The Nitty Gritty (song)

"The Nitty Gritty"
Single by Shirley Ellis
from the album The Nitty Gritty
B-side	"Give Me a List"
Released	1963
Genre	R&B, novelty
Length	2:12
Label	Congress
Songwriter(s)	Lincoln Chase
Producer(s)	Hutch Davie
Shirley Ellis singles chronology
"The Nitty Gritty" (1963) "(That's) What the Nitty Gritty Is" (1964)

"The Nitty Gritty"
Single by Gladys Knight & the Pips
from the album Nitty Gritty
B-side	"Got Myself a Man"
Released	June 26, 1969
Recorded	1969
Studio	Motown
Genre	R&B
Length	2:59
Label	Soul Records
Songwriter(s)	Lincoln Chase
Producer(s)	Norman Whitfield
Gladys Knight & the Pips singles chronology
"Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime)" (1969) "The Nitty Gritty" (1969) "Friendship Train" (1969)

"The Nitty Gritty" is a 1963 song written by Lincoln Chase and recorded by Shirley Ellis. Released by Congress Records, it reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964. In Canada it was No. 19 for 2 weeks.

Cover versions

• Motown released a version of "The Nitty Gritty" by Gladys Knight & The Pips in mid-1969 on its Soul imprint. It reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the soul chart. In Canada it reached No. 27.
• A version by Diana Ross & The Supremes can be found on the 2001 edition of their album, Anthology.
• Southern Culture on the Skids covered it on the Dirt Track Date album.

Popular culture

• A televised performance of the dance associated with the song by Robert Banas, recorded for a January 1964 episode of The Judy Garland Show, has had more than 18 million views on YouTube, 60 years after its original airing.
• The song can be heard on the final episode of Disney’s newest feature series Win or Lose on the eighth episode called "Home" as Coach Dan uses the song to prepare the softball field for the game.