Got to Be Real - wikipedia Got to Be Real `` Got to Be Real '' Single by Cheryl Lynn from the album Cheryl Lynn B - side `` Come in from the Rain '' Released August 14, 1978 Format 7 '' 12 '' Recorded August 1978 Studio Sunset Sound Studios ( Hollywood, California ) Genre Disco Length 5 : 07 ( LP version ) 3 : 42 ( Radio version ) Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Cheryl Lynn David Paich David Foster Producer ( s ) David Paich Marty Paich Cheryl Lynn singles chronology `` Got to Be Real '' ( 1978 ) `` Star Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Got to Be Real '' ( 1978 ) `` Star Love '' ( 1979 ) Alternative cover `` Got to Be Real '' is a song by American singer Cheryl Lynn from her 1978 self - titled debut album. The song, which was Lynn 's debut single, was written by Lynn, David Paich and David Foster, and has since been called one of the defining moments in disco music. Contents 1 Recording 2 Chart performance 3 Legacy 4 Track listing and formats 5 Charts and certifications 5.1 Weekly charts 5.2 Year - end charts 5.3 Certifications and sales 6 Cover versions 7 Live cover performances 8 Sampling 9 Appearances in other media 10 See also 11 References 12 External links Recording For the recording, David Shields played bass, David Paich played keyboards, James Gadson played drums, and Ray Parker, Jr. was the session guitarist. Chart performance In the United States, `` Got to Be Real '' spent three weeks at # 12 on the pop chart and hit number one on the soul chart in early 1979. Along with the album tracks `` Star Love '' and `` You Saved My Day '', `` Got to Be Real '' peaked at # 11 on the disco chart. The song was used for a 2010 British TV advertising campaign for Marks & Spencer, a department store, and it re-entered the main charts at # 78 for the week ending April 4, the next week peaking at # 70. Legacy `` Got to Be Real '' was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in September 19, 2005. In 2017, ShortList 's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing `` one of the greatest key changes in music history ''. Track listing and formats 7 '' single `` Got to Be Real '' -- 3 : 42 `` Come in from the Rain '' -- 3 : 35 12 '' single `` Got to Be Real '' -- 5 : 10 `` Come in from the Rain '' -- 3 : 35 Charts and certifications Weekly charts Chart ( 1978 -- 79 ) Peak position Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 16 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 12 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles U.S. Billboard Hot Disco Singles 11 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 10 Year - end charts Chart ( 1979 ) Rank Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 119 Canada ( RPM ) 124 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 69 U.S. Cash Box 89 Certifications and sales Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,000,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Cover versions In 1991, Japanese producers Soichi Terada and Shinichiro Yokota sampled and covered the song. In 1993, Canadian singer Lisa Lougheed covered the song on her album Peace & Harmony. In 1994, Amii Stewart covered the song on her tribute album Lady to Ladies. In 1996, American singer Jordan Hill covered this song on her self - titled debut album. In 1998, Mariah Carey and Patti LaBelle covered the song in a performance. In 2000, Nettai Tropical Jazz Big Band covered the song on their album My Favorite. In 2004, Mary J. Blige and Will Smith covered the song for the soundtrack to the animated film Shark Tale. In 2007, Young Divas included a cover version on their second album New Attitude. In 2008, Korean pop artist SunMin covered the song for her mini album Cover Girl. In 2010, Japanese pop artist Kumi Koda covered the song for her single `` Gossip Candy ''. Live cover performances Mariah Carey and Patti LaBelle performed the song in 1998, available on LaBelle 's Grammy - winning album, Live ! One Night Only, released the same year. Korean girl group TSZX The Grace performed this song at their live show, Graceful Party. Kylie Minogue sampled the song for the disco - inspired `` Spinning Around '' performance in KylieX2008 world tour. Japanese singer Koda Kumi performed in her Live Tour 2010 UNIVERSE & Special Concert Dream Music Park. In 1994, PWL artist Erik covered the single, resulting in a UK club smash hit, and minor chart hit. Philippine girl group A.K.A. JAM performed the song on X Factor Philippines ' Top 12 live show on August 4, 2012. Sampling The group Full Force sampled the song for their song Ai n't My Type of Hype. Positive K interpolated the bassline in I Got A Man. Father MC sampled the song for his song `` I 'll Do 4 U '' on his 1990 album Father 's Day, which features vocals by Mary J. Blige. C + C Music Factory sampled this song in a highly sought - after, promotional - only remix titled, `` Do You Wanna Get Funky / Got To Be Real '' in 1994. In 1996, Jamiroquai for their song `` Funktion '', which was included as a hidden track on their third studio album Travelling Without Moving. The song was heavily sampled for a remix of Beyoncé 's Irreplaceable, released in 2006. Brother D and the Collective Effort sampled as part of the old - school hip hop anthem `` How We Gonna Make The Black Nation Rise ? '' Funky Four Plus One sampled it for their 1979 song `` Rappin ' And Rocking The House '' Proyecto Uno sampled most parts of the song on their famous hit `` Tiburón '' Dynamic Duo sampled the song when they were part of CB Mass with rapper Curbin for the song `` Jinja ( Real ) ''. Houston rapper Dat Boy Grace sampled the song for his song `` Southside So Real '' on his album `` From Crumbs To Bricks '' Filipino actor, rap artist, and model Carlos Agassi sampled the song for his song `` Magpakatotoo '' featuring Vanessa Del Mundo. Eric Benét sampled the song on the track, `` Feel Good '' featuring Faith Evans from 2010 's Lost in Time. Miami rapper Blac Haze sampled the main parts of this song in 1997 's `` Let Me Holla At Cha '' the hit single, that was later remixed on the 1998 album `` Res - Sa - Rec - Shun ''. Crips sampled the song on the track, `` Every Dog has his Day ''. Fat Joe sampled the song for his track `` Bet Ya Man Ca n't ( Triz ) '' that features Big Pun, Cuban Link, and Triple Seis from Don Cartagena album in 1998. 95 South 's `` Rodeo '' Appearances in other media The song was prominently featured in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, which chronicles the ball culture of New York City and the poor, African American and Latino gay and transgender community involved in it. The song is heard in the 1993 crime film Carlito 's Way when Carlito Brigante ( played by Al Pacino ) enters his girlfriend Gale 's strip club. Whit Stillman 's film The Last Days of Disco includes the song on its soundtrack. In 1998, in the first - season episode `` Head Case '' of the sitcom Will and Grace, Will sings this song in the bathroom while he shaves, to which Grace responds `` We 're just like fifty men and a mirrored ball away from being a gay disco ''. The song was also included as a playable song in the North American version of Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2, as a nod to its 2002 appearance in the sixth season King of the Hill episode `` Returning Japanese '', which featured the song in a DDR clone. In 2001, the song appeared in the fourth season Sex and the City episode, `` The Real Me '', where Carrie Bradshaw becomes a model for a day. In 2006, the song featured in The Pink Panther, during some of the New York scenes. In March 2010, UK department store Marks and Spencer used `` Got To Be Real '' in adverts for their new Spring Collection. The song appeared in the 2000 film, Keeping the Faith which starred Ben Stiller and Edward Norton In 2013, the song appeared in the first season The New Normal episode, `` The Goldie Rush ''. The song is also featured in the 2002 film, Undercover Brother, after `` The Man '' 's organization is defeated towards the end of the movie. The song is featured in the 2014 film Night at the Museum : Secret of the Tomb. The song is used in the 2015 South Park episode Safe Space. The song is used in the 2010 American Dad ! episode Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls. The song is used in the 2015 Scandal episode Yes. The song is used in the 4th episode of the second season of RuPaul 's Drag Race All Stars as a `` Lip Sync For Your Legacy '' song. It was performed by contestants Alaska ( as Lil ' Pound Cake ) and Phi Phi O'Hara. See also Soul number - one singles of 1979 ( US ) References ^ Jump up to : `` Gold & Platinum ''. RIAA. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ AllMusic Review by Andy Kellman. `` Cheryl Lynn - Cheryl Lynn Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 01. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 368. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Hot Dance / Disco : 1974 - 2003. Record Research. p. 162. Jump up ^ `` Got to Be Real UK singles chart history ''. chartstats.com. Retrieved 2011 - 29 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Cheryl Lynn UK singles chart history ''. chartstats.com. Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 12. Jump up ^ `` The 19 greatest key changes in music history ''. ShortList. October 1, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 11 - 13. Retrieved 2014 - 11 - 13. Jump up ^ Steffen Hung. `` Forum - 1970 ( ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts ) ''. Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016 - 06 - 02. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1979 / Top 100 Songs of 1979 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 04. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 12. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Allmusic Entry Preceded by `` Le Freak '' by Chic Billboard 's Hot Soul number one single ( Cheryl Lynn version ) January 6, 1979 Succeeded by `` September '' by Earth, Wind & Fire Cheryl Lynn Studio albums Cheryl Lynn In Love In The Night Instant Love Preppie It 's Gonna Be Right Start Over Songs `` Got to Be Real '' `` Keep It Hot '' `` Shake It Up Tonight '' `` If This World Were Mine '' ( with Luther Vandross ) `` Encore '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Got_to_Be_Real&oldid=833904900 '' Categories : 1978 singles 1979 singles Cheryl Lynn songs Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs number - one singles Debut singles Disco songs Songs written by David Foster Songs written by David Paich 1978 songs Columbia Records singles Hidden categories : Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Certification Table Entry usages for United States All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 2 April 2018, at 23 : 44. 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Question: who sang the song got to be real
Answer: Cheryl Lynn