The O'Jays: 2019
Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of The O'Jays with Paul Cavalconte (photo courtesy of WFUV)
The O'Jays have always upheld the credo, “Give The People What They Want.” Now, after a half-century-plus in the spotlight, they’re giving people closure.
In the final incarnation of the soul vocal combo, Eddie Levert and Walter Williams are spending this summer touring one last time. There is a swan song album, The Last Word, but mostly there are those indelible early Seventies funk-flavored hits: “Backstabbers,” “Love Train,” and “I Love Music.” There are lesser known early hits that are more derivative of the group harmony and rock-accented R&B that the O'Jays emerged from; an example is the song “I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Yesterday)” which is revisited on The Last Word to serve just that function.
Eddie and Walter joined me in Studio A to touch on all of these points, and walk through the hits, misses, and inspirations. This FUV Live session celebrates the soul champions who really believe that music can save the world.
[Recorded: 4/25/19; Producer: Paul Cavalconte]
