Born out of lyrics Percy Sledge improvised during a performance after his girlfriend left him, “When A Man Loves A Woman” went on to become a true classic. Sledge let his keyboard and bass players have the full writing credit. On Sledge’s first recording of the song, the horns were out of tune, so Sledge did another take. His record company accidentally released the first version as a single. I don’t think they regret that error.
The late Percy Sledge was born on this date in 1940. His best-known song kicks off today’s playlist.
“Will It Go Round In Circles,” Billy Preston’s second US number one single, was borne from a comment Preston made to his songwriting partner, Bruce Fisher, about having a song but no melody. From there the pair came up with lyrics about having a dance with no steps and added to those words a very catchy melody. A session that included pre-stardom guitar and bass players The Brothers Johnson brought the groove and the funk.
Billy Preston’s first time having his name appear at the top spot of the Hot 100 was in 1969 with “Get Back,” credited to The Beatles With Billy Preston. Following The Beatles’ breakup, Preston continued working with its members, including playing with George Harrison at the Concert for Bangladesh. Preston was the first artist to record Harrison’s My Sweet Lord,” which Harrison co-produced and later recorded himself.
“Will It Go Round In Circles” entered the Hot 100 at number 99. It reached the top ten eleven weeks later, at which time the number one song was Paul McCartney and Wings’ “My Love.” “My Love” was knocked from the top spot by George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth),” which was knocked from the top spot by “Will it Go Round In Circles.” The b-side of the Preston single was his cover of The Beatles’ song “Blackbird.”
The late Billy Preston was born on this date in 1946. A handful of his songs feature on today’s playlist.
Today’s playlist remembers the events of September 11, 2011; celebrates the September 11 birthdays of The Kingsmen’s Jack Ely, The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, Moby, Metronomy’s Joseph Mount, Ludacris, Ted Leo, The Monotones’ Charles Patrick, and Styx’s Tommy Shaw; and the September 12 birthdays of George Jones, Barry White, Ben Folds, America’s Gerry Beckley, The Foundations’ Colin Young, BTS’s RM, Maria Muldaur, Judy Clay, Mount Kimbie’s Dom Maker, The Gentrys’ Larry Raspberry, The Free Design’s Chris Dedrick, Jennifer Hudson, and Kelsea Ballerini.
Inspired by the November 12 birthdays of Neil Young, Bay City Rollers’ Les McKeown, Blue Oyster Cult’s Buck Dharma, Booker T. Jones, Hot Chocolate’s Errol Brown, Brian Hyland, and Tevin Campbell.
Inspired by the passing of Toots Hibbert and the September 12 birthdays of Ben Folds, Barry White, George Jones, America’s Gerry Beckley, Maria Muldaur, Jennifer Hudson, The Foundations’ Colin Young, Judy Clay and BTS’ RM.
Inspired by the July 16 birthdays of The Police’s Stewart Copeland, BROCKHAMPTON’s Kevin Abstract, William Bell, Desmond Dekker, The Searchers’ Tony Jackson, and Live’s Ed Kowalczyk; the July 15 birthdays of Linda Ronstadt, Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, The Buggles/The Art of Noise’s Trevor Horn, Years & Years’ Olly Alexander, Gregory Isaacs, The Heartbreakers’ Johnny Thunders, Alicia Bridges, and Pamela Myers; and the July 14 birthdays of Belly/Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donelly, Woody Guthrie, Jamey Johnson, and Cliff & Claude Trenier.
