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The story behind today's "Great Song of 1977" is rather convoluted, but I will do my best to "un-convolute" it for you.
It all started in 1967, when songwriters Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner and Carl Smith, staff writers for Chess Records in Chicago, wrote a song called "Higher and Higher" for The Dells.
Producer Carl Davis hired Motown's house band, The Funk Brothers," along with a few Motown background singers, to drive over to Chicago and record the backing track. Unfortunately, The Dells' version was never released.
At about the same time, Gary Jackson, a writer at Brunswick Records, rewrote the lyrics a bit, and pitched it to Carl as something for soul legend Jackie Wilson to record. Davis agreed, and then Jackie went into the studio and got it all wrong.
Apparently, Jackie thought it should be a ballad...until Carl told him if he didn't sing it uptempo, he'd sing it himself and sell a million copies.
Jackie relented, sang it in ONE TAKE, and most likely apologized later, when "Higher and Higher" topped Billboard's R & B Chart, and reached #6 on the Hot 100. In Canada, it peaked at #2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. It did indeed sell a million copies, and in 1999, it was inducted into the Grammy hall of Fame.
Jumping back to 1977, Rita Coolidge released a slower version of the song, with a slight change to the title: "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher." She and her sister Priscilla had recorded background vocals for a version by Booker T & The M.G.s (Booker was Priscilla's husband). Unfortunately, the song was shelved, but Booker gave Rita permission to use the backing track for her solo version.
It was a smart move, because Rita's version went to #2 on Billboard's Hot 100, and #1 in Canada! It also sold a million copies!
I hope you could follow all of that, but even if you couldn't, the fact is that "Higher and Higher" was a "Great Song" twice: in 1967...and 1977!
Rita Coolidge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0153gqgCEYI
Jackie Wilson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzDVaKRApcg
The Dells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOETOx5Mi5o
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