(November 11, 2024) When it comes to living musical legends, there are few that are as universally respected as singer and songwriter Brenda Russell. An artist who has created five decades of memorable music for herself (including the charttoppers “So Good (So Right) and “Piano In The Dark”), for other artists (such as Oleta Adams’ smash “Get Here”), and even for Broadway (the Grammy and Tony winning The Color Purple), Russell has, in her own way created a quiet career of musical brilliance.
Late last year, Brenda previewed her upcoming album Songpainter, her first in two decades, with the touching anthem “What Will It Take,” and she follows it up on November 22 with a revisiting of one of her classic compositions, “You Know What It’s Like.” The song, co-written with Roberta Flack and included on Flack’s 1988 album Oasis, is now reimagined with producer Stephan Oberhoff as a light, Brazilian-inlfluenced ballad.
Brenda says about the new recording, “Though our production is very contemporary, ‘You Know What It’s Like’ has a cool back in the day feel about it, that unmistakable 80’s R&B vibe. A music publisher I shared it with gave me the best compliment Roberta and I could have ever received. He said, ‘It sounds like you wrote it with Donald Fagen.’ Amazing. Nobody ever made that kind of comparison with me. But I get it. I’ve seriously been in love with the song for a long time.”
The song should connect with adult soul audiences around the world, and especially Russell’s legion of fans. We just love it and are proud to present its World Premiere here. Check out “You Know What It’s Like” below, and welcome the iconic Brenda Russell back to SoulTracks.
By Chris Rizik
