The ever-soulful and always dependable, GLADYS KNIGHT has just released a wonderful new single called ‘Soon’ and the source is something of a mystery.
Ms Knight’s last full album was a gospel set called ‘Where My Heart Belongs’ and it was released on Shadow Mountain Records. Her previous set, ‘Another Journey’ was issued on Many Roads Records and that label is the source of the single ‘Soon’. That begs the question as to whether ‘Soon’ is an old recording from those sessions or a brand new tune… our soul detectives can’t say. I guess, though, that that doesn’t matter… what matters is the excellence of the song and performance and serious soul buffs should investigate ASAP.
‘Soon’ is a new Gospel song with Gladys looking forward to her future salvation: “Soon my life will fly away from here. Where my mind, oh Lord, is fresh and clean and I’ve got a love that waits for me” and melodically it’s built around ‘Zoom’ by the Commodores with a little garnish of ‘Tell Me If You Still Care’ from the SOS Band.
In adapting a secular song, Ms Knight is following in a long gsopel tradition. Veteran soul and gospel collectors will have fond memories, for instance, of the way Rance Allen changed The Temptations’ ‘Just My Imagination’ into ‘Just My Salvation’ and his fiery reading of Archie Bell’s ‘There’s Gonna Be A Showdown’.
Whatever, ‘Soon’ shows that Gladys Knight is still a major soul force. The song is available via the usual download sites.
