Song of the Day 11/13: Jerry Butler, “Only the Strong Survive”
Bruce Springsteen has just released an album of the ’60s R&B songs he grew up listening to, with this as the title track. While Bruce does a passable job on them, mainly they made me want to listen to the originals again.
Springsteen isn’t even the biggest name to cover what became Jerry Butler’s highest-charting hit (it reached No.4 on the Hot 100 in 1968) — that honor would go to Elvis Presley. Billy Paul and Rod Stewart also recorded the tune, which was written by Butler along with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.
Butler grew up in Chicago and met Curtis Mayfield when both sang in the same church choir. He became a member of the group that became the Impressions, but he was making solo records by 1958, usually with the Impressions and Mayfield singing backup. He also had strong ties to Philadelphia, where DJ Georgie Woods dubbed him “the Iceman,” and recorded for several years with Gamble and Huff before joining Motown in the late ’70s.
In 1985 he joined the small club of popular musicians who served in political office when he won a seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, a position he held for 33 years.
Here’s Bruce’s cover.
Featuring my Mt. Rushmore occupant–Curtis Mayfield!
Got to hear most of the originals in their original form while working at Trader Joe’s. I like ’em quite a bit more than the Boss’ versions. But, if it causes people to seek the source material, so much the better.
My sentiment exactly. The best I could say is that the Boss is the best Bruce to cover old R&B — certainly much better than Willis.
Come to think of it, I worked at my uncle’s store in south Wilmington during weekends and summers in high school, and during summers when I was in college. So, that would have been from 1966 thru 1973. We never had anything BUT WDAS and WHAT on at work. All soul music all the time. Except Gospel on Sundays.
Best music ever. Nothing comes close.
Look no further for the source of your love for the genre.