donny hathaway

Description

"A Song for You" is a song written and originally recorded by rock singer-songwriter and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album Leon Russell, which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understanding from an estranged lover, the tune is one of Russell's best-known compositions. It has been performed and recorded by an array of artists, spanning many musical genres. Elton John has called the song an American classic. One of the first versions of the song that brought it broader attention was by Andy Williams, whose single peaked at #82 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. Other versions Joe Cocker: From his 1976 album Stingray. Carpenters: not released as a single, it served as the title song for the duo's 1972 album A Song for You Helen Reddy: From her 1971 debut album I Don't Know How to Love Him Donny Hathaway: From his 1971 album Donny Hathaway. Considered one of his signature songs. Merry Clayton: From her 1971 self-titled album. Doc Severinsen: Trumpet solo from his 1973 album Rhapsody for Now!. Blue Swede, known in their native Sweden as Björn Skifs och Blåblus, covered the song on their 1973 album Pinewood Rally.[3] Dusty Springfield recorded the song for possible inclusion on See All Her Faces but her unfinished recording remained shelved for almost 15 years until first issued on the Mercury 2CD compilation Something Special, 1 April 1996. Producers: Johnny Franz and Dusty Springfield. Michael Ball: on his 1993 album Always. Stephanie: Sang this song for the Japanese movie Pride in 2009. This song was released on the movie's soundtrack. Angela Aki: Track 3 on her indie mini-album One. Her Japanese lyrics do not correspond to Leon Russell's. Carmen McRae performed this song on her "Great American Songbook" suite. Aretha Franklin: From the Let Me in Your Life album released in 1974 Cher: From the 1972 album Foxy Lady. S.E.S.: From the 2001 album Surprise. Nancy Wilson (jazz singer): From the 1987 album Forbidden Lover. Ray Charles: He recorded a poignant version of the song on his 1993 album My World. Released as a single, it reached #4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, and won him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Charles also performed the song at New York's Beacon Theatre on April 9, 2003, as part of Willie Nelson's 70th birthday tribute (released on DVD as Willie Nelson and Friends: Live & Kickin'). Leon Russell sang the first verse, Willie Nelson sang the second verse, and Charles sang the remainder of the song in this unforgettable performance. Nelson, who stood nearby during Charles' performance, was moved to tears. Peggy Lee: on her final album for Capitol Records, Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota (1972). Elliott Yamin: performed the song in both his audition for American Idol and in one of his final performances. It was also named number three in Entertainment Weekly's 10 all-time best American Idol performances. The song is also on Yamin's debut album. Ben Barnett, of the band Kind of Like Spitting recorded a cover in 2005. Michael Bublé: on his album It's Time. Bublé frequently ends his concert with the song. During his Crazy Love Tour, he sang the majority of the song to the arena without a microphone. Marc Broussard: recorded a live version of this song during a concert tour. Willie Nelson: on his 1973 album Shotgun Willie. He also performed it in the movie Honeysuckle Rose, and it appears on the movie's soundtrack. Mavis Staples recorded a version in collaboration with British Electric Foundation, which was included on their 1991 album Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Two http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_For_You