Back in 2017, Memphis singer Porcelan arrived on the scene with about as strong an endorsement as a young soul artist could have: legendary songwriter and producer David Porter serving as executive producer of her debut project.
Porter, a SoulTracks Lifetime Achievement Award winner, had long since secured his place in music history through his work at Stax Records, where, together with Isaac Hayes, he helped create some of the most enduring songs of the Memphis soul era. But with Porcelan’s debut single, “The Real Thing Don’t Change,” Porter showed that his songwriting instincts — and his magic touch — were still very much intact.
The gorgeous ballad combined classic Memphis soul with a contemporary sheen, giving Porcelan plenty of room to display a voice equally comfortable with gospel, blues and R&B. And Porter’s composition carried the kind of simple, timeless message that had always been one of his strengths: real love may face challenges, but when it is truly the real thing, it lasts.
When we first featured Porcelan on SoulTracks, we noted how naturally she blended the blues of the Mississippi Delta with the sanctified sound of the church. “The Real Thing Don’t Change” captured all of that in one emotionally direct performance.
A lot of folks never heard this dynamite cut, but all these years later, it is still chillingly great. And that makes “The Real Thing Don’t Change” a SoulTracks Lost Gem worth hearing again – or for the first time.
