Mourning the loss of individuals such as James Ingram, Natalie Cole and Aretha Franklin, Knight also performed the Carole King-penned ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ with excellent work from her backing vocalists. The backing vocalists subbed for the original recording’s horn section with Knight handling the climactic bridge with apparent ease. ‘License to Kill’, released in 1989 for the James Bond film of the same name, was all sass and thrilling melodrama. She began in the slower tempo of Gaye’s rendition before reverting to the quick-paced take she did with the Pips. The song was the group’s breakthrough hit and the highest selling Motown record of 1967, though frustratingly outsold by Marvin Gaye’s rendition released the following year (although actually recorded before Knight’s version). Touching briefly on her time with Motown (referred to jokingly as ‘motel’), she reflected on her recording of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. A chorus of Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ found its way into the set after a performance of soul anthem ‘Best Thing That Ever Happened’. She followed with ‘Save the Overtime (For Me)’, including a snippet of Luther Vandross’ ‘Never Too Much’. It is a telling lesson to those singers who sacrifice dynamics and discretion on the altar of ornamental melisma.Įntering the stage dressed in white, Knight carried out a brief sound-check before jumping straight into a rendition of ‘I’ve Got To Use My Imagination’, a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1973. Her raspy contralto with top notes full of resonance is an otherworldly joy to behold. To anyone following Gladys Knight’s career over the years, the magnificent upkeep of her voice has been a source of continued fascination. Last night, the Empress of Soul thrilled a sold-out audience at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a wider UK tour, despite having announced a ‘farewell’ tour a decade prior. Leaving the label in 1973 to sign with Buddah Records, the group saw further success. Reluctantly signed by Motown founder Berry Gordy and seen as an act of low priority – Stuart Cosgrove writes in Detroit 67: The Year That Changed Soul that Gordy was outraged when the group upstaged The Supremes in concert – Gladys Knight & the Pips proved that with the right material they could realise Motown’s crossover ambitions. However, with Gladys Knight (now 75) one feels that they are watching the exact same performer who soared into the spotlight in the late-1960s. Mavis Staples, who at 79 years old is still hustling, has brilliantly re-defined her style over the years and has been recording material to suit the deepening of her voice. Dionne Warwick, who performed in the Hall last year, can still command a show although her vocal now has obvious limitations. There are plenty of legacy artists with plenty of magic left to share. It is an almost puzzling experience watching and listening to Gladys Knight. The Empress of Soul consolidates her rule
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