"Substitute" is a song by Willie H. Wilson, recorded first by The Righteous Brothers and released as a single from their album The Sons of Mrs. Righteous in 1975. A 1978 version by the South African all-female band Clout was a global hit.

Clout version

In 1978, the song became a big hit for the South African band Clout, reaching No. 2 in the UK charts in August and being certified Gold by the BPI. It fared even better in the rest of Europe, Africa and Oceania where it reached No. 1 in Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as No. 2 in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It fared exceptionally well on the annual charts too, reaching the Top 20 on the final year-end singles charts in the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland and the UK. This version was produced by Grahame Beggs.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Sales and certifications

Other versions