Album: Give The People What They Want
Year: 2014
. . .
While Sharon Jones didn’t release her first record until she was 40, and died of pancreatic cancer in 2016 at the age of 60, she packed a lot into that final third of her life, becoming one of the more recognizable faces and voices of the post-millennial soul revival.
In 2002, after several singles and appearances on other people’s records, she released the first of seven studio albums with the Dap-Kings, Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, which was mostly written and produced by her bass player, bandleader and record company owner, Bosco Mann.
It was a partnership that lasted for several studio albums, tons of singles and no doubt would still be going on had cancer not claimed her. Every record was full of funk, soul, r&b, and combined classic instrumentation with classic recording techniques, but yet escaped being 100% retro. And over the years, the records started getting noticed: they were never going to sell a zillion copies or dominate the pop charts, but 2010’s I Learned The Hard Way made it to 15 on the Billboard album charts, and 2014’s Give The People What They Want was nominated for a Grammy.
Give The People What They Want features today’s entry, “Stranger To My Happiness,” which features the classic soul trick of marrying upbeat music to melancholy lyrics. And so over a zippy beat, rumbling bass and perfectly placed horns Jones tells a story.
So many times there was a man, he met a girl, took her hand
Told her, “Never will I leave you my love” ( no no no no)
But just as soon as he gone again she’s flapping in the wind wondering what she must have been thinking of ( hey hey hey hey)
She’s a darling (darling)
I’ve been in and out so many doors
And I’ve always tried to keep my head
With all the men I’ve known before
I’ve seen plenty places
That I’ll never see again
I’ve seen a hundred thousand faces
And only called a few my friend
What I like about “Stranger to My Happiness” is the ongoing commentary by the backing vocalists, who are dubbed (of course) “The Dapettes,” and not only are they adding commentary, they’re the ones who are singing the main hook on the chorus.
(Feeling like a stranger to my happiness)
I feel like
A stranger
(Feeling like a stranger to my happiness)
I feel like
A stranger to my happiness
To my happiness
(Feeling like a stranger to my happiness)
Sure, if you love soul & funk, you’ve heard it all before. But at the same time, it’s impossible not to get caught up in Jones voice, because, if you love soul & funk, you know that part of the point is how a great singer and a great band breathe new life into that all before. Sharon Jones was one of those great singers, and it’s sad she won’t be doing it anymore.
“Stranger to My Happiness”
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