R.I.P. - Bill Withers - A Tribute

A belated post a week after the demise of Bill Withers (William Harrison Withers Jr.) on 30 Mar 2020 aged 81, whose death wasn't announced until 3 Apr.

His success was mainly confined to the 70s, releasing 8 albums between 1971 and 1978 and another in 1985.

In the 80s he was featured on The Crusaders - Soul Shadows in 1980 and a hit single with Grover Washington Jr - Just The Two Of Us in 1981 on which he isn't actually credited except as co-writer on Just The Two Of Us.

He was signed to Sussex until it closed down in 1975 after the founder Charles Avant was prosecuted for tax evasion. He moved to Columbia and took his master tapes with him.  Ironically, Avant later joined Columbia and formed sub label Tabu for black music.

He encountered problems with Columbia who would not 'approve' his material for release so effectively he retired after his 1985 Columbia album.

Albums
1971 - Just As I Am [Sussex]
1972 - Still Bill [Sussex]
1973 - Live At The Carnegie Hall [Sussex]
1974 - +'Justments [Sussex]
1975 - Making Music [Columbia]
1976 - Naked & Warm [Columbia]
1977 - Menagerie [Columbia]
1978 - 'Bout Love [Columbia]
1985 - Watching You Watching Me [Columbia]

His biggest hit in UK was Lovely Day (US #30) which has charted on 3 separate occasions 1978 #7, 1987 #92 & 1988 #4. Ain't No Sunshine (US #3) didn't chart first time around in 1972 and he had to wait until 1988 #82 and then 2009 #40, The original A side to Ain't No Sunshine, Harlem, didn't chart in UK until 1990 and then only just squeezed in at #98 (it was released twice in US (1971 & 1975) without charting).  His only other 3 singles that charted in UK were Lean On Me (US #1) #18 in 1972, Just The Two Of Us (US #2) #34 in 1981 and Oh Yeah! (US #106) reached #60 in 1985.  He also had a #2 hit in US with Use Me in 1972.

I'm not going to do a discography as there are simply too many releases, and also I'm going to avoid posting the 'obvious' tracks (above) as these are already well know.  Instead I'm going to seek out some lesser know and perhaps less appreciated tracks.

Here's a series of interviews discussing his 1971 debut album 'Just As I Am' from 2015.  Down to earth and straight talking.  Watch, listen and learn! An interesting comment he makes is that 'Ain't No Sunshine' (which he considered the best song on the album) was put on the B side to Harlem and he goes on to say that "had someone not 'thrown away' the best song on my album I wouldn't have had a career", which is a jibe at the record industry as obviously he thought it should have been an A side in the first place.

He released his first recording in 1967 on Lotus entitled 'Three Nights And A Morning', but you will probably recognise the song as 'Harlem' as it was later released on his debut album and single on Sussex as such, but with a more acoustic and different arrangement.  The original is a storming Northern Soul sound.  This was the only release on Lotus, which was owned by Mort Garson and Hy Weiss who founded Old Town (1953-1966 then 1973-1978).

1967 - Three Nights And A Morning [Lotus LO 3601]

1967 - What I'll Do [Lotus LO 3601]

1971 - Harlem [Sussex SUX 219]

1972 - Let Me In Your Life (Still Bill)

1972 - Lonely Town, Lonely Street (Still Bill)

1972 - Who Is He (And What Is He To You)? (Still Bill)

A song he co-wrote with Stan McKenny and was recorded by many other artists, the latest being Jose James in 2018.

Creative Source [1973] - Who Is He And What Is He To You [Sussex SR-509]

'Probably', the best known version is a great uptempo and funky version by label mates Creative Source on Sussex who released a vocal and instrumental version as their second single which made US Hot 100 #69 and US R&B #21.

1974 - Ruby Lee (+ 'Justments)

1974 - Can We Pretend (+ 'Justments)

1975 - Family Table (Making Music)

1976 - If I Didn't Mean You Well (Naked & Warm)

1976 - City Of The Angels (Naked & Warm)

1977 - I Want To Spend The Night (Menagerie)

1977 - Then You Smile At Me (Menagerie)

1977 - Let Me Be The One You Need (Menagerie)

This has to be one of my favourites, a collaboration with Skip Scarborough,  released as flip side to Lovely Night For Dancing only in UK, the US 45 had I Want To Spend The Night on the B side.

1978 - Dedicated To You My Love ('Bout Love)

1978 - Love ('Bout Love)

1985 - Oh Yeah! (Watching You Watching Me)

1985 - Something That Turns You On (Watching You Watching Me)

Great 2-stepper from 1985 that was completely over-looked except for US R&B chart where it reached #46.  This was his last 'original' 45 release that charted as all later releases were remixes of earlier hits or reissues.