Let's Do It Again

Let's Do It Again: Creation, Recording, and Chart History

"Let's Do It Again" was the title song from the 1975 film of the same name and became one of the major hits of the year for The Staple Singers. Reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of December 27, 1975, it represented a commercial peak for the group and demonstrated that their combination of gospel roots, soul production, and crossover pop sensibility could generate mainstream chart success at the highest level. The song spent fifteen weeks on the Hot 100 in total.

The film Let's Do It Again was a comedy directed by Sidney Poitier, who also starred in it alongside Bill Cosby and Jimmie Walker. It was a sequel to the earlier film Uptown Saturday Night and belonged to a cycle of African American comedies that were commercially successful in the mid-1970s. The production of a title song for such a film was a standard element of the contemporary entertainment industry, and the selection of The Staple Singers to provide that song reflected both their commercial standing and their associations with African American cultural and community values that aligned well with the film's spirit.

The song was written and produced by Curtis Mayfield, the Chicago-based singer, songwriter, and producer who was one of the most important figures in soul and funk music of the late 1960s and 1970s. Mayfield had demonstrated his ability to write memorable film title songs with his score for the 1972 film Superfly, and his work on "Let's Do It Again" showed a similar instinct for combining a strong commercial hook with production values appropriate to the context. He crafted the song to suit the warmth and energy of The Staple Singers' sound, and the result was a collaboration that maximized both the songwriter's craftsmanship and the group's particular vocal qualities.

The Staple Singers, led by patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples and featuring daughters Mavis, Cleotha, and Yvonne, had developed their sound through decades of gospel performance before successfully transitioning to the commercial soul market in the early 1970s. Their work with the Stax Records label, particularly their recordings with producer Al Bell, had generated major hits including "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There." By 1975 they had established a consistent commercial profile while maintaining the spiritual warmth and communal energy that defined their gospel heritage.

For the "Let's Do It Again" recording sessions, Mayfield worked with the group to capture a sound that was simultaneously celebratory and warm, drawing on the song's subject matter, a joyful call for celebration and shared experience, and the group's natural ability to project communal energy. Mavis Staples's lead vocal was given particular prominence in the arrangement, her powerful, gospel-informed delivery providing the emotional center around which Mayfield's production built its funk and soul instrumental framework. The rhythm section established a groove that was immediately dance-oriented and radio-friendly.

When the single was released in October 1975, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 25, 1975, at number 68. Its rise was rapid; within two weeks it had jumped to number 37, and it continued climbing through November and into December. By late December it had reached number one, spending one week at the top of the Hot 100 during the Christmas holiday period. The song also topped the Billboard R&B Singles chart, where it was even more dominant, spending several weeks at the top position.

The commercial success of "Let's Do It Again" reflected the ongoing strength of the soul and funk market in 1975, a year that saw multiple recordings from African American artists dominating the pop chart. The Staple Singers were part of a generation of artists who had demonstrated that music rooted in gospel and rhythm and blues traditions could achieve mainstream pop success without compromising its essential character, and this recording was among the strongest examples of that achievement.

The film's commercial success and the song's chart performance together reinforced each other, with the recording receiving prominent exposure through the film's promotion and the song's radio success helping to draw audiences to the film. Curtis Mayfield received significant recognition for his work on the project, and the recording added another chapter to the long history of productive crossovers between the gospel-soul tradition and mainstream popular entertainment. The Staple Singers' recording of "Let's Do It Again" has since been recognized as one of the defining recordings of mid-1970s soul and as a landmark moment in the group's long and distinguished career.