lefreeakblog

Ain't No Sunshine launched the career of Bill Withers, who passed away recently aged 81. Overhearing a frustrated promoter in a club saying how much a late arrival was getting paid, a toilet making Bill Withers put together a demo which included this song, one which very quickly became a modern standard, covered by an amazing number of wide ranging recording artists including Paul McCartney, José Feliciano, Isaac Hayes, Sivuca, Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones, Ladysmith Black Mamboza, and perhaps most famously Michael Jackson, who released it as his first track on his first solo album  Got To Be There,  a mere 6 months after Bill Withers initial release, such was its hit potential. The song was written and first released on Bill Wither's debut  Just As I Am  in July 1971 and originally a B-side to "Harlem" before DJs disagreed and flipped it over, promoting it to the A-side. It very quickly went Gold hitting Number 3 in the US Billboard Top and winning a Grammy for Best...