Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes vs. Anthony Hamilton | Head 2 Head 🗣️

On the 24^th edition of Head 2 Head (2022), Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and Anthony Hamilton contend for the best respective song. 

W

elcome to Head 2 Head 🗣️! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians together, comparing their performances in some form or fashion.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  On the 24^th edition of head-to-head (2022), we have an ‘apples to oranges’ edition (sort of) with 🎙 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and 🎙 Anthony Hamilton contending for best respective song – 🎵 “I Miss You” versus 🎵 “I Thought We Were in Love.”  Worth noting, these two songs do share a connection – read on to find out how! So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

---

1. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, “I Miss You”

💿 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes • 🏷 Epic • 📅 1972 

“(Ooh) Oh, I / … Oh I / I miss you, baby.” 🎵 “I Miss You” is one of the preeminent soul classics.  🎙 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes lay claim to this gem from their 1972 album, simply titled, 💿 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.  One of my favorites by the soul collective, the collective had bigger pop hits, with 🎵 “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” leading the charge.  Regardless, “I Miss You” matches their pop juggernauts in quality.

Listening to the full-fledged, nearly-nine-minute version of “I Miss You” is like experiencing heaven on earth.  The lush, soulful production by 🎛 🎼✍ Kenneth Gamble and 🎛 🎼✍ Leon Huff, who also penned the record, helped usher in that beloved Philly sound. To this day, Of course, Pendergrass highlights the yearning, and heartache of the lyrics, backed up by those Blue Notes.  “Ever since you went away,” he sings, “I ain’t been doing nothing but / (Thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking).” He’s in his head, in his feelings because he’s heartbroken, so much it’s affected everything, including that “Drinking, drinking, drinking…”  Basically, Teddy, Harold, and those Notes are trying to cope for this lost love, but it hurts so much: “Without you, I don’t know what to do with myself, what to do with my time.” Personally, I find its dramatic execution, and those slow, soulful vibes to be one of the most relatable representations of heartbreak through song.  Damn that no. 58 peak – 🎵 “I Miss You” ranks among the best of all time!

Appears in 🔻:

• Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, “I Miss You”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 37 (2022)
• 15 Intriguing Miss or Missing Songs

---

 2. Anthony Hamilton, “I Thought We Were in Love”

💿 Love is the New Black • 🏷 My Music Box / BMG Rights Management • 📅 2021

“We were two peas in a pod, not spending much time apart (No, no) …And out of the blue things started to change / You started acting real strange.” Uh-oh! In 2021, 🏆 Grammy-winning, contemporary soul singer/songwriter 🎙 Anthony Hamilton released a brand-new studio album, 💿 Love is the New Black.  Sadly, it failed to chart on the Billboard 200.  Nonetheless, it’s a well-rounded LP that plays true to Hamilton’s artistry. 🎵 “I Thought We Were in Love” marks one of the best moments, inspired by and interpolating a 🎙 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes classic, 🎵 “I Miss You, Pt. 1”.

Cleverly, the harmonized backing vocals in “I Thought We Were in Love” recreate the harmonies of “I Miss You, Pt. 1,” while the melody is inspired and emulates the beloved 70s gem.  It’s most obvious when those celestial, lush backing vocals lift the “Oh, I” but fail to complete the remainder of the lyrics (“…miss you, miss you, miss you”).  Beyond its inspiration, “I Thought We Were in Love” is a fabulous throwback joint in its own right.  It’s a reminder of how accomplished Mr. Hamilton has been throughout his career in preserving and recreating soul music. Of course, the plight of love is the modus operandi.

“I thought we were in love, love

I had to leave you alone

I thought we were in love, love

What more can I do? Yeah.”

Appears in 🔻:

• Thought: 5ive Songs No. 30 (2022)

---

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

🎙 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes or 🎙 Anthony Hamilton? 🎵 “I Miss You” or 🎵 “I Thought We Were in Love?” Hamilton sings marvelously on “I Thought We Were in Love” – I felt that man! That said, give me the 1970s soul classic, “I Miss You” without a doubt. I mean, the late, great and gifted, sex symbol 🎙 Teddy Pendergrass on lead vocals? That’s a must!

---

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes vs. Anthony Hamilton: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 24 (2022) [📷: BMG Rights Management, Brent Faulkner, Epic, Kool Shooters, Layers, Mario Aranda, The Musical Hype, My Music Box, Pexels, Pixabay, RODNAE Productions, Valentin Tikhonov]

---