Space Race / We're Gonna Make It
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Album Summary
Billy Preston dropped 'Space Race / We're Gonna Make It' as a single in 1973 on A&M Records, and baby, this was a man at the absolute peak of his powers. Coming off his celebrated work alongside The Beatles and having already proven himself as a solo force to be reckoned with, Preston brought the full weight of his genius to this record. Produced by Preston himself in collaboration with Denny Cordell, the single captured that irresistible funk-driven, keyboard-led sound that Billy had been cooking up and perfecting — a sound that was unmistakably his own. 'Space Race' in particular put his virtuosic organ and synthesizer work front and center, channeling the era's deep fascination with space exploration into something that felt both futuristic and deeply, undeniably soulful.
Reception
- 'Space Race' was a bona fide commercial smash, climbing all the way to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973 and making serious noise on the R&B charts, locking in Billy Preston's reputation as a hitmaker who could do it all on his own.
- Critics took notice of the single's bold instrumental funk sound, with Preston's synthesizer work drawing particular praise for being ahead of its time while still keeping that essential groove locked in tight.
- 'Space Race' earned Billy Preston a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, a well-deserved recognition of the track's singular place in the musical landscape of the early 1970s.
Significance
- 'Space Race' stands tall as one of the defining instrumental funk singles of the early 1970s, a record that wove synthesizer textures together with deep soul and R&B grooves in a way that felt both wildly progressive and absolutely accessible to anyone with ears to hear.
- The single was a perfect sonic mirror of its cultural moment — the real-world Space Race had captured the imagination of the entire planet, and Billy Preston translated that collective wonder into a propulsive, futuristic sound that felt like it was launching right alongside those rockets.
- Preston's keyboard-centered vision on this single left a long shadow over funk and R&B music that followed, standing as a touchstone that demonstrated how an instrumental record could carry as much emotional and cultural weight as anything with words.
Samples
- Space Race — one of the most recognizable instrumental funk samples of the early 1970s, with a well-documented history of use in hip-hop and R&B productions drawn to its propulsive synthesizer groove and rhythmic drive.
Tracklist
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A Space Race 107
3:21
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B We're Gonna Make It 117
3:13
Artist Details
Billy Preston was one of the most gifted keyboard men to ever grace this earth, a Los Angeles-born soul and gospel virtuoso who came up playing organ as a child prodigy in the church before the whole world got hip to his magic in the late 1960s and into the 1970s, blending gospel fire with funky R&B and rock and roll in a way that made everyone from Ray Charles to the Beatles to the Rolling Stones want him in the room. He earned himself the rare title of the "Fifth Beatle" after sitting in on the Let It Be sessions in 1969, and his solo smashes like "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from Nothing" proved that this cat was no sideman — he was a headliner, a star, and a deeply spiritual force in popular music. Billy Preston's story is one of pure talent meeting pure soul, a man who moved between worlds — Black gospel, rock royalty, and mainstream pop — with a joy and authenticity that left fingerprints on some of the most important recordings of his era.
