Soul Strut 100: #98 - Donny Hathaway - S/T (1971)

[RAJ]

I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.

#98 - Donny Hathaway - S/T (1971)

Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later in a seperate part of the site.

 

[RAJ]

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful songs put to wax:

 

[finelikewine]

great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.

 

[fishmongerfunk]

finelikewine said:great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.




his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".

 

[batmon]

crabmongerfunk said:finelikewine said:great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.




his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".




the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.





i dont have this album. stab myself.

 

[pickwick33]

batmon said:crabmongerfunk said:finelikewine said:great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.




his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".




the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.





i dont have this album. stab myself.




The only Donny H. album I don't have.

 

[Rockadelic]

Beautiful LP.....I've run in to many people who have assumed Donny wrote "Song For You"

 

[CousinLarry]

pickwick33 said:batmon said:crabmongerfunk said:finelikewine said:great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.




his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".




the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.





i dont have this album. stab myself.




The only Donny H. album I don't have.




Ha, me too. I have found it in the field a few times just unplayable/beat to shit. So when I see it in a store for $7 or $8 I always end up buying something else thinking it will turn up cheap at some point. I should just pony up next time I see a clean copy.

 

[pcmr]

love this LP got a shrinky upgrade recently


i always put this on to expand friends horizons on soul (yes there is more than al green and marvin)

 

[pickwick33]

CousinLarry saidickwick33 said:batmon said:crabmongerfunk said:finelikewine said:great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.




his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".




the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.





i dont have this album. stab myself.




The only Donny H. album I don't have.




Ha, me too. I have found it in the field a few times just unplayable/beat to shit. So when I see it in a store for $7 or $8 I always end up buying something else thinking it will turn up cheap at some point. I should just pony up next time I see a clean copy.




$7-$8 sounds about right.





But then you consider the fact that it's whipped...yeah, I'd wait!

 

[holmes]

I'm probably the only dude on here who doesn't dig Donny Hathaway, I've owned them all at some point over the years, have kept none, I think I might have an LP with Roberta Flack left & maybe the Magnificent Sanctuary Band 45 off this LP, but for me this is non-essential.

 

[walter_chron]

finelikewine said:great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 10.

 

[granjero]

I don't love all the songs on it, but 'Take A Love Song' could be my favourite lowest tempo ballad ever. His phrasing is insane. Donny is untouchable on tunes like this. Also the strings (which remind me of a Shuggie Otis string figure) are a total choker. LOVE.

 

[mrmatthew]

pcmr said:love this LP got a shrinky upgrade recently


i always put this on to expand friends horizons on soul (yes there is more than al green and marvin)




I've done the exact same thing.


This was a "go-to" xmas/b-day gift for a while for me and everyone i gave it to always dug it.





Giving Up.


He Aint Heavy.


A Song For You.





Killers all of them.

 

[leon]

holmes said:the Magnificent Sanctuary Band 45 off this LP

That is such a facemelting track, absolute killer!

 

[RAJ]

leon said:holmes said:the Magnificent Sanctuary Band 45 off this LP

That is such a facemelting track, absolute killer!




Not really hating this Jerry Garcia version:











:hijack:

 

[Big_Stacks]

Hey,





I think Donny Hathaway's self-titled LP is incredible. The song "Giving Up", simply put, is the most evocative, tear-jerking rendition of a soul ballad ever. You can hear the pain in his voice, backed by a musical arrangement that is so moving and beautiful. Then, on top of all that, the King Curtis sax solo just takes this amazing track to an even higher plane. This song moves my wife to tears, and we listen to it in an awe-struck state. That single track captures the soul and depth of Donny's giftedness as a singer, player, and arranger so very wonderfully. It's one of the best pieces of music I have ever heard!











Peace,





Big Stacks from Kakalak

 

[doisn]

^wow, this is great indeed, always ignored danny except the everything is everything lp, just a bit too mellow, but giving my current situation i really like that one. can imagine good what the sax solo sounds on a nice system!

 

[Tuff_Gong]

My favorite Hathaway album is probably the aforementioned live album... I mean, this song alone blew my head off the first time I heard it:














Just the emotion in his voice, it made the feeling of jealousy palpable to me. As far as the self-titled album goes, I'll throw in my two cents for "Magnificent Sanctuary Band" as well. I love the funky drums with the big bass drum and the drummer laying back in the groove, and then the gospel tinge to the vocals. Beautiful stuff.





I'll admit to being one of those who didn't realize it was Leon Russell who wrote "A Song For You" until not that long ago, but I don't think it really matters, this is one of those cases where the cover became the defacto standard version, much like "All Along The Watchtower" with Hendrix & Dylan.





And back to "Magnificent Sanctuary Band'....Donny's version is my favorite, but this version also brings a smile to my face. Still one of my favorite discoveries from back in my nascent days of digging. Just the idea of a country artist having a song with a funky drum break blew my mind when I was younger because I didn't much care for country at the time and I didn't expect anything like this, let alone from the guy I only knew from Hee Haw:

 

[Rikki Fataar]

The video disappeared, but that was "Jealous Guy" from the live album, right? That's my favorite track of his, hands down. The background vocals on the word "GUYYYYYYY" at the end of the chorus remind me of Zappa's "You Are What You Is"-era for some reason.