Johnnie Taylor, “Who’s Making Love” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 83^rd edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “Who’s Making Love” by Johnnie Taylor. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! In the 83^rd edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2022), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Who’s Making Love”, performed by 🎙 Johnnie Taylor. 

Theme & Lyrics ✍

“What I’m gonna, gonna ask you now / You better think about it twice.” Hmm, what were you going to ask, 🎙 Johnnie Taylor? Well, “While you’re out cheatin’ on your woman / There is something you never even thought of / And that is: / Who’s making love to your old lady / While you were out making love?” Ooh wee, Johnnie! That legitimate question and memorable lyrics hail from the 1968 soul gem, 🎵 “Who’s Making Love”, which appears on the album, also titled, 💿 Who’s Making Love… 

Johnnie Taylor was an incredibly talented, dynamic soul singer.  He shines with his assertive, gritty vocals on top-five, Billboard Hot 100 hit that encompasses cheating and sex.  Of course, Taylor doesn’t dare utter the universal, three-letter word, hence why we’re talking about “making love.” It was the late 1960s after all! While making love is intriguing, what is even more interesting is how Taylor seems to defend women being cheated on.

“I’ve seen so, so many fellows

All in that same old bag

Thinkin’ that a woman is made to

To be beat on and treated so bad

Oh, fellows, let me ask you somethin’

I’m sure that you never even dreamed of

And that is:

Who’s making love to your old lady

While you were out making love?”

He makes a terrific point! Tit for tat!

Final Thoughts 💭

The Philosopher of Soul, somehow, never won a 🏆 Grammy.  Bummer! Of course, 🎵 “Who’s Making Love” was one of three contenders for the highly coveted award. Despite the fact he never won, I don’t believe anybody will be forgetting about a hit like “Who’s Making Love” any time soon!

🎙 Johnnie Taylor • 💿 Who’s Making Love… • 🏷 Fantasy, Inc. / Stax • 🗓 1968

Johnnie Taylor, “Who’s Making Love”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 83 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Fantasy, Inc., Gerhard G., JL G via Pixabay,  Karl Hörnfeldt via Unsplash,  The Musical Hype, Stax]