I had a very brief flirtation with Luther Vandross in the early 80s. Part of my shine was reactive. Should I listen to fake soul, like Style Council, or should I listen to the real thing? There was a lot of real thing out there. From Parliament/Funkadelic to the Sugarhill Gang to sounds from Africa. But there was also pop radio soul, which could be awful. But not always.
Luther Vandross had a great voice and apparently a taste for awful treacly songs. But sometimes the pool of his emotion filled a song that could hold it. These two did it for me, perhaps I should note, in some of my darkest personal days.
This was contributing to your darkest personal days, Peter.
I got thirty seconds into the first song and was ready to stab myself with a pen.
I’m glad you turned it off after 30 seconds, Steve.
This version, Burt Bachrach, who wrote half of it and sings the first verse and chorus, features Dusty Springfield, who manages to make us forget the damage Burt did at the beginning. But Steve, be careful with this.
http://youtu.be/_F4wutgqYLQ