The Ice Man Cometh.

Here’s a follow up to yesterday’s Jerry “The Ice Man” Butler post.  Below, 1969’s “Walking Around in Teardrops”. 

Before Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and the O’Jays hit the soul stratosphere, there was the late sixties Philly/Chicago fusion that was Gamble/Huff/Martin/Bell/Butler.  Always one to use his starpower to help up-and-comers in the Music Business craft their talents, Jerry Butler proved to be an early Hitmaker for the producing/songwriting team of Gamble & Huff, producer/arranger Thom Bell, and for producer/arranger Bobby Martin (orchestrators of the Philly Sound in the decade that was to come).  

A B-Side gem, I love the hypnotic vibe of “Teardrops”, coupled with the electric sitar and trippy female back-up vocals.  Co-written by Jerry Butler, this cut was arranged by Thom Bell, then riding high of a string of hits (including “La-La (Means I Love You)” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)“) that he had written and produced for the Delfonics.