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JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS

Percy Sledge



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Percy Sledge

Biography Discography Videos

WEB PAGES

Percy Sledge and the Aces Band Official SitePercy Sledge and the Aces Band Official Site


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Percy Sledge will forever be associated with "When a Man Loves a Woman," a pleading, soulful ballad he sang with wrenching, convincing anguish and passion. Sledge sang all of his songs that way, delivering them in a powerful rush where he quickly changed from soulful belting to quavering, tearful pleas. It was a voice that made him one of the key figures of deep Southern soul during the late '60s. Sledge recorded at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, where he frequently sang songs written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn. Not only did he sing deep soul, but Sledge was among the pioneers of country-soul, singing songs by Charlie Rich and Kris Kristofferson in a gritty, passionate style. During the '70s, his commercial success quickly faded away, but Sledge continued to tour and record into the '90s.

While he worked as a hospital nurse in the early '60s, Sledge began his professional music career as a member of the Southern soul vocal group the Esquires Combo. On the advice of local disc jockey Quin Ivy, he went solo in 1966. Ivy fancied himself a record producer and he agreed to help shape Sledge's song "When a Man Loves a Woman" into a full-fledged single, hiring Spooner Oldham to play a distinctive, legato organ phrase. Ivy released the single independently and quickly licensed it to Atlantic Records, who quickly bought out Sledge's contract. "When a Man Loves a Woman" became a huge hit in the summer of 1966, topping both the pop and R&B charts. It was quickly followed that year by two Top Ten R&B hits, "Warm and Tender Love" and "It Tears Me Up," which were both in the vein of his first hit. Although few of his subsequent singles were hits � only "Take Time to Know Her" reached the R&B Top Ten in 1968 � many of the songs, which were often written by Dan Penn and/or Oldham, were acknowledged as classics among soul aficionados.

Despite his strong reputation among deep soul fans, Sledge's sales had declined considerably by the early '70s, and he headed out on the club circuit in America and England. In 1974, he left Atlantic for Capricorn Records, where he surprisingly returned to the R&B Top 20 with "I'll Be Your Everything." Instead of re-igniting his career, the single was a last gasp, as far as chart success was concerned. Over the next two decades he continued to tour, and in the late '80s, "When a Man Loves a Woman" experienced a resurgence in popularity, due to its inclusion in movie soundtracks and in television commercials. Following its appearance in a 1987 Levi commercial in the U.K., the single was re-released and climbed to number two. Two years later, he won the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award. Sledge was able to turn this revived popularity into a successful career by touring constantly, playing over 100 shows a year into the '90s. In 1994, he released Blue Night, his first collection of new material in over a decade, to uniformly positive reviews. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine of All Music Guide.</font>
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VIDEOS
When a Man Loves a Woman


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LINKSYEARTITLE
1966Warm And Tender Soul
1966When A Man Loves A Woman
1967The Percy Sledge Way
1968Take Time To Know Her
1969The Best Of Percy Sledge
1974I�ll Be Your Everything
1994Blue Night
1998Wanted Again
2002Live! From Louisiana
2004Shining Through The Rain


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1966 Warm And Tender Soul

01. It Tears Me Up
02. I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You
03. You've Really Got A Hold On Me
04. That's How Strong My Love Is
05. A Sweet Woman Like You
06. Love Me Tender
07. Warm And Tender Love
08. Try A Little Tenderness
09. So Much Love
10. I Stand Accused
11. Heart Of A Child
12. Oh How Happy


1966 When A Man Loves A Woman

01. When A Man Loves A Woman
02. My Adorable One
03. Put A Little Lovin' On Me
04. Love Me All The Way
05. When She Touches Me
06. You're Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
07. Thief In The Night
08. You Fooled Me
09. Love Makes The World Go Round
10. Success
11. Love Me Like You Mean It





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1967 The Percy Sledge Way

01. Dark End Of The Street
02. You Send Me
03. I Had A Talk With My Woman
04. What Am I Living For
05. I've Been Loving You Too Long
06. Tell It Like It Is
07. My Special Prayer
08. Drown In My Own Tears
09. Just Out Of Reach
10. Pledging My Love
11. You Don't Miss Your Water



1968 Take Time To Know Her

01. Take Time To Know Her
02. Feed The Flame
03. Sudden Stop
04. Come Softly To Me
05. Spooky
06. Out Of Left Field
07. Cover Me
08. Baby Help Me
09. It's All Wrong But It's Alright
10. High Cost Of Leaving
11. Between These Arms
12. I Love Everything About You


1969 The Best Of Percy Sledge

01. When A Man Loves A Woman
02. Out Of Left Field
03. Take Time To Know Her
04. Warm And Tender Love
05. Just Out Of Reach
06. The Dark End Of The Street
07. Cover Me
08. Sudden Stop
09. Baby Help Me
10. It Tears Me Up
11. My Special Prayer
12. You're All Around Me




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1974 I'll Be Your Everything

01. Walkin' In The Sun
02. Behind Closed Doors
03. Make It Good And Make It Last
04. The Good Love
05. I Believe In You
06. I'll Be Your Everything
07. If This Is The Last Time
08. Hard To Be Friends
09. Blue Water
10. Love Among People


1994 Blue Night

01. You Got Away with Love
02. Love Comes Knockin'
03. Why Did You Stop
04. I Wish It Would Rain
05. Blue Night
06. These Ain't Raindrops
07. Your Love Will Save The World
08. First You Cry
09. Goin' Home
10. The Grand Boulevard
11. I Got Dreams To Remember





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1998 Wanted Again



2002 Live! From Louisiana

01. My Special Prayer
02. Cover Me
03. Take Time To Know Her
04. My Girl
05. Warm And Tender Love
06. Bring It On Home To Me
07. Out Of Left Field
08. (sittin' on)The Dock Of The Bay
09. Goin' Home
10. The Dark End Of The Street
11. I Wish It Would Rain
12. First You Cry
13. A Whiter Shade Of Pale
14. When A Man Loves A Woman


2004 Shining Through The Rain

01. Shining Through The Rain
02. Lonely Hobo Lullaby
03. 24 - 7 - 365
04. Love Come Rescue Me
05. Misty Morning
06. A Lonely Violin
07. Big Blue Diamonds
08. My Old Friend The Blues
09. Rubies & Diamonds
10. Change My Mind
11. Searching For My Love
12. Fall Inside Your Eyes
13. Road Of No Return



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