William Bell, “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 70^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” by William Bell. 

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 70^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2022), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “I Forgot to Be Your Lover”, performed by 🎙 William Bell.

Theme & Lyrics ✍ 

🎙 Jaheim (Jaheim Hoagland), a 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B artist, is responsible for one of my favorite R&B songs from the 00s: 🎵 “Put That Woman First”.  “Put That Woman First” appears on his platinum-certified sophomore album, 💿 Still Ghetto.  Why I mention this record is that Hoagland got a little help via interpolating the soul classic, 🎵 “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” by 🎙 William Bell.  Jaheim not only gets a lift from the music, but also some of the lyrics, including the titular line.  While I’ve devoted this opening paragraph to one of my songs that sampled “I Forgot to Be Your Lover,” this entry in Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is dedicated to the original.

The 1968 classic keeps things short, sweet, and – wait for it – soulful.  William Bell composed this classic alongside another legend, 🎼 ✍ 🎛  Booker T. Jones, who also produced it.  Essentially, Bell hasn’t been a good lover.  He hasn’t done the things that he should’ve done to fully support her.  He asserts at the end of the first verse, “Now I realize that you need love too / I’ll spend my life making up to you.” Similarly, in the second verse, he reflects on the things he didn’t do.  Ultimately, per the chorus he intends to make up for his wrongs: “Oh, I forgot to be your lover / And I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you somehow.”  In addition to fabulous vocals by Bell, filled with authenticity, the music is utterly sublime, hailing from a different age. Also, worth noting, “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” samples a classic tune: 🎵 “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You”, performed by 🎙 Lulu Belle & Scotty.  

Final Thoughts 💭 

Without William Bell’s 🎵 “I Forgot to Be Your Lover”, there would be no 🎵 “Put That Woman First” by Jaheim – facts.  This soul classic, which did impact the Billboard Hot 100, is simply beautiful.  They simply don’t make records like this anymore.  The good news, however, is the fact that records like this live on forever.

🎙 William Bell • 💿 The Very Best of William Bell • 🏷 Concord Music Group • 🗓 2007

William Bell, “I Forgot to Be Your Lover”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 70 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Fantasy, Inc., Gerhard G., JL G via Pixabay,  Karl Hörnfeldt via Unsplash,  The Musical Hype]