Donny Hathaway’s second studio album as a hybrid stereo SACD from the Atlantic 75 Series: nine songs from soul, pop and gospel – and a voice that makes every one of them its own. From the opening plea of “Giving Up” and Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” to “Put Your Hand In The Hand”, the nine tracks play in one sequence.
Other people’s songs, one unmistakable voice
Released in 1971, Donny Hathaway was the second studio album under his own name – and eight of its nine songs come from other writers. That is exactly what makes it so fascinating: the personality of this album lives in the choice of songs, in the arrangements and in the performance. Hathaway brings soul, pop and gospel together without erasing where each song comes from.
Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” was still a fresh composition at the time. Hathaway’s recording became part of the song’s ongoing story – but Russell wrote it, and keeping that in mind makes the interpreter’s achievement shine all the more clearly. Recorded in 1970 and 1971, the album was mostly produced by Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin; Hathaway himself produced “Take A Love Song”, and the arrangements bear the mark of Hathaway and Mardin. The sequence leads from the opening appeal of “Giving Up” through personal declarations of affection to songs with communal and spiritual associations.
Several studios, distinct voices
Most of the album was recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York, with additional work at Criteria Studios in Miami. In New York, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass and Al Jackson Jr. on drums form the core, while Hathaway sings and plays keyboards. “Take A Love Song” was recorded separately at Universal Studios in Chicago with a different group – Phil Upchurch, Steve Novosel and Morris Jennings are among the documented musicians.
Individual solos stand out too: King Curtis plays the tenor saxophone solo on “Giving Up”, and Joe Newman takes the trumpet solo on “She Is My Lady”. Strings, horns and backing voices keep offering the singer new partners. Listen for the moments when an instrument answers a vocal line or opens a new section – that is where the arrangements come alive.
From intimate address to a communal voice
“Giving Up” and “A Song For You” open the album with two different kinds of personal address. “Little Girl” and “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” follow, and later come “Magnificent Sanctuary Band” and “She Is My Lady”. Much of the album’s range grows out of this movement between personal intimacy and a broader communal expression. Hathaway’s gospel roots are a helpful reference, even if they don’t explain every song: a popular composition takes on a new character through phrasing, harmony and the placement of the backing voices – and keeps its melody.
The album closes with “I Believe In Music”, “Take A Love Song” and “Put Your Hand In The Hand”. “Take A Love Song”, co-written with Nadine McKinnor, is Hathaway’s only original composition on the album – with its own producer and its own recording location. So the album brings together many forms of musical authorship: writing, arranging, accompanying, and giving an existing song a new identity through interpretation.
The Atlantic 75 hybrid stereo SACD
CAPA 051 SA is a hybrid stereo SACD from the Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Series. The SACD layer plays on SACD-capable players, the CD layer on any conventional CD player. The disc contains the nine tracks of the original album, without additional songs from later compilations – so the famous performances return to the sequence of Hathaway’s second studio album.
You order from Michael 45 in Germany. We arrange the US import and ship from Hilden.
More from the series: Atlantic 75 Series
Also in another edition: Donny Hathaway
More SACDs by Donny Hathaway: Everything Is Everything
Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe
Musicians
Participants and documented credit status. Track references correspond to the tracklist.
- Donny Hathawayvocals, keyboardsParticipation: Album personnel
- Chuck Raineyelectric bassParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Cornell DupreeguitarParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Al Jackson Jr.drumsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- King Curtistenor saxophone soloParticipation: track 1
- Joe Newmantrumpet soloParticipation: track 6
- Phil Upchurchelectric bassParticipation: track 8
- Steve NovoselbassParticipation: track 8
- Morris JenningsdrumsParticipation: track 8
- Cissy Houstonbacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Myrna Smithbacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Sylvia Shemwellbacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Judy Claybacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Deirdre Tuckbacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- J.R. Baileybacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Ronnie Brightbacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Sammy Turnerbacking vocalsParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Myrna Summersbacking vocals (with the Interdenominational Singers)Participation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
- Ivory Stonebacking vocalsParticipation: track 8
- Lillian Perrybacking vocalsParticipation: track 8
- S. Whitebacking vocalsParticipation: track 8
track 8 comes from a separate Chicago session. Other group credits identify the documented recording block, not every audible appearance by every backing singer.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.