I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)

The magic’s in the music and the music’s in Allison Crowe – passionately delivered here through “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”.

“Hello all the young lady did a jam up job on the song, Ronnie Shannon would have loved it,” says LaJay Alexander, fellow musician and good friend of the songwriter. Alexander notes that Shannon “is no longer with us, he passed away 2/9/09 in his home town Atlanta Georgia.”

Ronnie Shannon wrote this song specifically for Aretha Franklin for whom it became a breakout hit in 1967. He also wrote “Baby I Love You”, Aretha’s second gold song – released later in ’67 – as well as penning “Do Your Duty” for Bettye LaVette and other classics. Alexander and Shannon performed together in the Detroit soul combo “Ron and LaJay and the Fifth Proposition” and LaJay recorded the international hit, “Say So” for Shannon's r’n’b, soul, funk+ label, Black Gold, in the 1970s.

Allison’s recording of “I Never Loved a Man” is on her album “This Little Bird” - http://music.allisoncrowe.com/track/i-never-loved-a-man-the-way-i-love-you - it’s captured live-off-the-floor, by engineer/producer Ryan Adams, in the living room of a friend’s log-home on Salt Spring Island, Canada. Further exciting sounds from this remarkable live session in the “sylvan castle” of SSI’s Schmah family - coming very soon.

This Valentine's week+ we can all share in this musical love and legacy.