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

Tides of relationships toss things adrift in this Fleischer Studios 1933 animated short, “Is My Palm Read”, starring Betty Boop and pals, Bimbo the Dog and Koko the Clown.

The song “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” was composed by Ronnie Shannon - 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.

I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Allison’s Crowe's recording of “I Never Loved a Man” – now on "Sylvan Hour" - is captured live-off-the-floor, by engineer/producer Ryan Adams, in the log-home, “sylvan castle”, of friends on Salt Spring Island, Canada.

“Hello all, the young lady did a jam up job on the song, Ronnie Shannon would have loved it," says the songwriter's friend, LaJay Alexander, with respect to Allison's performance.

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. Alexander notes that Shannon “is no longer with us, he passed away 2/9/09 in his home town Atlanta, Georgia.”

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.

I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You): V Day Playlist #6 of 7

Many of Allison Crowe's releases are akin to modern-day field-recordings - with a naturalness absent from popular music for decades. Here, visiting a friend's log-home on Salt Spring Island, Canada, she takes a seat at the piano and performs, in a single, first, take, a blues song by Ronnie Shannon - that which became a break-through hit for Aretha Franklin in 1967.

LaJay Alexander, friend to the late songwriter, and an artist who recorded "Say So" for Shannon's blues, soul, funk+ label, Black Gold Records, generously posts: "Hello all, the young lady did a jam up job on the song, Ronnie Shannon would have loved it":