The Very Best of Luther Vandross - his lesser known sides!

I stated a few days ago that I've been exploring Luther Vandross'  catalogue. As good as Luther was, it's almost inconcievable to realise that, out of approx. 61 singles released, only 12 of his recordings entered US Top 40, only 5 Top 10 and no #1s!  He fared better in UK with 20 Top 40 entries, but only 3 made Top 10: duets with Mariah Carey #3 and Janet Jackson which entered twice first in 1992 #2 and then #7 in 1994.

He received 8 Grammy awards from a total of 33 nominations.

US & UK Top 40 Chart History

US/UK

1981 #33/#44 Never Too Much

1983 #27/#99 How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye (w Dionne Warwick)

1985 #29 Til My Baby Comes Home

1986 #15/#24 Stop To Love

1988 #30 She Won't Talk To Me

1989 #6 Here And Now

1991 #4/#31 Power Of Love/Love Power

1991 #9 Don't Want To Be A Fool

1992 #10/#2&#7The Best Things in Life Are Free (w Janet Jackson)

1994 #2/#3Endless Love (w Mariah Carey)

2001 #26 Take You Out

2003 #38/#21 Dance With My Father

UK Only

1987 #16 I Really Didn't Mean It

1987 #33 So Amazing

1988 #26 Give Me The Reason (1988)

1988 #28 I Gave It Up (When I Fell In Love)

1989 #13 Never Too Much (1989)

1993 #28 Little Miracles (Happen Every Day)

1993 #34 Heaven Knows

1993 #38 Love Is On The Way

1994 #31 Love The One You're With

1995 #20 Always And Forever

1995 #22 Ain't No Stopping Us Now

1996 #14 Your Secret Love

If I'm brutally honest, the only track from above that would make my Luther Top 10/20 would be 'Never Too Much' and perhaps 'Give Me The Reason' and 'So Amazing' from the UK entries. I have a 'soft spot' for Little Miracles (Happen Every Day) for purely personal reasons as it was literally playing on the radio (Capital FM) as my first child (daughter) was born on 24th May 1993!

I've put together 2 mixes of material that either never charted or only reached lower low end of chart or are B sides or album only tracks.  In my opinion many, if not most, of these are superior to the efforts that made the charts.  One mix is more uptempo, dance, tunes and the other shows his mellow side consisting of ballads. This is all material released as a solo artist, I've deliberately not included his earlier material before he went solo as I will create a separate mix which includes most of his better earlier recordings as a featured artist e.g. with Luther, Mascara, Charme, Gregg Diamond Bionic Boogie, Soiree, New York City Band, Quincy Jones and Change.

The Dance Mix (95 Mins)

00:00 - I'm Only Human (with Cassandra Wilson & Bob James) (85.9)

1998 - Stepper R&B #57 only

05:00 - Creepin' (88.9)

1985 - Stevie Wonder song Album only B side to 'She Won't Talk To Me' UK CD in 1988

08:25 - Don't You Know That (92.0)

1981 - Flip to Never Too Much on some issues and then issued as A side #107 US

11:55 - I Won't Let You Do That To Me  (92.1)

1997 - I don't understand it - the best song he'd recorded for years (about 10) and it did absolutely nothing on any chart anywhere?

15:45 - Busy Body  (94.0)

1984 - Flip to Make Me A Believer - non-charting 45

20:10 - For You To Love  (93.9)

1988 - Non charting 45 - R&B #3

25:00 - Nights In Harlem (LP Edit)  (Feat. Precise) (99.0)

1998 non-charting 45 R&B #29 only

29:13 - You Stopped Loving Me  (101.0)

1981 - Flip to Never Too Much on some issues

34:00 - She's So Good To Me  (102.0)

1985 non charting from The Goonies OST

39:04 - Better Love  (102.7)

1983 - Flip to Promise Me non charting 45 (#77 R&B)

44:35 - Once You Know How  (101.5)

1982 flip to Bad Boy /Having A Party #55 Hot 100

48:45 - See Me  (102.1)

1987 - Non US release UK chart #60

53:39 - My Sensitivity (Gets In The Way)  (103.10

1985 - Flip to Wait For Love non charting R&B #11

57:25 - The Night I Fell In Love  (103.6)

1985 Title track from album non 45

62:58 - The Thrill I'm In (Radio Mix)  (106.7)

1995 non charting from Money Train OST

66:40 - Heaven Knows  (107.3)

1993 - #94 US/ #34 UK

71:08 - Shine (Original Album Version)  (107.0)

2006 - #116 US / #50 UK

75:20 - You're The Sweetest One  (113.9)

1983 - flip to Since I Lost My Baby - non-charting R&B #17

79:26 - It's Over Now (Full Album Version)  (113.6)

1985 - #101 US

84:40 - I Wanted Your Love  (120.3)

1984 non-charting US #88 UK

87:15 - For The Sweetness Of Your Love  (125.0)

1983 - Album only (Busy Body)

89:47 - Are You Using Me  (125.0)

1998 - non-charting 45 - #46 Club chart only not even R&B!

The Mellow Mix (90 mins)

00:00 Superstar / Until You Come Back To Me (58.4)

1984 - #87 US

08:52 Anyone Who Had A Heart (56.5)

1987 - Album only (Give Me The Reason)

13:35 I Who Have Nothing (Feat. Martha Wash) (60.5)

1991 - Album only (Power Of Love)

19:29 A House Is Not A Home (53.7)

1981 - Album only (Never Too Much) except as a B side to See Me in UK in 1987

25:56 If Only For One Night (55.0)

1986 - non-charting 45 #59 R&B only

29:46 The Closer I Get To You (w Beyoncé Knowles) (58.2)

2006 - non-charting 45 #62 R&B only

34:33 Going In Circles (Album Version) (58.6)

1996 - #95 double A side

39:10 Love Won't Let Me Wait (LP Version) (55.0)

1988 - Album only (Any Love) cover of Major Harris.

45:30 Wait For Love (61.9)

1985 Non charting 45 #11 R&B

50:32 Other Side Of The World (60.4)

1986 - B side to If Only For One Night

55:24 If This World Were Mine (w Cheryl Lynn) (63.8)

1982 #101 US (#4 R&B)

60:02 The Second Time Around (60.9)

1988 - Album only (Any Love)

66:00 I Can Make It Better (Single Edit) (64.0)

1996 - #80 US #44 UK

70:04 Because It's Really Love (66.6)

1987 Album only (Give Me The Reason)

75:32 Make Me A Believer (66.9)

1984 - Non charting 45

80:32 Since I Lost My Baby (74.1)

1983 - non-charting 45 #17 R&B

85:26 Promise Me (77.4)

1983 - non-charting 45 #72 R&B