DONNY HATHAWAY-EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING.
DONNY HATHAWAY-EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING.
Sometimes, when people discuss the great soul singers, they forget about the artist I’m going to write about today. Granted he only released three studio albums and one soundtrack album during his lifetime, and two albums with Roberta Flack, but they were great albums, some of the finest you’ll be privileged to hear. Today, I’m going to write about Donny Hathaway’s debut album Everything Is Everything. Many people may never have either Donny’s music, or Everything Is Everything. Among musicians, Donny is regarded as one of soul music’s greats. Among his many fans, was the late Amy Winehouse, who referenced Donny in her best known song Rehab. Sadly, like Amy, Donny had a tragic life, battling mental health problems, and died far too young. In this article, I’ll tell you about Donny Hathaway’s life and his debut album Everything Is Everything.
Donny Edward Hathaway was born in October 1945, in Chicago. He was the son of Drusella Huntley, but was brought up by his grandmother Martha Pitts, a professional gospel singer. It’s often said that a child is a a musical prodigy. This was true of Donny. At the age of three, Donny joined his grandmother in her church choir. After graduating from Vashon High School, he headed to Howard University in Washington’ DC to study music on a fine arts scholarship. During his time at Howard, Donny formed a jazz trio. He was joined by drummer Ric Powell, and they played around the Washington area. In 1967 Donny received various offers to work within the music industry.
After leaving university, Donny’s first job within the music industry was as session musician, songwriter and producer. His first job was with Twilight Records in Chicago. Later he worked as an arranger, and was responsible for the arrangements on two of The Unifics singles Court of Love and The Beginning of My End. Donny went on to work with The Impressions, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Butler, The Staple Singers, Leroy Hutson and Curtis Mayfield.
Woking with Curtis lead to Donny becoming house producer at Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom Records. It was there, that Curtis started recording as one of the Mayfield Singers. In 1969, he recorded his first track under his own name. This was a duet with June Conquest entitled I Thank You Baby, with another duet by the pair Just Another Reason as the b-side.
Later in 1969, Donny signed to the Atco Records label. This came about after being spotted by King Curtis, a musician and producer at a music industry trade convention. This lead to Donny releasing his first successful single The Ghetto Part 1, which he cowrote with friend Leroy Hutson. Hutson would later go on to find success as a singer, songwriter and producer with Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom Records.
The Ghetto Part 1 was one on the songs on Donny’s debut album Everything Is Everything, released in July 1970. Several songs on the album were cover versions. This included Nina Simone’s To be Young, Gifted and Black and Ray Charles’ I Believe To My Soul. On its release the album was critically acclaimed. Everything Is Everything reached number seventy-three on the Billboard 200 album charts. Since its release, it’s widely been recognized as Donny’s best album.
Donny’s second album Donny Hathaway released in April 1971, featured mostly cover versions of soul, gospel and pop songs. On the album, Donny sang duets with his former classmate at Howard University Roberta Flack. This album helped Donny to “crossover,” and established him on the pop charts. On the album were covers of Carole King’s You’ve Got A Friend and Baby I Love You and Ralph McDonald’s Where Is the Love. Music critics loved the album, and the album was a huge commercial success. The album reached number eighty-nine on the Billboard 200 album charts. This wouldn’t be the last time Donny and Roberta Flack would collaborate.
1972 was a busy year for Donny Hathaway, as he released three albums. The most successful of the albums was entitled Live. It featured songs recorded during two of his concerts. Side one was recorded at The Troubadour in Hollywood, side two at Greenwich Village’s Bitter End. On its release, it reached number eighteen on the Billboard 200 album charts. Less successful was the soundtrack to Come Back Charleston Blue. Donny wrote most of the tracks and conducted the music for the album. However, it only reached number 198 on the Billboard 200 album charts. His third album of 1972, saw him reunite with Roberta Flack. This time the album was entitled Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, and reached number three on the Billboard 200 album charts. This would proved to be his highest ever chart placing.
The final album released during Donny’s life was Extension of A Man in June 1973. Extension of A Man Two featured one of Donny’s greatest and most powerful songs, Someday We’ll All Be Free. Two tracks from the album became successful singles, Love, Love, Love and I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know. Although well received by critics, and featuring some wonderful music, the album only reached number sixty-nine on the Billboard 200 album charts.
After this, Donny never recorded any further solo albums. The only album released featuring his music was The Best of Donny Hathaway in 1978, which failed to chart.
On January 13 1979 Donny started recording an album of duets with Roberta Flack. By the time they’d recorded two tracks, it became apparent that Donny wasn’t a well man. His behavior became irrational, and he seemed paranoid and delusional. A decision was taken to stop the sessions, and the musicians were sent home. Just a few hours later, Donny was found dead on the pavement below the fifteenth floor of his room at New York’s Essex House Hotel. Tragically, the problems with mental illness that had troubled him during his life had led him to take his life. Throughout his life, he’d suffered from depression and paranoid schizophrenia. He took medication to control the illness, but according to his wife Eulaulah, he’d gradually become less careful about taking his medication. This tragically, led to him taking his life. Aged thirty-four, soul music lost one of its finest singers and songwriters. The two songs he’d recorded with Roberta Flack, featured on her 1980 album entitled Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway. When you listen to these tracks Donny’s voice sounds good on the two tracks. Since his death, he has become a huge influence on a new generation of artists, musicians and songwriters. He left behind some wonderful music, music which today, we can all enjoy and love.
Everything Is Everything begins with Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything), a track that opens with bass being plucked and drums playing. You feel a slice of funk is emerging, this increases when Donny shouts “let’s get down now,” and then a piano plays. Backing singers join in, Donny scats. By now the arrangement has grown, and is a glorious mixture of brass, piano backing singers and handclaps. Donny’s style is loose, he ad-lids, whoops and hollers. At the end of the track, you’ve heard three and half minutes of masterful music, which is wonderfully arranged. It’s one part soul and one part funk. Brilliant.
Je Vous Aime (I Love You), opens with drums playing and backing singers testifying. A guitar plays as Donny sings. Donny’s voice is full of emotion and sincerity, soulful with a capital S. During the song, he sings some heartfelt lyrics, about how times have been tough, yet he still loves someone. Like the opening track, his backing singers drench his voice with their soulful and gospel influenced voices. They compliment his voice perfectly. Apart from the backing vocalists, it’s just drums, and guitars which feature prominently in this wonderful arrangement. When you listen to this track, it’s hard to believe that this is Donny’s debut album, such is the maturity and confidence he displays on the beautiful track.
I Believe To My Soul has a dramatic opening, it’s a mixture of drums, keyboards and brass section. To quote James Brown it’s loud and it’s proud. When Donny joins in the tempo increases, the arrangement gets fuller and the drama increases. He sings about mistrust and betrayal, his voice loud and strong, soaring powerfully. Behind him, the brass section play brilliantly. They almost upstage Donny with their performance, punctuating the track with a virtuoso performance. Overall, the song is a combination of Donny’s powerful vocal, a brilliant brass section, and drums and keyboards helping set the dramatic scene for Donny’s tale of distrust and betrayal.
After such an energetic workout as I Believe To My Soul, Misty sees Donny return to his gospel roots. From the start, Misty has a gospel influence. This is apparent is both Donny’s vocal and the arrangement. Donny takes the tempo way down, as he sings, and behind him, a piano plays, the brass section interject beautifully. As well as singing the song slowly, both Donny and his band leave plenty space in the arrangement. This adds to the dramatic impact of the song. Misty is the total opposite from the previous track. Here he’s singing about love, here his vocal is slow, laden with emotion and heartfelt. What it has in common with other tracks is the bigger, fuller arrangement, albeit one that’s slower and spacious. Here we see Donny at his soulful best, his passionate performance amongst the album’s highlights.
When Sugar Lee begins a bass plays, in the background people can be heard whooping, hollering and clapping their hands. The arrangement is looser, less structured, with a funk and jazz influence present. Drums and piano play, along with the whooping and hollering, later a bass is plucked. It’s very different from previous tracks. Although it has it merits, towards the end, the sound veers towards chaotic, but thankfully, that never quite happens. To me, it’s an experimental sound, one that has it roots in both jazz and funk. After the previous tracks, although Sugar Lee isn’t a bad track, it’s a bit of a letdown.
A piano plays, Donny testifies. That’s how Tryin’ Times opens. A bass plays before he starts to sing, and when he does, it’s a vast improvement on Sugar Lee. In the song he sings about the poverty and social problems people were suffering from. It’s a track laden with social comment about society’s problems. When you listen to the lyrics, they’re powerful, cutting and make a lot of sense. Sadly, these problems still exist, and Donny’s words are still relevant. Like all the tracks on the album, it benefits from a good arrangement, although here, it isn’t as full as on other tracks. Tryin’ Times, a song he cowrote with Leroy Hutson, is a passionate track, with lyrics just as relevant nearly forty years later.
Donny Hathaway wrote Thank You Master (For My Soul), the next track on the album. It’s a track with its roots in the church, and features spiritual lyrics. In the lyrics Donny gives thanks, for everything he has, especially his soul. When he does, he gives another heartfelt performance. The arrangement starts slowly, with just a piano playing. Quickly, drums and a keyboard enter, to be joined by the brass section. What starts of as an understated arrangement, eventually turns into almost a jazz workout, with his band showcasing their musical abilities. It’s almost a song of two parts, and during the second part of the song, Donny is joyous, thankful for what he has. His voice becomes passionate, and sincere, as he gives thanks. You can’t fail to be moved by Donny’s moving and heartfelt performance on this track.
Even if you’ve never heard Donny’s music, you’ll probably have heard the next track The Ghetto. Again, it’s a track with a much looser arrangement. Much of the track is an instrumental with Donny ad-libbing. He whoops as a bass plays at the start of the track, then proudly announcing “this is the ghetto.” Maybe back then, he realized the impact this track would have, and foresaw how highly regarded it would be. From the start, the track has a warm feel, and for nearly seven minutes, Donny and his band produce a masterful track. It meanders beautifully along, keyboards playing, backing vocalists interjecting and percussion playing. Drums and handclaps can be heard, a bass plays, and occasionally, Donny sings. Mostly, the track moves along slowly, beautifully, a mixture of musicians playing and background voices. Whoops, hollers and screams can be heard. The improvisational style of track works well. Here, Donny has borrowed this style from jazz, and this looser style works brilliantly, ending up with one of Donny’s best known tracks.
To Be Young Gifted and Black closes Everything Is Everything. Here, Donny takes a risk, by covering a song made famous by Nina Simone. Many people regard her version as the definitive version. However, Donny’s version is good, very good, and runs Nina Simone’s version close. He sings this song about poverty and inequality brilliantly. His rendition is passionate, he sings it as if he’s angered by these things, he sees them rightly, as a blight on society. Sadly, forty years on, things are worse. The arrangement allows Donny’s vocal to shine. Again there’s a gospel influence present as a piano plays at the start. Space is left when the drums play, an organ adds to the gospel influence, as it subtly plays. A bass emerges, then organ and drums combine. Meanwhile, Donny is giving a brilliant performance. His voice soars high, laden with emotion. Towards the end of the track, backing vocalists accompany Donny, adding the finishing touches to one of the most heartfelt songs you’ll ever hear. This is his best vocals on the album, one that is up there with anything he ever recorded. It’s the combination of Donny’s vocal and the lush, gospel arrangement that make this my favorite song not just on the album, but of Donny’s. Only one word can describe this track. Brilliant.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed researching and writing this article, as it gave me the perfect excuse to revisit Donny Hathaway’s marvelous music. It’s music that I always love listening to, and music I’d recommend to anyone who hasn’t heard it. Everything Is Everything is one of the best soul albums you could ever hope to hear. On it are nine tracks, which feature some of the best tracks Donny ever recorded. Donny’s voice is brilliant, he’s backed by some wonderful musicians and Donny Hathaway and Ric Powell’s production is masterful. This album is the best album Donny ever released in his tragically, short career. Although he only recorded three studio albums, they’re three great albums. If you’ve never heard this album, I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone. It’s an album that once you’ve heard it, you’ll fall in love with it. Donny Hathaway had one of the best voices in soul music, it’s tragic that his life was so short. However, we should be thankful that during his lifetime, he recorded such wonderful music. Standout Tracks: Je Vous Aime (I Love You), I Believe To My Soul, Misty and To Be Young Gifted and Black.
DONNY HATHAWAY-EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING.
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