Eddie Kendricks, Intimate Friends | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 23^rd edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Intimate Friends” by Eddie Kendricks. 

“A n endless love, I’ve found in you / Warm and inspiring, in everything you do…” The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 23^rd edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Intimate Friends”, performed by 🎙 Eddie Kendricks. 

“Your love, takes me higher / My life, you inspire / Fill me with love and desire / Your love takes me higher.” For legendary soul singer, 🎙 Eddie Kendricks, his relationship with his lover is lit 🔥.  Clearly, the former Temptations standout is I-N-F-A-T-U-A-T-E-D on 🎵 “Intimate Friends”, which graces his 1977 album, 💿 Slick. ‘Slick’ “Intimate Friends” is in numerous ways.  For one, the production by 🎛 Leonard Caston and David Van dePitte is soulful to the n^th degree.  It is worth noting, in 2005, 🎙 Alicia Keys reminded us how awesome the instrumental from this song is, sampling it in her 🏆 Grammy-nominated hit, 🎵 “Unbreakable”.  “Intimate Friends” is also slick considering the theme and lyrics.  🎼 ✍ Gary Glenn composed a gem which Kendricks does a fabulous job of bring to life.  Intimate friends feels like something more than platonic friends.

To his credit, Kendrick never mentions the word sex. That said, does he need to? Intimacy can mean different things, but it is easy to infer that making love is part of the script.  In the second verse, Eddie sings, “Our love shines brighter, than the morning sun / Two hearts together becoming as one.” Yes, they are in a long-term, committed relationship.  Also, they seem to be, ‘making to do’ as well. The big takeaway, however, is that this is terrific soul classic, one that doesn’t earn the same acclaim as the bigger, better known hits, including his own no. 1 hit, 🎵 “Keep On Truckin’”.

🎙 Eddie Kendricks • 💿 Slick • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1977

Eddie Kendricks, “Intimate Friends”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 23 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; UMG Recordings, Inc.; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via Pixabay]