PERCY SLEDGE
''IT TEARS ME UP: THE BEST OF PERCY SLEDGE''
RECORDING DATE: FEBRUARY 17 1966-1971
APRIL 21 1992
69:44
1 When A Man Loves A Woman (Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright) 02:49
2 I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You (John Berry, Don Covay) 02:35
3 Put A Little Lovin' On Me (Percy Sledge) 02:41
4 Love Me Like You Mean It (Marlin Greene) 02:25
5 It Tears Me Up (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) 02:46
6 Warm And Tender Love (Ida Irral Berger, Bobby Robinson) 03:17
7 Love Me Tender (Vera Matson, Elvis Presley) 03:03
8 The Dark End Of The Street (Chips Moman, Dan Penn) 02:43
9 Take Time To Know Her (Stephen Allen Davis, Al Gallico) 03:00
10 Try A Little Tenderness (Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Harry Woods) 02:45
11 Bless You Sweet Little Soul (Albert Johnson) 02:59
12 True Love Travels On A Gravel Road (Dallas Frazier, A.L.Owens) 02:45
13 Sudden Stop (Bobby Russell) 02:44
14 Stop The World Tonight (Troy Seals) 03:11
15 It's All Wrong But It's Alright (Marlin Greene, Eddie Hinton) 02:55
16 Drown In My Own Tears (Henry Glover) 03:58
17 Out Of Left Field (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) 03:11
18 Kind Woman (Richie Furay) 04:36
19 Cover Me (Marlin Greene, Eddie Hinton) 02:57
20 That's The Way I Want To Live My Life (Phillip Mitchell) 02:52
21 Push Mr. Pride Aside (Billy Cox) 03:20
22 It Can't Be Stopped (Jeanie Greene Marlin Greene) 03:11
23 Rainbow Road (Donnie Fritts, Dan Penn) 02:48
REVIEW/AMG
by Mark Deming
***** Of *****
Percy Sledge's first single, "When a Man Loves a Woman," was an instant masterpiece of deep Southern soul, so powerful and so distinctive it made him a star overnight and helped to quickly establish Muscle Shoals, AL, as one of the major recording centers in the Southern music scene. However, "When a Man Loves a Woman" was such a big hit that it tended to overshadow everything else Percy Sledge did from that point onward; while he had a handful of smaller hits and still records and tours, few people outside of soul obsessives are aware of the full scope of his recording career. It Tears Me Up: The Best of Percy Sledge, a typically well-assembled compilation album from Rhino Records, features 23 songs Sledge cut for Atlantic during the 1960s and makes an excellent case for the consistent strength of Sledge's Atlantic catalog. While Sledge specialized in sad songs of love gone wrong, he certainly knew how to make the most of such material, and his stellar, heart-tugging performances of "Take Time to Know Her," "Warm and Tender Love," "It's All Wrong but It's Alright," and the title tune prove that Sledge had more than one brilliant performance in his repertoire. Great stuff, and certainly the best Percy Sledge collection available.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Percy Sledge will forever be associated with "When a Man Loves a Woman," a pleading, soulful ballad he sang with wrenching, convincing anguish and passion. Sledge sang all of his songs that way, delivering them in a powerful rush where he quickly changed from soulful belting to quavering, tearful pleas. It was a voice that made him one of the key figures of deep Southern soul. Sledge recorded at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, where he frequently sang songs written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn. Not only did he sing deep soul, but Sledge was among the pioneers of country-soul, singing songs by Charlie Rich and Kris Kristofferson in a gritty, passionate style. During the '70s, his commercial success faded away, but Sledge continued to tour and record into the '90s.
While he worked as a hospital nurse in the early '60s, Sledge began his professional music career as a member of the Southern soul vocal group the Esquires Combo. On the advice of local disc jockey Quin Ivy, he went solo in 1966. Ivy fancied himself a record producer and he agreed to help shape Sledge's song "When a Man Loves a Woman" into a full-fledged single, hiring Spooner Oldham to play a distinctive, legato organ phrase. Ivy released the single independently and quickly licensed it to Atlantic Records, who quickly bought out Sledge's contract. "When a Man Loves a Woman" became a huge hit in the summer of 1966, topping both the pop and R&B charts. It was quickly followed that year by two Top Ten R&B hits, "Warm and Tender Love" and "It Tears Me Up," which were both in the vein of his first hit. Although few of his subsequent singles were hits -- only "Take Time to Know Her" reached the R&B Top Ten in 1968 -- many of the songs, which were often written by Dan Penn and/or Oldham, were acknowledged as classics among soul aficionados.
Despite his strong reputation among deep soul fans, Sledge's sales had declined considerably by the early '70s, and he headed out on the club circuit in America and England. In 1974, he left Atlantic for Capricorn Records, where he returned to the R&B Top 20 with "I'll Be Your Everything." Instead of re-igniting his career, the single was a last gasp, as far as chart success was concerned. Over the next two decades he continued to tour, and in the late '80s "When a Man Loves a Woman" experienced a resurgence in popularity, due to its inclusion in movie soundtracks and in television commercials. Following its appearance in a 1987 Levi's commercial in the U.K., the single was re-released and climbed to number two. Two years later, he won the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award. Sledge was able to turn this revived popularity into a successful career by touring constantly, playing over 100 shows a year into the '90s. In 1994, he released Blue Night, his first collection of new material in over a decade, to uniformly positive reviews, and after the turn of the millennium he returned with Shining Through the Rain in 2004. The following year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Percy Sledge died in April 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of 73.
PERCY SLEDGE DIES AGED 73
By theguardian.com
Famous for When a Man Loves a Woman, the southern soul singer died in Louisiana on Tuesday (14).
Soul singer Percy Sledge, best known for his recording of ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ died at his home in Louisiana at age 73 after battling cancer.
Louisiana coroner Dr William Clark confirmed that Sledge died early on Tuesday morning at his home in Baton Rouge. He had been diagnosed with liver cancer in early 2014.
Sledge’s first recording took him from hospital orderly to a long touring career averaging 100 performances a year and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Between 1966 and 1968, Sledge used his forlorn, crying vocal style to record a series of southern soul standards.
While his first hit When a Man Loves a Woman was by far his most famous song, other popular singles included Take Time to Know Her and It Tears Me Up. However, by 1968 he had largely fallen from commercial favour, though songs like Take Time to Know her continue to be revered by soul fans.
In later years, Sledge continued to be in demand as a performer in the US and Europe. When a Man Loves a Woman has continued to pop up in movies, including The Big Chill and The Crying Game. It was covered by Bette Midler in 1979 and Michael Bolton in 1991, the latter version reaching No 1.
Sledge’s version of the song reached No 1 in the US on its original release and reached No 2 in the UK in 1987 when it was used in an advert for Levi’s jeans.
Though the song’s lyrics describe a man blinded to his partner’s infidelity, it is frequently chosen as a first dance at weddings.
When a Man Loves a Woman had an unlikely fan in Margaret Thatcher, who named it one of her favourite songs in a 1987 interview with the British pop magazine Smash Hits.
Sledge continued to perform live frequently, and released an album, Blue Night, in 1994, to critical acclaim.
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''IT TEARS ME UP: THE BEST OF PERCY SLEDGE''
RECORDING DATE: FEBRUARY 17 1966-1971
APRIL 21 1992
69:44
1 When A Man Loves A Woman (Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright) 02:49
2 I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You (John Berry, Don Covay) 02:35
3 Put A Little Lovin' On Me (Percy Sledge) 02:41
4 Love Me Like You Mean It (Marlin Greene) 02:25
5 It Tears Me Up (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) 02:46
6 Warm And Tender Love (Ida Irral Berger, Bobby Robinson) 03:17
7 Love Me Tender (Vera Matson, Elvis Presley) 03:03
8 The Dark End Of The Street (Chips Moman, Dan Penn) 02:43
9 Take Time To Know Her (Stephen Allen Davis, Al Gallico) 03:00
10 Try A Little Tenderness (Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Harry Woods) 02:45
11 Bless You Sweet Little Soul (Albert Johnson) 02:59
12 True Love Travels On A Gravel Road (Dallas Frazier, A.L.Owens) 02:45
13 Sudden Stop (Bobby Russell) 02:44
14 Stop The World Tonight (Troy Seals) 03:11
15 It's All Wrong But It's Alright (Marlin Greene, Eddie Hinton) 02:55
16 Drown In My Own Tears (Henry Glover) 03:58
17 Out Of Left Field (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) 03:11
18 Kind Woman (Richie Furay) 04:36
19 Cover Me (Marlin Greene, Eddie Hinton) 02:57
20 That's The Way I Want To Live My Life (Phillip Mitchell) 02:52
21 Push Mr. Pride Aside (Billy Cox) 03:20
22 It Can't Be Stopped (Jeanie Greene Marlin Greene) 03:11
23 Rainbow Road (Donnie Fritts, Dan Penn) 02:48
REVIEW/AMG
by Mark Deming
***** Of *****
Percy Sledge's first single, "When a Man Loves a Woman," was an instant masterpiece of deep Southern soul, so powerful and so distinctive it made him a star overnight and helped to quickly establish Muscle Shoals, AL, as one of the major recording centers in the Southern music scene. However, "When a Man Loves a Woman" was such a big hit that it tended to overshadow everything else Percy Sledge did from that point onward; while he had a handful of smaller hits and still records and tours, few people outside of soul obsessives are aware of the full scope of his recording career. It Tears Me Up: The Best of Percy Sledge, a typically well-assembled compilation album from Rhino Records, features 23 songs Sledge cut for Atlantic during the 1960s and makes an excellent case for the consistent strength of Sledge's Atlantic catalog. While Sledge specialized in sad songs of love gone wrong, he certainly knew how to make the most of such material, and his stellar, heart-tugging performances of "Take Time to Know Her," "Warm and Tender Love," "It's All Wrong but It's Alright," and the title tune prove that Sledge had more than one brilliant performance in his repertoire. Great stuff, and certainly the best Percy Sledge collection available.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Percy Sledge will forever be associated with "When a Man Loves a Woman," a pleading, soulful ballad he sang with wrenching, convincing anguish and passion. Sledge sang all of his songs that way, delivering them in a powerful rush where he quickly changed from soulful belting to quavering, tearful pleas. It was a voice that made him one of the key figures of deep Southern soul. Sledge recorded at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, where he frequently sang songs written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn. Not only did he sing deep soul, but Sledge was among the pioneers of country-soul, singing songs by Charlie Rich and Kris Kristofferson in a gritty, passionate style. During the '70s, his commercial success faded away, but Sledge continued to tour and record into the '90s.
While he worked as a hospital nurse in the early '60s, Sledge began his professional music career as a member of the Southern soul vocal group the Esquires Combo. On the advice of local disc jockey Quin Ivy, he went solo in 1966. Ivy fancied himself a record producer and he agreed to help shape Sledge's song "When a Man Loves a Woman" into a full-fledged single, hiring Spooner Oldham to play a distinctive, legato organ phrase. Ivy released the single independently and quickly licensed it to Atlantic Records, who quickly bought out Sledge's contract. "When a Man Loves a Woman" became a huge hit in the summer of 1966, topping both the pop and R&B charts. It was quickly followed that year by two Top Ten R&B hits, "Warm and Tender Love" and "It Tears Me Up," which were both in the vein of his first hit. Although few of his subsequent singles were hits -- only "Take Time to Know Her" reached the R&B Top Ten in 1968 -- many of the songs, which were often written by Dan Penn and/or Oldham, were acknowledged as classics among soul aficionados.
Despite his strong reputation among deep soul fans, Sledge's sales had declined considerably by the early '70s, and he headed out on the club circuit in America and England. In 1974, he left Atlantic for Capricorn Records, where he returned to the R&B Top 20 with "I'll Be Your Everything." Instead of re-igniting his career, the single was a last gasp, as far as chart success was concerned. Over the next two decades he continued to tour, and in the late '80s "When a Man Loves a Woman" experienced a resurgence in popularity, due to its inclusion in movie soundtracks and in television commercials. Following its appearance in a 1987 Levi's commercial in the U.K., the single was re-released and climbed to number two. Two years later, he won the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award. Sledge was able to turn this revived popularity into a successful career by touring constantly, playing over 100 shows a year into the '90s. In 1994, he released Blue Night, his first collection of new material in over a decade, to uniformly positive reviews, and after the turn of the millennium he returned with Shining Through the Rain in 2004. The following year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Percy Sledge died in April 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of 73.
PERCY SLEDGE DIES AGED 73
By theguardian.com
Famous for When a Man Loves a Woman, the southern soul singer died in Louisiana on Tuesday (14).
Soul singer Percy Sledge, best known for his recording of ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ died at his home in Louisiana at age 73 after battling cancer.
Louisiana coroner Dr William Clark confirmed that Sledge died early on Tuesday morning at his home in Baton Rouge. He had been diagnosed with liver cancer in early 2014.
Sledge’s first recording took him from hospital orderly to a long touring career averaging 100 performances a year and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Between 1966 and 1968, Sledge used his forlorn, crying vocal style to record a series of southern soul standards.
While his first hit When a Man Loves a Woman was by far his most famous song, other popular singles included Take Time to Know Her and It Tears Me Up. However, by 1968 he had largely fallen from commercial favour, though songs like Take Time to Know her continue to be revered by soul fans.
In later years, Sledge continued to be in demand as a performer in the US and Europe. When a Man Loves a Woman has continued to pop up in movies, including The Big Chill and The Crying Game. It was covered by Bette Midler in 1979 and Michael Bolton in 1991, the latter version reaching No 1.
Sledge’s version of the song reached No 1 in the US on its original release and reached No 2 in the UK in 1987 when it was used in an advert for Levi’s jeans.
Though the song’s lyrics describe a man blinded to his partner’s infidelity, it is frequently chosen as a first dance at weddings.
When a Man Loves a Woman had an unlikely fan in Margaret Thatcher, who named it one of her favourite songs in a 1987 interview with the British pop magazine Smash Hits.
Sledge continued to perform live frequently, and released an album, Blue Night, in 1994, to critical acclaim.
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