"Use Me"
[song written Bill Withers]
This latest Smooth Soul Survivor is ‘Use Me' by that most interesting of artists, Bill Withers. It comes from his 1972 LP ‘Still Bill'. Dappled by blues, touched by country, warmed by soul and blessed with gospel, the work of Withers stands alone. At times jazzy, not really what could be classed as soul, funky but not what could be called funk, the word ‘eclectic' sums it up rather well. Consequently forcing him or, for that matter, ‘Use Me' into a genre could bring about a crisis of identity yet, on a number of counts, this classic tune has the attributes to make it a genuine Smooth Soul Survivor.
"Use Me"
[song written Bill Withers]
This latest Smooth Soul Survivor is ‘Use Me' by that most interesting of artists, Bill Withers. It comes from his 1972 LP ‘Still Bill'. Dappled by blues, touched by country, warmed by soul and blessed with gospel, the work of Withers stands alone. At times jazzy, not really what could be classed as soul, funky but not what could be called funk, the word ‘eclectic' sums it up rather well. Consequently forcing him or, for that matter, ‘Use Me' into a genre could bring about a crisis of identity yet, on a number of counts, this classic tune has the attributes to make it a genuine Smooth Soul Survivor.
Bill Withers was born on 4 July 1938 in Slade Fork, West Virginia and his early upbringing in this working class mining area influenced much of the subject matter of his music. His career took off when he moved to Los Angeles and recorded the album, ‘Just As I Am' in 1971. It was produced by Booker T. Jones and triggered a sequence of hit records on Sussex, Columbia and CBS throughout the seventies and into the eighties.
One of his many memorable releases, the 1981 classic ‘Just The Two Of Us', teamed him with contemporary jazz heavyweight Grover Washington Jr., a relationship that endured well into the nineties. It also linked him as a writing partner with Ralph McDonald. They worked together with notable success on the 1984 hit ‘In The Name Of Love'.
Although the last charting album that Withers had was the 1985 ‘Watching You Watching Me' he continued to work and latterly become much sampled by the hip hop and rap bands of the late nineties. The working relationship he had with Grover Washington bore testimony to his strong jazz links. He also worked with the Crusaders and ‘Use Me' has been well covered by an array of jazz related artists.
In fact Al Jarreau devoted an entire CD to Bill Withers covers with his 1998 ‘A Tribute To Bill Withers'. In addition, the track can be found on ‘Companion' by Patricia Barber, an album that was recorded live at Chicago's famous Green Mill jazz club.
Electric Chicago blues exponent Junior Wells included it on his recording ‘Everybody's Getting Some' and Mark Winkler, he of the jazz and urban groove, featured the track on the 1998 ‘City Lights'.
Isaac Hayes, caught off guard in cabaret lounge mode, made it part of his 1973 ‘Live At The Sahara Tahoe' while, in that same year, another well known cabaret star, Liza Minelli sang ‘Use Me' on her long player ‘LM The Singer'. This version can also be found on the 1996 compilation ‘Groovy Volume 1 - A Collection Of Rare Club Tracks' where Liza is in the very good company of Pattie Austin and ‘That's Enough For Me'.
Jazz artist Michael Benedict gives ‘Use Me' his own interpretation on the 1997 release ‘Skin To Earth' and, as could be expected from such a classic track, the original Withers recording and assorted cover versions can be found on numerous compilations. One such example is by Wesley, Fred and the JBs from the 1995 ‘Move To The Groove - The Best Of 70's Jazz Funk'. Elsewhere artists as varied as Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, Ike and Tina Turner, Esther Phillips, Hootie & the Blowfish and notably Aaron Neville have all prospered through the hypnotic jazz funk magic of ‘Use Me'.
A recent and favourite version is on the ‘Kisses In The Rain' CD by jazz trumpeter Rick Braun. Three decades on he is keeping the flame of this excellent Smooth Soul Survivor alive.
Denis Poole