As a choir leader, during the Covid lockdowns I had a lot of time on my hands and I watched much more television than I would ordinarily have done.
I spent quite a while idly flicking through the channels trying to find something to inspire me and I came across a really interesting documentary about the Seventies pop group 'The Real Thing'. You can find it on BBC iPlayer if you are in the UK. It's called 'Everything-The Real Thing Story'. It's worth a watch if you are interested in Seventies Soul.
It turned out, in making an assumption about the band, that I had made a common mistake. I had assumed they were an American band because they had the same kind of Seventies Soul sound as Earth Wind and Fire, but they were in fact from Liverpool, UK, the same place as the Beatles. The Beatles split up in 1970, the same year that 'The Real Thing' formed, but despite being so close chronologically and physically, their sounds couldn't have been more different.
As a result of watching the programme I decided to write my own song arrangement and create a recording of their most well known song, 'You To Me are Everything'.
I used a backing track, as I was unable to recreate a soul type sound at home. The backing track is from Karaoke Version, but all vocals are myself, before I dyed my hair purple! Most people grew their hair in lockdown...I dyed mine. I'm afraid the video is not very inspiring as it's just a photo of me.
The lyrics are below though in case you feel like singing along.
I would take the stars out of the sky for you
Stop the rain from falling if you asked me to
I'd do anything for you, your wish is my command
I could move a mountain when your hand is in my hand
Words cannot express how much you mean to me
There must be some other way to make you see
If it takes my heart and soul, you know I'd pay the price
Everything that I possess I'd gladly sacrifice
Oh, you to me are everything
The sweetest song that I could sing
Oh, baby, oh, baby
To you I guess I'm just a clown
Who picks you up each time you're down
Oh, baby, oh, baby
Give me just a taste of love
To build my hopes upon
You know you've got the power girl
To keep me holding on
So now you've got the best of me
Come on and take the rest of me
Oh, baby
Though you're close to me, we seem so far apart
Maybe given time you'll have a change of heart
If it takes forever, girl then I'm prepared to wait
The day you give your love to me, won't be a day too late
Oh, you to me are everything
The sweetest song that I could sing
Oh, baby, oh, baby
To you I guess I'm just a clown
Who picks you up each time you're down
Oh, baby, oh, baby
You give me just a taste of love
To build my hopes upon
You know you've got the power girl
To keep me holding on
So now you've got the best of me
Come on and take the rest of me
Oh, baby
Oh, you to me are everything
The sweetest song that I could sing
Oh, baby, (oh, baby)
Oh, baby
You to me are everything
The sweetest song that I could sing
Oh, baby, oh, baby........
