Tag: Jackie Wilson

Jackie Wilson – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher

There are so many versions of this song out there, and I like many of them… It’s that good a song. But, Jackie Wilson had a way of taking a song and turning it into pure energy, something bigger than rhythm and melody. When he recorded this song in 1967, he gave soul music one of its best anthems of pure joy. I can’t dislike this song. 

Jackie Wilson almost didn’t get this one. The song was originally cut by The Dells, but Brunswick producer Carl Davis didn’t think their version worked. The track sat on the shelf until Davis and arranger Sonny Sanders decided to hand it to Jackie. At the time, Wilson’s career was in a bit of a stall; this song was intended as a shot in the arm. Wilson thought it was a bit light at first, but when he started to sing it, they knew they had something great here. It was written by Raynard Miner, Gary Jackson, and Carl Smith.

Billy Davis secretly recruited members of Motown’s Funk Brothers, James Jamerson on bass, Richard “Pistol” Allen on drums, Robert White on guitar, guys who were technically under contract at Hitsville but were moonlighting for extra cash. Their tight groove gave this song that perfect sound. 

It was released as a single in August 1967, and it immediately reignited Wilson’s career. Critics hailed it as a perfect marriage of “gospel fire and pop.” And you know how some songs wear out with too many plays? This one doesn’t. Whether it’s on a movie soundtrack or my car radio, it still hits home and makes me smile.

The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard 100 in 1967.

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher

Your love, lifting me higher
Than I’ve ever been lifted before
So keep it it up
Quench my desire
And I’ll be at your side, forever more

You know your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on (love keeps lifting me)
Lifting me (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)
Now listen

Now once, I was down-hearted
Disappointment, was my closest friend
But then you, came and it soon departed
And you know he never
Showed his face again

That’s why your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on (love keeps lifting me)
Lifting me (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)

I’m so glad, I’ve finally found you
Yes that one, in a million girls
And I whip, my loving arms around you
I can stand up, and face the world

Let me tell ya, your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on (love keeps lifting me)
Lifting me (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)

Now sock it to me
Hold me, the other woman
Keep my love going
Higher and higher
I said keep on lifting
Lift me up mama
Keep on lifting me
Higher and higher

Max Picks …songs from 1959

1959

By this time Rock and Roll was not in a good state. Buddy Holly died in February, Jerry Lee Lewis had married his 13-year-old cousin earlier and got the canceled treatment years before it was a phrase, later in this year Chuck Berry would be arrested for the Mann Act, Little Richard was dedicated to the church, and Elvis was in the army in Germany. So you had artists like Anita Bryant, Pat Boone, Fabian, Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, and more that I won’t post on the charts. All wasn’t lost though. You did have some great artists left. The one and only Ray Charles is a great place to start in 1959. This is my favorite Ray Charles song…What’d I Say…damn this song is good. It was written by the man himself…Ray Charles.

This is one of if not my favorite instrumentals of all time. Santo and Johnny released this great song called Sleep Walk. Santo Anthony Farina and John Steven Farina were brothers who grew up in Brooklyn. They played a guitar and a steel guitar which was not in many rock/pop bands. I remember this song best from the movie La Bamba in a very emotional scene. Sometimes music can make movies in certain scenes like La Bamba or Goodfellas. The song was written by Santo Farina, Johnny Farina, and Ann Farina.

I first learned about Jackie Wilson through a Van Morrison song titled…Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile). After hearing that song I looked for his music and what an artist! I found many artists by reading about others. Reading about the Beatles took me to Bob Dylan and the tree grew from there. This song was written by Berry Gordy, Roquel “Billy” Davis, and Gwendolyn Gordy.

Fats Domino was one of the old guards still pumping out the hits. This one is called I Want To Walk You Home. Fats wasn’t as flashy as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, or Little Richard but the man could play and sing like no one else. He was steady through the 50s and he did have some success in the 1960s. This song was written by Fats Domino.

I’m cheating a little on this song. It was recorded on December 16, 1958, and was released (and that is what I go by) at the end of December but it’s so close that I’m counting it. It charted in January of 1959 and because of the circumstances, I am posting his great double-A-sided single. At the time of the release… the song Donna was the A-side and La Bamba was the B-side. Ritchie Valens seemed to have a bright future in front of him but was taken from us in the plane crash that took Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. Donna was written by Ritchie Valens. He wrote the song about Donna Ludwig who was his high school sweetheart. La Bamba was an old Mexican folk song arranged by Ritchie Valens.