When a Man Loves a Woman (song)
When a Man Loves a Woman is the title of the first and most successful single from the soul singer Percy Sledge from the year 1966.
Genesis
The title was originally Why Did You Leave me, baby? over an ended by the partnership girlfriend, played by Percy Sledge and his accompanying group The Esquires Combo in the Elks Club of Sheffield (Alabama ). As Sledge about his lost love during this presentation and thought was sentimental, he asked his band to sing a slow blues. He improvised a fitting to the melody structure text and enthusiastic herewith the audience.
The region around Muscle Shoals ( Alabama) was known for her soul music. Here the famous recording studio FAME is home of Rick Hall, could barely cope with the pending order volume. Therefore, the former FAME employees and lyricist Quin Ivy in benachberten Sheffield (Alabama ) 1965 Norala Sound Studios founded; they took over the FAME unmanageable backlog. The initial studio equipment was used ( Ampex 351), an engineer with the trumpeter and guitarist Marlin Greene has been set. The first single from the new recording studio was built for Jeanie Fortune titled Angry Eyes ( January 1966 ).
Quin Ivy heard of the promising piece with the unknown singer Percy Sledge Sledge and asked to change the title and text. This happened spontaneously or during the recording session. Sledge is not registered as an author of When a Man Loves a Woman, because he had the rights to Calvin Lewis ( bassist ) and Andrew James Wright (keyboards ) rendered as members of his backing band Esquires Combo. The Sledge has repented later, given the enormous success.
On February 17, 1966 created under the supervision of Marlin Greene and Quin Ivy with Percy slede (Singing) When a Man Loves a Woman / Love Me Like You Mean It (Atlantic 2326 ) consisting of Marlin Greene ( guitar), Don Srygley (rhythm guitar ), Larry Cartwright ( bass), Spooner Oldham ( organ) and Roger Hawkins (drums). As a horn section functioned Jack Peck ( trumpet), Billy Cofield / Don " Rim " Pollard (tenor saxophone). The silent organ work on a Farfisa was the model for A Whiter Shade of Pale Procol Harum by. The haunting organ gives the passionate text presented his gospel -like tension. In Song descending bass lines from Johann Pachelbel's Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo (PWC 37, T. 337, PC 358) are used, which has often served as a template in popular music. Since the brass section was out of tune recognizable asked Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records, a new take. This became confused during shipping, so that the old take has been sent back to Atlantic Records. As the song to number-one hit, walked Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records assume that the song was re-recorded and was surprised that nevertheless the wrong sounding original version was published.
Publication and success
The sensitive love ballad was published on April 16, 1966 and reached the U.S. top ten in both the pop and the R & B charts. She stayed for 2 weeks at rank 1 ( Pop ) and for 4 weeks ( R & B), and therefore was a huge crossover success as a number -one hit in both the pop and R & B charts. Already on July 15, 1966 it was the gold record awarded by the RIAA. In mid-August 1966, sold for no particular advertising expense over a million copies. In the UK they came in 1966 to No. 4 as she felt there in a Levi's advertisement, reached their re-release in February 1987 even second place. On May 2, 1966 already came the answer song When a Woman Loves a Man by Esther Phillips (Atlantic 2335 ) on the market ( rank 26 R & B, 74 Pop ). The original received a BMI Award. Percy Sledge's single was the first independent and successful studio production for Norala. There was Warm and Tender Love (recorded on May 18, 1966).
Cover versions
Overall, there are at least 80 cover versions. Noteworthy are the Spencer Davis Group (LP Autumn '66, September 1966 ), Elgin ( October 1966 ), Johnny Hallyday ( French title: Quand un homme perd ses rêves, October 1966 ), Johnny Rivers (LP Whisky A - Go-Go Revisited in 1967 ), Marianne Rosenberg ( 1966) and Manuela each with the German title if it is in Harlem ( text Gisela Cimbro night; sung in December 1967 ). Thus Manuela came in the German charts at number 16. Other versions come from Art Garfunkel (LP Lefty; March 1988) and Bette Midler ( December 1979). Michael Bolton coverte in September 1991 this song is very successful, because he also reached the first rank in the pop charts, the Adult Contemporary Singles Chart, and the United Kingdom Rank 8 ( November 1991), and won a Grammy Award for this. Barbara Mandrell published on 24 September 1991, a Country version. The song reached number 54 in the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Rolling Stone magazine.
As from 30 November 1993, the Colombian telenovela came cafe con aroma de mujer ( " coffee with woman flavor " ) over a coffee plantation workers on TV, after 160 episodes, the Spanish version of When a Man Loves a Woman was in all of Latin America at rank 1 of the charts. In the movies ( When a Man Loves a Woman - An almost perfect love; U.S. Premiere: April 29, 1994), the original recording of Percy Sledge occurs.