"Don't Give Up On Us" by David Soul #MusicMonday

RIP David Soul …

The world recently lost David Soul, a British and American actor and singer who was quite popular in the 1970’s. He is most famous for his role as Hutch in “Starsky & Hutch.” He is also well known for his hit song “Don’t Give Up On Us” which hit #1 in the US. As a versatile entertainer, David also found success on Stage in London’s West End.

Back then, it was quite unusual for an entertainer to cross formats, meaning for a tv star to record a hit song. But David was one of a few who was able to play in music, tv, film, and Stage. Also back then, it was very popular for songs to tell a story. Songs that were heavy on lyrics and a good ballad were often a hit. One of my favorite songs from David which fit that bill is “Can’t We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over.” Both of these songs were written by Tony Maccaulay.

The year prior to this release, Donna Summer also recorded “Can’t We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over” for her album “I Remember Yesterday.” After a string of club dance hits, Donna wanted to prove she could sing a ballad so she chose this one!

The song didn’t get much traction though, because the DJs wanted to hear dance music from Donna. So they. flipped the single over and played the dance song that was on the B-side instead. It was “I Feel Love,” and it ended up not only being a huge hit but it changed the future of dance music forever. The rest, as they say, is history! Big thanks to those DJs who did the flip.

And although David did record “Can’t We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over” the following year, he didn’t get a hit out of it either. But it remains a beautiful album cut on both his and Donna’s albums.

RIP David Soul. Huge respect for your diverse set of talents. You paved the way for many others to cross formats too.

What’s your experience? JIM