Russell's song "This Masquerade", the B-side of his 1972 hit single "Tight Rope", was later recorded by numerous artists, including Helen Reddy and The Carpenters. George Benson's version of the song reached number 10 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and won Record of the Year at the 1977 Grammy Awards. As the song writer, Russell was nominated for Song of the Year in 1977 but lost to Bruce Johnston, who wrote "I Write the Songs". Russell's version of "This Masquerade" was used for the soundtrack for the psychological thriller film "Bug", which was directed by William Friedkin. The "Bug" soundtrack was released on May 22, 2007. The song was also used in the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness".