Percy Sledge The Percy Sledge Way

The American soul, R&B, and gospel singer Percy ’Tyrone’ Sledge (1940–2015) will always be remembered for recording When A Man Loves A Woman, an epochal Southern soul hymn. The million-selling tune was released on Atlantic Records in March 1966 and went to the top of the US R&B and pop charts. It was Atlantic’s first gold record!

Although he recorded up-tempo tunes as well, Sledge achieved his strongest success when devoting himself largely to mid-tempo tunes and soul ballads and lyrics dealing with the emotions of loss and desire.

’The Percy Sledge Way’ was originally released on Atlantic in 1967 and finds Sledge at the top of his game. The album, here re-issued in its original form, contains eleven classic soul and R&B numbers including The Dark End of the Street, You Send Me, Drown In My Own Tears, I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now), and Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Empty Arms), a country song already a hit for Faron Young, Patsy Cline and Solomon Burke.

Spooner Oldham and Jerry Weaver are featured on piano and organ, Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson and Marlin Green are the guitar players, it’s David Hood on bass and Roger Hawkins on drums – some of the finest Southern soul studio musicians.

Bear Family’s re-issue comes with the original artwork and has been carefully re-mastered by Tom Meyer for our exquisite 180gram vinyl release.