“You Went Away” was not one of the songs from Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1980 album Faces that was released as a single.
The breakup ballad is one of the many strong album tracks that make Faces an album that hard core EW&F fans love. Other beloved album cuts from Faces include “In Time,” “Sailaway” and “Win Or Lose.”
Phillip Bailey, was the lead singer on many of those album tracks, and he was the lead singer on “You Went Away,” the tune featured in this Lost Gem segment. I have always thought that Bailey outdid himself on “You Went Away,” a song that he co-wrote
The song’s production was peerless, which should not be surprising considering the who’s who of musicians involved in the production, including Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and trombonist Fred Wesley, who played for James Brown and Bootsy Collins.
Maurice White took full advantage of that talent to produce a lush, sweeping production that featured strings, tight horns and Lukather’s rock infused guitar solos. But the star of this show is Bailey, who emptied himself vocally and emotionally on this heartbreaking ballad. Check it out here.
By Howard Dukes
