"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and recorded by the Philadelphia soulmusical groupHarold Melvin & the Blue Notes. It became their first hit after being released as a single in September 1972, topping the US R&B chart and peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" was originally written for Labelle but they never recorded it. Much like the issue with "I Miss You" and The Dells passing on it, the song's composers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff gave it to Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which featured Teddy Pendergrass as lead vocalist. In addition to the single release, the track was included on their debut album I Miss You. Patti LaBelle later made the song as part of her concert repertoire in 1982; a live version appears on her 1985 album, Patti. "If You Don't Know Me by Now" has since been covered by a number of other artists, most notably the English pop and soul band Simply Red, who took their version to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. The song was chosen as one of the "Songs of the Century" by the RIAA.
Chart history
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Chart
Rank
US Cash Box
86
Simply Red version
Simply Red's version of "If You Don't Know Me by Now" was a major commercial success on the charts in 1989, giving the band their second US number one, and peaking at number 38 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. This version also won the Grammy Award for the Best R&B Song of 1989. The track was also a number one hit in Australia and New Zealand; in the latter, it was the best-selling single of 1989. It peaked at number 2 in the UK; the band's second Top 10 hit after the re-issue of "Holding Back the Years" in 1986, which also reached number 2. According to the producer Stewart Levine, he didn't want too much orchestration on the record, and went with a two-part harmony instead of a three-part harmony. Mick Hucknall admitted he loved Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' version, and stated he danced to their music when he was 13. This version can be heard in the film American Psycho, and appears in the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol. It is also available to download for the Xbox 360 game Lips, which contains the music video.
British actor/comedian Ricky Gervais covered the song as his character David Brent in the UK TV seriesThe Office Christmas specials in December 2003. A full music video was produced and released with the DVD set.
The musician Seal recorded the song for his 2008 album Soul. In April 2009, it became his first Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit since "Love's Divine" in 2004. He was also subsequently nominated for the Best Male Pop Vocal PerformanceGrammy.
R&B singer Ciara interpolated the chorus of the song for her 2009 single, "Never Ever", featuring Young Jeezy. The single is from her third album Fantasy Ride.
British artist Rod Stewart recorded a cover version for inclusion on his 2009 album Soulbook.
