Everything Is Everything (Donny Hathaway album)
Encyclopedia
Everything Is Everything is the first studio album
by American
soul
artist Donny Hathaway
, which was released on July 1, 1970 on the Atco
label. The album was Hathaway's first release after being signed to Atlantic in 1969. Hathaway had already built a reputation early in his life, first as a gospel crooner as a child under the name Donny Pitts. After dropping out of Howard University
in 1967, Hathaway moved to Chicago, his birthplace, and started working on music for Curtis Mayfield
's Curtom Records label where he was a songwriter, producer, arranger, composer, conductor and session player.
Everything Is Everything was produced by Hathaway and Ric Powell; Hathaway wrote or co-wrote five of the album's nine songs. After befriending Impressions lead singer Leroy Hutson
, the duo composed the song that would eventually make it on his debut album titled "The Ghetto
", which was mostly an instrumental except for Hathaway's vocal ad-libs and him singing the chorus. Hathaway and Hutson composed another socially conscious song titled "Trying Times". Other songs were split between covers (Ray Charles
's "I Believe to My Soul" and Nina Simone
's "To Be Young, Gifted and Black
"), spiritual affairs ("Thank You Master for My Soul") and love songs ("Je Vous Aime (I Love You)").
Released in July 1970, the album peaked at #73 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart
and #33 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart
.
Critics have since called Hathaway's debut his finest album. It would be one of four studio albums, including the soundtrack for Come Back, Charleston Blue
, Hathaway released in his lifetime.
Bonus track on CD reissue
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
artist Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
, which was released on July 1, 1970 on the Atco
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
label. The album was Hathaway's first release after being signed to Atlantic in 1969. Hathaway had already built a reputation early in his life, first as a gospel crooner as a child under the name Donny Pitts. After dropping out of Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in 1967, Hathaway moved to Chicago, his birthplace, and started working on music for Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
's Curtom Records label where he was a songwriter, producer, arranger, composer, conductor and session player.
Everything Is Everything was produced by Hathaway and Ric Powell; Hathaway wrote or co-wrote five of the album's nine songs. After befriending Impressions lead singer Leroy Hutson
Leroy Hutson
Leroy Hutson is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of the R&B band, which came to fame vocal group, The Impressions....
, the duo composed the song that would eventually make it on his debut album titled "The Ghetto
The Ghetto (song)
"The Ghetto" is a socially conscious, mostly instrumental Jazz/Latin Jazz flavored anthem, released as the first single off American soul singer Donny Hathaway's debut album, Everything Is Everything, released as a single in 1970 on Atlantic Records....
", which was mostly an instrumental except for Hathaway's vocal ad-libs and him singing the chorus. Hathaway and Hutson composed another socially conscious song titled "Trying Times". Other songs were split between covers (Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
's "I Believe to My Soul" and Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
's "To Be Young, Gifted and Black
To Be Young, Gifted and Black
"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" is a song by Nina Simone with lyrics by Weldon Irvine. It was written in memory of Simone's late friend Lorraine Hansberry, author of the play Raisin in the Sun. The song was originally recorded by Simone for her 1970 album Black Gold; released as a single, it became...
"), spiritual affairs ("Thank You Master for My Soul") and love songs ("Je Vous Aime (I Love You)").
Released in July 1970, the album peaked at #73 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and #33 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
.
Critics have since called Hathaway's debut his finest album. It would be one of four studio albums, including the soundtrack for Come Back, Charleston Blue
Come Back, Charleston Blue
Come Back Charleston Blue is a 1972 film starring Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques, loosely based on Chester Himes' novel The Heat's On. It is a sequel to the 1970 film Cotton Comes to Harlem.-Plot:...
, Hathaway released in his lifetime.
Track listing
- "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)" (Richard Evans, Ric Powell, Phil UpchurchPhil UpchurchPhil Upchurch is an American jazz and R&B guitarist and bassist.Upchurch started his career working with The Kool Gents, The Dells, and The Spaniels before going on to work with Curtis Mayfield, Otis Rush and Jimmy Reed. He then returned to Chicago to play and record with Woody Herman, Stan Getz,...
) – 3:28 - "Je Vous Aime (I Love You)" (Donny Hathaway, Leroy HutsonLeroy HutsonLeroy Hutson is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of the R&B band, which came to fame vocal group, The Impressions....
, Edward Kennedy) – 3:31 - "I Believe to My Soul" (Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
) – 3:51 - "Misty" (Johnny BurkeJohnny BurkeJohnny Burke was a Newfoundland songwriter and musician. He was nicknamed the 'Bard of Prescott Street'. He wrote many popular songs that artists in the 1930s and 1940s released.Popular songs by Burke include:* The Night Paddy Murphy Died...
, Erroll GarnerErroll GarnerErroll Louis Garner was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty", has become a jazz standard...
) – 3:38 - "Sugar Lee" (Hathaway, Powell) – 4:05
- "Tryin' Times" (Hathaway, Hutson) – 3:15
- "Thank You Master (For My Soul)" (Hathaway) – 5:50
- "The GhettoThe Ghetto (song)"The Ghetto" is a socially conscious, mostly instrumental Jazz/Latin Jazz flavored anthem, released as the first single off American soul singer Donny Hathaway's debut album, Everything Is Everything, released as a single in 1970 on Atlantic Records....
" (Hathaway, Hutson) – 6:50 - "To Be Young, Gifted and BlackTo Be Young, Gifted and Black"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" is a song by Nina Simone with lyrics by Weldon Irvine. It was written in memory of Simone's late friend Lorraine Hansberry, author of the play Raisin in the Sun. The song was originally recorded by Simone for her 1970 album Black Gold; released as a single, it became...
" (Weldon IrvineWeldon IrvineWeldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. , also known Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist and organist.-Biography:...
, Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
) – 6:43
Bonus track on CD reissue
- "A Dream" (Robert Ayers, Hathaway) – 4:14
Personnel
- Donny Hathaway - vocals, electric piano, organ
- Master Henry GibsonMaster Henry Gibson"Master" Henry Gibson is the world's most recorded percussionist, appearing on about 1200 albums, spanning a career of four decades....
- conga - King CurtisKing CurtisCurtis Ousley , who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer...
- guitar - Phil UpchurchPhil UpchurchPhil Upchurch is an American jazz and R&B guitarist and bassist.Upchurch started his career working with The Kool Gents, The Dells, and The Spaniels before going on to work with Curtis Mayfield, Otis Rush and Jimmy Reed. He then returned to Chicago to play and record with Woody Herman, Stan Getz,...
- bass, guitar - John LittlejohnJohn LittlejohnJohn Wesley Funchess known professionally as John Littlejohn, was an American electric blues slide guitarist. He was active on the Chicago blues circuit from the 1950s to the 1980s.-Biography:...
- guitar, vocals - John Avant - trombone
- Johnny Board - tenor saxophone
- Oscar BrashearOscar BrashearOscar Brashear is an American jazz trumpeter and session musician.After studying at DuSable High School he worked briefly with Woody Herman before going on to join Count Basie '68-9, returning to freelance in Chicago with Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon and James Moody...
- trumpet - Clifford Davis - alto saxophone
- Aaron Dodd - tuba
- Morris Ellis - trombone
- Marshall Hawkins - bass
- Willie Henderson - baritone saxophone
- John Howell - trumpet
- Morris Jennings - drums
- Robert A. Lewis - trumpet
- John Lounsberry - French horn
- Ethel Merker - French horn
- Don MyrickDon MyrickDon Myrick was a saxophonist.He played alto, tenor and soprano sax and was a member of Earth Wind & Fire's original horn section, The Phenix Horns Esq. from 1975 through 1982. Previously, Myrick had been a member of the musical group The Pharaohs...
- alto saxophone - Richard Powell - drums, percussion
- Louis Satterfield - bass