Enchantment, “Gloria” | Throwback Vibez

In the 4^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Gloria” by soul collective, Enchantment.  

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 4^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Gloria”, performed by soul collective, Enchantment. 

“Gloria / My Gloria / Things ain’t been the same / Since you went away.” Ah, those pesky matters of the heart – they always seem to be perfect fuel for the fire for a song! Enchantment thrived from the success of “Gloria”, which peaked at no. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 – not bad! Furthermore, the five-and-a-half-minute ballad marked the biggest single of the R&B collective’s career.  The vocals – lead and background – are epic, the production is lush (strings, winds, and keys), and the songwriting is memorable.

“It seems like / Only yesterday / I beheld your sweet face / And in my lonely room / My memories of your embrace.” Clearly, Enchantment is sentimental about Gloria – she’s one special girl. “Isn’t it funny / How time can change / All the things you want to believe,” lead singer and co-writer Emanuel Johnson asserts, adding, “But time won’t change / The way I feel / Cause in my mind / It’s you and me / You and me.” Johnson penned “Gloria” alongside Michael Stokes, who is also responsible for that silky smooth production that’s idiomatic of the 1970s soul sound through and through.  What more is there to say about “Gloria”?  This gem from Enchantment, the 1976 album by Enchantment, speaks for itself.

Enchantment • Enchantment • Roadshow • 1976

Enchantment, “Gloria”: Throwback Vibez No. 4 (2023) [: Brent Faulkner/ The Musical Hype; Roadshow; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via Pixabay]