Monumental Soundbyte - 29

Donny Hathaway - A song for you

I declare that i am in the mood for sappy love songs. I also declare that whenever this mood takes over me, Donny Hathaway and Luther Vandross usually rule. Therefore, i think it is only fitting that i use this song today.

For a very long time, i thought Donny Hathaway owned this song - i mean that i thought it was originally done by him. Turns out it was written by someone called Leon Russell. However, it is Donny's delivery that is the post popular, the best sung and is just plain heavenly.

This is a song about deep yearning and Donny just brings it..."I've been so many places in my life and time, I've sung a lot of songs and i've made some bad rhymes. I've acted out my life in stages, with ten thousand people watching. ......Nd my singing this song for you"

Amazing song.

So so many people have tried to do things with this song and some have been forgetable while there are few that i really like:

• Elliot Yamin's performance of this song on American Idol made me fall in love with this blue eyed curly haired sweetheart and made me buy his debut album which i dig
• Ray Charles made this mellow and sweet
• Michael Buble's version made me think of Vegas and performances by people like Tony Bennett
• Gerald Levert brought this home for me as well

Once again, no-one did this song like Donny and this man was just chuck full of talent. Sadly he suffered from severe depression and committed suicide in the 70's (that's the official cause of death - some people have differing opinions).

Enjoy. Please press play on the thingy to hear this song.....