Loleatta Holloway "Ripped Off": a single?

[Westwood]

Hey guys, my new favorite song is "Ripped Off" by the mighty Loleatta Holloway. I have the "Loleatta" LP and the Salsoul 2CD Anthology (which I seriously advise you to get) and especially since reading in the LP notes in the Forum's vault that it was a Billboard no.3 like "Hit and Run" I was wondering if it was ever a single, if there are any other versions around, like an extended one. I love this song, especially the sound (and if someone can tell me what instrument generates that sound I'd be grateful) that goes down in the melody at the end of each chorus after she sings "...love I needed bad", sounds like some electric guitar? lol I am cluless when it comes to these things.

[Disco Funk]

Ripped Off is a great track. Too bad it didn't get a 12" remix as far as I know. The tracks from that record to get the remix treatment were Hit and Run and We're Getting Stronger.

As for the instrument 'going down', I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to, but there is what sounds like a combination of guitar and bass stringed instruments (i.e. cellos?) that play a series of notes each time in the chorus before the word 'bad' is uttered.

Disco Funk

[thommy2458]

"Ripped Off" is such an underappreciated gem-especially the "cops and robbers" break(also see
Dee Dee Gamble's "breaking and entering")-this needs a
nice long re-edit.
Thom