Comments: 22

• Ken Stanger from Coulee Dam, Wa - On The Colville Indian ReservationI still remember the story about two of the members of the Rolling Stones that were greeting each other and one asked the other "have you heard it" meaning When A Man Loves A Woman - that the other person said - already bought it!
• Jennifur Sun from RamonaThe Muscle Sholes group also did Mustang Sally.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 25th 1966, Percy Sledge performed at the "Beach Boys Summer Spectacular" concert* at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles...
  At the time the his "When a Man Loves a Woman" was at #11 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; a little over a month earlier on May 22nd, 1966 it had peaked at #1 {for 2 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 13 weeks...
  On May 1st, 1966 it reached #1 {for 5 weeks} on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
  And north of the border it would peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart...
  Between 1966 and 1974 he had fourteen Top 100 records; his next biggest hit, "Take Time to Know Her", just missed making the Top 10, it peaked at #11 {for 1 week} on May 19th, 1968...
  * Must have been a great concert; besides the Beach Boys other acts were the Byrds, the Lovin' Spoonful, Chad & Jeremy, the Leaves, Love, the Outsiders, and Capt. Beefheart.
• Sandy from High CountryWhile Larry Cartwright played bass on this great song, I have a hard time accepting the rather outrageous claims of his playing on other famous tracks. Without some solid confirmation of this claim, I would side with the known bass players in Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, Muscle Shoals, etc. who have documented participation on these well known soul songs of the mid 60s. Sadly, many of them are no longer alive and able to refute this claim. Let's see some real evidence to back it up.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny* Lovin' eyes can't ever see *
  Per: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm
  Percy Sledge, best remembered for the romantic classic, "When A Man Loves A Woman" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B-1966) but who charted thirteen other times on the Pop charts alone in nine years, died of liver cancer Tuesday (April 14th, 2015) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of 73. Born in Leighton, Alabama, he started out singing with the local Esquires Combo while working as a hospital orderly. Percy and two of the Esquires (not to be confused with the later R&B group) wrote "When A Man Loves A Woman," but he gave the credit to the others. Recording the song at a Muscle Shoals, Alabama studio, it was picked up by Atlantic Records, who made him a solo star. Other tunes included "Take Time To Know Her" (#11 Pop, #6 R&B-1968), "Warm And Tender Love" (#17 Pop, #5 R&B-1966) and "It Tears Me Up" (#20 Pop #7 R&B-1966). Michael Bolton took "When A Man Loves A Woman" back to the top of the Pop charts in 1991. Percy was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and given the Rhythm and Blues Pioneer Award in 1989. He was also inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame...
  May he R.I.P.
• John from Hattiesburg MsFrom the notes above, I cannot tell who the organist is. "Dan Penn sent them over to Norala to record with Ivy, complete with their big B-3 organ for [Andrew] Wright to play." "The musicians . . . included Spooner Oldham on organ, ...." Can anyone clear this up?
• Kimberly from Landing, NjWhen a man LOVES, LOVES A WOMEN ITS GRACE AT ITS BEST FORM. Thank You....
• Jay from Brooklyn, NyThis is the best musical ad-lib ever. This is listed as a song played at weddings. Do people just look at the title and not listen to the lyrics? On the other hand, I have heard Billy Joel's "Scenes from and Italian Restaurant", and that is not about a happy relationship either. My dad mentioned that his sister used to sing at weddings and was asked to sing "A Day in the Life of a Fool", another song that is not exactly wedding appropriate.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyIn the same year {1966} that Percy released his version, 'Little Esther' Phillips also released it. Of course it was titled 'When A Woman Loves A Man', it peaked at No. 73!!!
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyGreat song, has one of the best lines ever in "Lovin' eyes can never see" How true!!!
• Fulu Thompho from Limpopo, South Africathis song touches the heart of every man, i mean they get to face the reality of being a devout lover to their mistress. Fulu, South AFRICA
• Dave from Scottsdale, AzExcept for two instances, the lines in this "poem" don't rhyme.
• Michael from Chicago, IlThis is one of the greatest 'lost love' songs ever -- writer Bob Greene says it's not a love song -- and that shows he don't know nothing about love, and should stick to writing ... and if you've been in love, you WILL sing it in your lifetime
• Archie from Asheboro, NcThe words was a poem written for a girlfriend who had a nack for embarrasing the guy, by having the poems read in class, so he wrote this poem to get her to understand he needs to be treated better. One of Motowns founders got the words from a ship buddy from the Navy, where he got a lot of his poems from for songs he released. The ship buddy was never paid, but took the poem from his son, and sent it in. The son gave up on the girl thinking she got the poem, and didn't change. The father didn't tell his son he took the poem untill the song was playing on the radio, and it seemed worst than having the whole class hearing his personal thoughts, but now the whole world. So the son never wrote another poem to a girl again.
• Liquid Len from Ottawa, CanadaThis song was covered in the 90s, I forget the artist, he changed it so the words went "When a man loves a chicken"
• Darren from Hull, EnglandThis song DIDN'T get to number 2 in the UK until it's re issue years later. It actually got to number 4 in 1966.
• Bill from Queens, Ny"When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge is a Rhythym and Blues icon teaches a powerful lesson: If you fall in love, and the object of your affection loves you, too, it's a phenomenally wonderful thing; but if that "significant other" does not share your sentiment, leave...(quickly!) before you lose your possessions, your self-respect, your sanity, and possibly more. Percy Sledge proved that the most enduring artistic creations are born of pain in a real-life, real-world situation.
• Eddie from Natchez, MsAny time a someone bears their soul and pours their heart out in a song 90% of the time it becomes a hit.
• Brian from Melfort, Sask, CanadaLuba covered the song in 1988, and also Canadian Burton Cummings lead singer the Guess Who his version is by far the best.
• Antonio from Orlando, FlThis song was widely used in Bacardi Rum commercials in the 1990's. These commercials also featured actor Lorenzo Lamas.
• Anita Cartwright from Gilmer, TxMy husband played bass on this song. It is his proudest moment. He recorded for several artists but this one touched him deeply.
• Rich from Elkins, WvThis song and 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted'
  are both perfect examples of the great R&B songs that I was lucky enough to grow up with.

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