Latimore, Let Me Go | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 107^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Let Me Go” by blues and R&B musician, Latimore.

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 107^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Let Me Go” performed by Latimore.

“Let me go, babe / I’ve already stayed too long.” Hmm, she can’t let you go, Latimore (Benjamin Latimore)! Wonder why, hmm 🤔. Even though he doesn’t want to go either on “Let Me Go”, the sixth track on his 1976 LP, It Ain’t Where You Been, he sings, “But I’ve got to be gettin’ on home.”  So, what’s happening here exactly Latimore? Continue listening and she’s his side piece… Songs about infidelity from the 1970s hit different, don’t they? The southern blues/R&B musician deserves far more recognition, specifically for this rousing gem.

“I’ve overstayed my time, babe / I’ll be back tomorrow night,” Latimore asserts, telling her, “But until then / Let me go.”  And that’s the premise of “Let Me Go.” Latimore sounds commanding, bluesy, and gritty. When he ascends into his upper register, he’s equally if not more impressive.  Besides his high-flying vocals, the music is epic.  The production perfectly captures the soul aesthetic.  The piano is piano-ing, with the tinkling being a surefire vibe. The bass is active yet fat (who wouldn’t have it any other way).  The drums anchor, keeping things groovy and steady. Besides the core rhythm section instrumentation, there is epic saxophone soloing and lush strings.  From a music theory standpoint, the harmonic progression stands out with some more distinct moments.  Popular music can opt for simpler harmonic underpinnings, but it’s even cooler when rarer chords spice things up. Shame on Latimore for his infidelity but “Let Me Go” is an incredible song.

Latimore // It Ain’t Where You Been // Henry Stone Music // 1976

Latimore, Let Me Go: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 107 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Henry Stone Music; OpenClipart-Vectors, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]