Side 2 track 1 of Isaac Haye's ...To Be Continued album, released in 1970 on Stax, features a medley of two tracks; 'Ike's Mood 1' + You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - clocking in at 15 minutes, 33 seconds long.
The first part of that medley ('Ike's Mood 1') is 6 minutes 33 seconds of blissful orchestrated soul, jointly arranged by Isaac and Dale Warren. And I used to think he was just a sassy singer.
I discovered this song on an Isaac Hayes boxset and it stopped me in my tracks. I think it was the oboe firstly, then the strings, then the piano, then the drums.
I didn't know this at all, but apparently every part of that 6 minutes 33 seconds has been sampled.
It's got this big mad intro, but then settles down - 1 minute 44 seconds is genius, but 5 mins 46 seconds transcends description.
2 minutes 10 seconds, to me, is the sound that Michael Kiwanuka based his eponymous album on, especially those female backing vocals, that sound like they are lifting you up to meet St. Peter (on an escalator natch).
No mad back story from me, just the reality that music has the power to still drop your jaw - be that new music or old music - (but isn't all unheard music 'new music'?). I suppose the story is that I'm even more into music than before, and I never thought it would be this deep, coming up to 60.
So 1970, Isaac is 28 and he comes up with this little tune, and I can't find the words to reflect its beauty.
Do listen a couple of times to it. In the right space, it is very rewarding.