Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., “Nothing Can Stop Me” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

On the 14^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2021), we recollect and reflect on, “Nothing Can Stop Me” by Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. 

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he 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! On the 14^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶, we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Nothing Can Stop Me”, performed by soul musicians 🎙 Marilyn McCoo & 🎙 Billy Davis Jr.

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Theme & Lyrics ✍

Soul duo + married couple 🎙 Marilyn McCoo and 🎙 Billy Davis Jr. are best known for 🎵 “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)”.  That’s understandable – it’s an awesome 70s R&B classic that won a Grammy 🏆! This ace in the hole commences their 1976 album, 💿 I Hope We Get to Love in Time.  That said, there’s another marvelous gem from the same album, 🎵 “Nothing Can Stop Me,” that earns the nod on this edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶.  The slow jam has become a popular source for sampling, fueling the fire on the 🎙 Jaheim standout, 🎵 “Could It Be” (💿 Ghetto Love, 2001) and the 🎙 Halsey joint, 🎵 “Alone” (💿 hopeless fountain kingdom, 2017).  Anytime a song is a source for sampling, that means it’s special – there’s something ear-catching worth repurposing.

Thematically, McCoo & Davis Jr. tackle familiar subject matter – LOVE! Of course, they do – it’s 1970s soul, people! On the centerpiece, the chorus, they lay it all out:

“Nothing in the whole wide world can keep me from you
Nothing and nobody can stop me from loving you.”

That’s about the size of it.  McCoo & Davis Jr. take turns professing their love for one another on the verses.  “If I have to climb a mountain / I’m gonna climb that mountain,” Davis Jr. sings on the first verse.  McCoo responds: “If I have to swim the ocean / I’m going to swim the ocean.” You get the idea, and it’s a total vibe.  While the songwriting is relatable and those vocals are buttery smooth and idiomatic of 70s soul, arguably the biggest selling point of “Nothing Can Stop Me” is the lush production work (🎛 Don Davis).  It’s beautiful with the refined sounds of horns, strings – that orchestral treatment! No wonder those riffs have been sampled, particularly the strings.

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Final Thoughts 💭

Again, yes, I know that “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)” gets the most love, but don’t you dare neglect “Nothing Can Stop Me”!  This record shines thanks to theme, vocals, and most of all, that stellar backdrop.  This is a timeless classic that still sounds fresh in the 2020s. 

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🎙 Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. • 💿 I Hope We Get to Love in Time • 🏷 Sony BMG Music Entertainment • 🗓 1976
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., “Nothing Can Stop Me”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 14 [📷: Brent Faulkner, cotton bro, The Musical Hype, Sony BMG Music Entertainment]

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