Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Hope That We Can Be Together Soon | Throwback Vibez

In the 19th edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon” by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. 

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 they’re ancient – no fossils ! All genres of music are welcome. In the 19^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon” performed by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.

“I hope that we can be together soon / Real soon, can you make it real soon?” Matters of the heart, L-O-V-E are central to the Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes classic, “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon”.  The collective, which often features the late great Teddy Pendergrass (1950 – 2010) on lead vocals, tapped Sharon Paige (1952 – 2020) for the assist.  While Pendergrass appears at the end of “Hope That We Can Be Together,” wowing with his gritty, soulful outro, Harold Melvin (1939 – 1997) handles the male lead vocals, which is a rarity.  Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff penned and produced “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon,” the fourth track from the Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ 1974 album, To Be True.  Although the ballad didn’t set the pop charts on fire, it peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It reached number one on the R&B charts.

Paige is the star early on.  Her vocals are smooth, soulful, and filled with desire.  “When I’m away from you, boy / All I seem to do is cry,” she sings, adding, “And then when I see you, boy / My, how the time does fly.” The dedication is lit.  Harold Melvin brings the male perspective in the second verse, with his robust pipes.  “When I think about you, girl / Chills run up and down my spine,” he sings, continuing, “And if my wish would come true, girl / I’d be with you all the time.” The centerpiece is the chorus, excerpted earlier: it’s all about togetherness… real soon.  As for Teddy, he caps things off: “Every day my love grows stronger / Ooh, baby, and I, I’d like to make it real soon.” Beyond brilliant vocal performances by Paige, Melvin, and Pendergrass, the musical backdrop is elite. The orchestration, with the strings and brass, is brilliant. This is Philly soul at its finest.  Unsurprisingly, “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon” has been sampled by others – looking at you Jaheim (“Life Of A Thug”).

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes // To Be True // Sony Music Entertainment // 1974

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Hope That We Can Be Together Soon: Throwback Vibez No. 19 (2025) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]