Hits | 3:05 | |||
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1998 | Music Club Records | |||||
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1998 |
Various Artists
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Crimson Productions | 3:27 | |||
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1998 |
Various Artists
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Dressed To Kill | ||||
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1998 | Demon Records / Demon | 3:36 | ||||
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1998 | Universal Special Products | 4:48 | ||||
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1998 |
Various Artists
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Double Play Records | 3:07 | |||
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1998 | Masters | 3:07 | ||||
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1998 | Diablo (UK) | 3:36 | ||||
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1998 | Excelsior Recordings | |||||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Time / Life Music | 3:44 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Crimson Productions | ||||
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1999 | Remember Records | 3:20 | ||||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Double Play Records | 3:06 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Friedman Fairgfax | 3:43 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Polygram | 3:50 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Intercontinental Records | 3:00 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Time / Life Music | 3:44 | |||
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1999 | Empire Music Group Inc. / Music Club Records | 3:35 | ||||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Excelsior Recordings | ||||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Atlantic | 3:29 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Boxsets | 3:03 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Boxsets | 3:04 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Buddha Records | 3:49 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Direct Source | 3:01 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 3:04 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Direct Source | 3:02 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Direct Source | 3:01 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Direct Source | 3:00 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:50 | |||
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2000 | Golden Music / Goldenlane | 3:50 | ||||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Goldies | 3:33 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 3:03 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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Top Sail Productions | 3:30 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 3:03 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 3:03 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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Direct Source | 3:01 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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Goldies | 3:34 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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Time / Life Music | 3:30 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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Buddha Records | 3:49 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:14 | |||
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2001 | Brunswick | 3:36 | ||||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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Thump Records | 3:45 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
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Direct Source | 3:01 | |||
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2002 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 3:05 | |||
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2002 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:13 | |||
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2002 | EMI-Capitol Special Markets | 3:36 | ||||
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2002 | Park South Records / Orpheus Records | 3:00 | ||||
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2002 | BR Music | 4:47 | ||||
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2002 |
Various Artists
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Rerooted | 3:36 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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Direct Source | 3:02 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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Cleopatra | 3:49 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 2:59 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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Thump Records | 3:45 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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K-Tel Distribution | 2:59 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 2:58 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:14 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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Madacy | 2:58 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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WEA International | 3:37 | |||
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2003 | Collectables | 3:36 | ||||
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2004 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 2:59 | |||
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2004 | Kent | 3:36 | ||||
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2004 | Demon Records | |||||
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2004 |
Various Artists
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Madacy | 3:32 | |||
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2004 |
Various Artists
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Golden Stars | 3:34 | |||
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2004 |
Various Artists
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Columbia River Entertainment Group | 2:56 | |||
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2004 |
Various Artists
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St. Clair | 2:58 | |||
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2005 |
Various Artists
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Northquest | 2:58 | |||
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2005 |
Various Artists
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Columbia River Entertainment Group | 2:58 | |||
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2005 |
Various Artists
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SPG | 3:41 | |||
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2005 |
Various Artists
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Time / Life Music | 0:00 | |||
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2005 |
Various Artists
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K-Tel Distribution | 2:59 | |||
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2006 | Brunswick | 3:37 | ||||
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2006 |
Various Artists
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Brunswick | 3:36 | |||
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2006 |
Various Artists
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Hip-O | 3:37 | |||
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2007 |
Various Artists
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Malaco | 3:48 | |||
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2008 |
Various Artists
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Rolling Stone | 3:36 | |||
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2010 |
Various Artists
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EMI Music Distribution / UMTV | 3:43 | |||
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2012 |
Various Artists
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Bellevue Publishing | 3:00 | |||
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2014 |
Various Artists
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Bellevue / Wienerworld | 3:02 | |||
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2014 |
Various Artists
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Bear Family Records | 3:30 | |||
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Various Artists
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AAO Music / United Audio Entertainment | 2:56 | ||||
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Various Artists
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Geffen | 3:47 | ||||
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Various Artists
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Sugarhill | 3:08 | ||||
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Expansion Records | 4:45 | |||||
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Various Artists
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Sugar Hill | 3:08 | ||||
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Various Artists
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Time Life | 3:42 |
