“Get Together“, also known as “Let’s Get Together” and “Everybody Get Together“, is a song by American rock band the Youngbloods, originally included in their 1967 debut album The Youngbloods. It was written in the mid-1960s by American singer-songwriter Chet Powers (stage name Dino Valenti), from psychedelic rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service.[2] The single was The Youngbloods’ only Top 40 on Billboard Hot 100—peaking at No. 5 in 1969.
Background
Original recording history
Cover versions
- A rendition first broke into the top forty in 1965, when We Five, produced by Kingston Trio manager Frank Werber, released “Let’s Get Together” as the follow-up to their top ten hit “You Were on My Mind“. While it did not achieve the same level of success as the other, “Let’s Get Together” provided the group with a second top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at No. 31[6] and No. 5 in Canada.[7] It would be their last hit record. This was included on their second album, Make Someone Happy.
- Also in August of 1965 the Mitchell Trio released its version of “Get Together” on its album, “That’s the Way It’s Gonna Be” (Mercury, SG61049). The album was also the debut of new member, John Denver, who replaced the departing Chad Mitchell.
- Jefferson Airplane included it on the 1966 debut album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off.
- The most notable recording came in 1967, when the Youngbloods released their version under the title “Get Together”. It became a minor Hot 100 hit for them, peaking at No. 62 and reaching 37 on the US adult contemporary chart.[8] However, renewed interest in the Youngbloods’ version came when it was used in a radio public service announcement as a call for brotherhood by the National Conference of Christians and Jews.[2] The Youngbloods’ version, the most-remembered today, was re-released in 1969, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.[9]
- In 1968, The Sunshine Company recorded the song, under the title “Let’s Get Together”.
- Also in 1968, the Canadian group 3’s a Crowd released their version as a single, titled “Let’s Get Together”. It peaked at No. 70 on Canada’s national singles chart.[10]
- In 1969, Richie Havens played “Get Together” live at the Woodstock festival.[11]
- In 1970, Gwen and Jerry Collins released the song as a single that reached No. 34 on the US country chart.[12]
- In March 1970, the Dave Clark Five reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart with their version retitled “Everybody Get Together”.[13]
- In 1974, Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah performed it on PBS station WTTW Channel 11, for the series “Made in Chicago.”[14]
- In 1995, Big Mountain put it out on a single that reached No. 28 on the US adult contemporary chart and No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100.[15] It also reached No. 32 on Cash Box.[16]
- In 1991, Nirvana included the chorus lyrics – “Come on people now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together, try to love one another right now” – in the introduction to “Territorial Pissings” on the album Nevermind. “Sung” in a garbled manner by Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain explained this inclusion to Brazilian publication O Globo: “The song speaks of people who join together to be cool and try something new, the ideal contrast to the macho men I’m portraying in ‘Territorial Pissings.’ We didn’t mean to be offensive to the guy who wrote it. The idea of being positive and causing change in society and the world was appropriated by media, who turned it into something ridiculous, a caricature.”[17]
- In 2021, Belinda Carlisle released a version of the song to be included on a Record Store Day-exclusive EP titled Nobody Owns Me.[18]
