Percy Sledge Later career What happened later in his career? Sledge's career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 2 What album was the song from? Michael Bolton brought "When a Man Loves a Woman" back into the limelight again on his hit album Time, Love, & Tenderness. What other songs did Sledge work on? In 1994, Saul Davis and Barry Goldberg produced Sledge's album, Blue Night, for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch label and Virgin Records. Were there any hits on the album? Blue Night received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental, Did he win any other awards? 1996 it won the W.C. Handy Award for best soul or blues album. What artists has he worked with? In 2004, Davis and Goldberg also produced the Shining Through the Rain album, which preceded his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When was he inducted into the hall of fame? In May 2007, Percy was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame in his home city of Baton Rouge, LA. What did he say about his induction? I don't know. Are there any other interesting aspects about this article? In December 2010, Rhino Handmade issued a four-CD retrospective, The Atlantic Recordings, which covers all of the issued Atlantic masters,
What songs did this feature from Sledge?
What songs did the four-CD retrospective album, The Atlantic Recordings, feature from Percy Sledge?
Sledge's career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 2 behind the reissued Ben E. King classic "Stand by Me", after being used in a Levi's commercial. In the early 1990s, Michael Bolton brought "When a Man Loves a Woman" back into the limelight again on his hit album Time, Love, & Tenderness. On the week of November 17 to November 23, 1991, Bolton's version also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, exactly 25 1/2  years to the week after Percy's did in 1966.  In 1994, Saul Davis and Barry Goldberg produced Sledge's album, Blue Night, for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch label and Virgin Records. It featured Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, and Mick Taylor among others. Blue Night received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental, and in 1996 it won the W.C. Handy Award for best soul or blues album.  In 2004, Davis and Goldberg also produced the Shining Through the Rain album, which preceded his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Songs on the CD were written by Mikael Rickfors, Steve Earle, the Bee Gees, Carla Olson, Denny Freeman, Allan Clarke and Jackie Lomax. The same year Percy recorded a live album with his band Sunset Drive entitled Percy Sledge and Sunset Drive - Live in Virginia on WRM Records produced by Warren Rodgers.  In May 2007, Percy was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame in his home city of Baton Rouge, LA.  In December 2010, Rhino Handmade issued a four-CD retrospective, The Atlantic Recordings, which covers all of the issued Atlantic masters, as well as many of the tracks unissued in the United States (although some were simply the mono versions of songs originally issued in stereo; Disc 1 comprises Sledge's first two LPs which were not recorded on stereo equipment). In 2011 Sledge toured with Sir Cliff Richard during his Soulicious tour, performing "I'm Your Puppet". CANNOTANSWER
versions of songs originally issued in stereo; Disc 1 comprises Sledge's first two LPs which were not recorded on stereo equipment
Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song "When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, Gold-certified disc from the RIAA.

Having previously worked as a hospital orderly in the early 1960s, Sledge achieved his strongest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a series of emotional soul songs. In later years, Sledge received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Biography

Early career
Sledge was born on November 25, 1940, in Leighton, Alabama. He worked in a series of agricultural jobs in the fields in Leighton, before taking a job as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama. Through the mid-1960s, he toured the Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends, while working at the hospital during the week. A former patient and mutual friend of Sledge and record producer Quin Ivy introduced the two. An audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.

Sledge's soulful voice was perfect for the series of soul ballads produced by Ivy and Marlin Greene, which rock critic Dave Marsh called "emotional classics for romantics of all ages". "When a Man Loves a Woman" was Sledge's first song recorded under the contract, and was released in March 1966. According to Sledge, the inspiration for the song came when his girlfriend left him for a modelling career after he was laid off from a construction job in late 1965, and, because bassist Calvin Lewis and organist Andrew Wright helped him with the song, he gave all the songwriting credits to them. It reached No. 1 in the US and went on to become an international hit.  "When a Man Loves a Woman" was a hit twice in the UK, reaching No. 4 in 1966 and, on reissue, peaked at No. 2 in 1987.  The song was also the first gold record released by Atlantic Records. The soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career, and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love" (covered by British singer Elkie Brooks in 1981), "It Tears Me Up", "Take Time to Know Her" (his second biggest US hit, reaching No. 11; the song's lyric was written by Steve Davis), "Love Me Tender", and "Cover Me".

Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Sunshine" during the 1970s, and became an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the Netherlands, Germany, and on the African continent; he averaged 100 concerts a year in South Africa.

Later career
Sledge's career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 2 behind the reissued Ben E. King classic "Stand by Me", after being used in a Levi's commercial. In the early 1990s, Michael Bolton brought "When a Man Loves a Woman" back into the limelight again on his hit album Time, Love, & Tenderness. On the week of November 17 to November 23, 1991, Bolton's version also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, exactly 25½ years to the week after Percy's did in 1966.

In 1994, Saul Davis and Barry Goldberg produced Sledge's album, Blue Night, for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch label and Virgin Records. It featured Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, and Mick Taylor among others. Blue Night received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental, and in 1996 it won the W.C. Handy Award for best soul or blues album.

In 2004, Davis and Goldberg also produced the Shining Through the Rain album, which preceded his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Songs on the CD were written by Mikael Rickfors, Steve Earle, the Bee Gees, Carla Olson, Denny Freeman, Allan Clarke and Jackie Lomax. The same year Percy recorded a live album with his band Sunset Drive entitled Percy Sledge and Sunset Drive – Live in Virginia on WRM Records produced by Warren Rodgers.

In May 2007, Percy was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame in his home city of Baton Rouge, LA.

In December 2010, Rhino Handmade issued a four-CD retrospective, The Atlantic Recordings, which covers all of the issued Atlantic masters, as well as many of the tracks unissued in the United States (although some were simply the mono versions of songs originally issued in stereo; Disc 1 comprises Sledge's first two LPs which were not recorded on stereo equipment). In 2011 Sledge toured with Sir Cliff Richard during his Soulicious tour, performing "I'm Your Puppet".

Personal life
Sledge married twice and was survived by his second wife, Rosa Sledge, whom he married in 1980. He had 12 children, three of whom became singers.

Death
Sledge died of liver cancer at his home in Baton Rouge on April 14, 2015, at the age of 74. His interment was in Baton Rouge's Heavenly Gates Cemetery.

Accolades
Sledge was:
An inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989.
Inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993.
The recipient of the Blues Music Award in 1996 for best Soul/Blues album of the year with his record Blue Night.
Inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall Of Fame in November 2004.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame for his contributions by the State of Louisiana in May 2007.
Inducted into the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, Louisiana.

Selected discography

Albums

Singles

1994
"I Wish It Would Rain" (Sky Ranch / Virgin, Sweden)
duet with Mikael Rickfors
produced by Saul Davis & Barry Goldberg

1994 "You Got Away with Love" (Pat Robinson & Rocky Burnette) / "Why Did You Stop?" (Carla Olson)
(Sky Ranch / Virgin, France)
produced by Saul Davis & Barry Goldberg

Compilation albums

In popular culture
Sledge is sometimes cited as the inspiration behind the Australian language term "to sledge", meaning "to put someone off their game", first used in Test cricket, though the phrase more probably derives from "subtle as a sledgehammer".

References

External links

 
 
 
 

1940 births
2015 deaths
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
20th-century African-American male singers
American soul musicians
Atlantic Records artists
Deaths from cancer in Louisiana
Capricorn Records artists
Deaths from liver cancer
Monument Records artists
Singers from Alabama
American rhythm and blues singers
American soul singers
People from Colbert County, Alabama
Virgin Records artists
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers
21st-century African-American male singers
All American Girls is the fifth studio album by the American R&B vocal group Sister Sledge, released on February 2, 1981, by Cotillion Records. Unlike their previous albums, the group served as co–producers, with Kathy Sledge and Joni Sledge writing the songs.

Background
Released in February 1981, this album was a departure from the past band style and does not feature production by Nile Rodgers or Bernard Edwards. Instead, Narada Michael Walden was the main producer of the project. Four singles were released from this album.

The first single and biggest hit from the album was "All American Girls", written by songwriter Allee Willis along with Joni Sledge and Narada Michael Walden's then–wife Lisa Walden. Released in January 1981, The song peaked at number three on the R&B/Soul charts and 79 on the Hot 100 charts in late–March 1981. It was also a Top 10 hit in the Low Countries, reaching number eight in The Netherlands and number six in Belgium.  It also charted in Germany (#27) and the UK (#41).

The follow–up single was "Next Time You'll Know" which was released in April 1981. The single peaked at number 82 on the Hot 100 charts by mid–May 1981. In August 1981, the third single "If You Really Want Me" written by the youngest member Kathy Sledge was released and "He's Just a Runaway" in late 1981.

Track listing
"All American Girls" (Allee Willis, Joni Sledge, Lisa Walden) – 4:42
"He's Just a Runaway" (Willis) – 3:57
"If You Really Want Me" (Kathy Sledge) – 4:37
"Next Time You'll Know" (Willis) – 3:57
"Happy Feeling" (K. Sledge) – 3:35
"Ooh, You Caught My Heart" (Willis, Narada Michael Walden) – 4:25
"Make a Move" (Bob Allen, J. Sledge) – 3:47
"Don't Let Me Lose It" (Willis) – 2:53
"Music Makes Me Feel Good" (K. Sledge) – 4:29
"I Don't Want to Say Goodbye" (Jeff Cohen, N. Walden) – 3:39

Personnel

Kathy Sledge – lead vocals
Joni Sledge – lead vocals
Kim Sledge – lead vocals
Debbie Sledge – lead vocals
Bob Castell-Blanch – guitar
Frank Martin – keyboards
Randy Jackson – bass guitar
Narada Michael Walden – drums
 The See America Horns:
Marc Russo – saxophone
Dave Grover – trumpet, trombone
Bill Lamb – trumpet, trombone
Wayne Wallace – trombone

Production

Narada Michael Walden – producer
Sister Sledge – co–producer
Bob Clearmountain – sound engineer
Humberto Gatica – engineer
Ken "Kessanova" Kessie – engineer
David Greenberg – assistant engineer
Laertes "Doc" Muldrow – assistant engineer
Maureen Droney – assistant engineer
Bob Ludwig – mastering
All songs recorded and mixed at The Automatt, Davlen Studios & Power Station

References

External links 
 Sister Sledge - All American Girls (1981) album releases & credits at Discogs
 Sister Sledge - All American Girls (1981) album to be listened as stream on Spotify

1981 albums
Cotillion Records albums
Sister Sledge albums
Albums produced by Narada Michael Walden "Take Me Back to Love Again" is a 1992 song by American singer-songwriter Kathy Sledge. It was written by Kenny Harris and Mark Holden, and was the first single from Sledge's first solo album, Heart (1992). The producers were Charles Ferrar and Troy Taylor. The single went to number-one on the US Billboard dance chart for one week. It did not make the Billboard Hot 100 but went to number 24 on the Billboard soul singles chart. In Europe, it peaked at number 62 on the UK Singles Chart and number 12 on the UK Dance Singles Chart.

Critical reception
Craig Lytle from AllMusic noted that the song "has a progressive rhythm with flashbacks of disco". Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "This festive, garage-vibed houser benefits from the maturing remix hand of Roger S., who takes it through six strong variations." He added, "Of course, the real reason to check this jam out is Sledge's instantly recognizable voice, which sounds as powerful as it did on classics like "We Are Family". 

John Martinucci from the Gavin Report said, "I find my ears gravitating toward the LP edit because it presents her soft-smooth vocals in a Jazz/Fusion setting. Check it out." Andy Beevers from Music Week commented, "Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge fame has returned with a bang up-to-date single, the classy Roger Sanchez mixed Take Me Back To Love. Import copies have already been filling garage-orientated dancefloors and the track is now getting a UK release."

Impact and legacy
In 1995, British DJ Sister Bliss selected it as one of "the tracks that mean most to her", saying, "This is a bit of a handbag one – a big Northern tune. It has a tinkly piano – the piano riff is one of the nicest things about it. It's an unpretentious little tune Jon Pleased Wimmin used to play it all the time – it brings back memories of the Bar Industria at four in the morning and putting my hands in the air. It's infectious happy."

Track listing
 7" single, UK (1992)
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Radio Remix) – 3:55
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Album Version) – 3:59

 12", US (1992)
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Shelter Me Mix) – 6:48
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Soundshaft Mix) – 6:15
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Soundshaft Beats) – 3:00
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Roger's Favorite Mix) – 5:30
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Preston's Piano Mix) – 5:32
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Raw Mix) – 5:00

 CD maxi, UK (1992)
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (7" Version) – 3:55
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Back To Romance) – 5:00
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (12" Remix) – 5:15
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Instrumental) – 4:00
"Take Me Back to Love Again" (Album Version) – 3:59

Charts

See also
 List of number-one dance singles of 1992 (U.S.)

References

1992 singles
1992 songs
Songs written by Mark Holden
Epic Records singles
Electro songs