The Gap Band - Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
- Artist The Gap Band
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The Gap Band – Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) (1980)
A heavyweight slice of early-'80s funk from The Gap Band, “Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” is driven by a punchy synthesiser bass line, tight drum breaks, sharp horn stabs and Charlie Wilson’s unmistakable lead vocal. Written by Wilson, Rudy Taylor and producer Lonnie Simmons, the track combines the band's deep funk roots with the slicker electronic sound that was beginning to dominate the dancefloor.
Taken from their The Gap Band III album, released in December 1980, the single became one of the group's biggest hits, reaching No. 1 on the US R&B chart and No. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also crossed over successfully in the UK, peaking at No. 22.
The groove has proved particularly influential beyond its original era. Dave Grohl has cited the track's distinctive drum intro as an inspiration for the opening of Nirvana's “Smells Like Teen Spirit” — a great example of the Gap Band's influence reaching far beyond funk and R&B.
An infectious dancefloor classic, packed with the bass, drums and attitude that made the Gap Band such a force in the early '80s