Luther Vandross, A House is Not A Home | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 85^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “A House Is Not A Home” by Luther Vandross. 

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 85^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “A House Is Not A Home”, performed by 🎙 Luther Vandross.

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“A chair is still a chair / Even when there’s no one sittin’ there…” Sometimes it takes the right artist to cover a song. By the time the late, great 🎙 Luther Vandross released his version of 🎵 “A House Is Not A Home”,  the song was already 17 years old 🤯.  It had been recorded by both 🎙 Dionne Warwick and Brook Benton, though neither struck pop gold with it.  Penned by 🎼 ✍ Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the perfect fit for this ballad was none other than Luther, whose pipes are buttery smooth – angelic to the n^th degree.  Sure, his debut album, 💿 Never Too Much, is best known for 🎵 “Never Too Much”, but the seven-minute “A House Is Not A Home” is easily a contender for the LP’s crowning achievement.

“But a chair is not a house / And a house is not a home / When there’s no one there to hold you tight / And no one there you can kiss goodnight.” The songwriting is marvelous by Bacharach and David – their slightly unusual style made their tunes stand out.  Here, Luther Vandross executes those quirks – more ambitious harmonic moments – masterfully.  He never gets in a rush, milking the lyrics and gorgeous melodies for all their worth.  Sure, we’ve seen the videos and GIFs of Luther sweating, but he NEVER sounds like he breaks a sweat here.  Seven minutes is ambitious for any song, particularly in popular music, but this ultra-slow take on 🎵 “A House Is Not A Home” never bores.  His tone, the phrasing, the production – it is PERFECT.

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🎙 Luther Vandross • 💿 Never Too Much • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 🗓 1981

Luther Vandross, “A House Is Not A Home”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 85 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via  Pixabay]