Friday, November 17, 2006

This Is Serious Soul!

The Persuaders - Thin Line Between Love and Hate

I will admit right away that today's selection is not the more rare thing I've ever put on this blog, but when I was scanning through my MP3 folder this morning it caught my eye, and when I played it I remembered just how totally awesome this song is. The Persuaders would never again enjoy the smash success they had with "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," which came out on the Atco-distributed Win or Lose label in 1971, despite having R&B hits with fine songs such as "Love Gonna Pack Up (And Walk Out)" and "Some Guys Have All the Luck" (which Rod Stewart would hit with in the '80s). But had "Thin Line" been their only record, it would've been enough, as the group waxed one of the strongest soul records of '70s. This record is as serious as a heart attack, warning the listener that taking one's significant other for granted can have dire consequences. Adding to the intensity of the words is the extremely atmospheric arrangement: from the opening piano line to the strong yet silky instrumental track to the anguished lead vocal and the sharp background work, the tune consumes the listener and drives home the song's message like a velvet-covered sledgehammer.

3 comments:

Rob Whatman said...

For a moment, before my brain woke up, I wondered if this was going to be a rare Roger Moore and Tony Curtis duet! :)

soulbrotha said...

Hey Jase,
When I was young I didn't listen to the lyrics of this song. In my mind it was all about the vocals and the "blue lights in the basement" mood that the music set for slow dancing.
It wasn't until years later that I actually listened to the words and I damn near fell out of my chair laughing my ass off when I realized he wakes up "in the hospital, bandaged from toe to head"! Hilarious!

soulbrotha said...

The other funny thing about this song is that "hungry" becomes "hawn-gree"! LOL!!