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TOP 1500 CHOICE TRACKS

#299 SOMEDAY WE'LL ALL BE FREE Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway remains 1 of the most underrated soul vocalists, but, to the initiated, he was a highly influential and gifted artist. "Someday We'll All Be Free" is arguably his most impressive recording. The track, written by Hathaway with Ed Howard, was featured on his 1973 album 'Extension of a Man'. Its lyrics offer hope and an optimism. Hathaway not only comforts, but conveys a collective destiny for all of us. Arif Mardin produced the cut.
Born in Chicago in 1945, Hathaway's musical experience began in the church. He left college to pursue a career which saw him take on roles that included session musician, producer and arranger. He played for R&B luminaries including Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers and Curtis Mayfield. 
1969 saw the release of his solo debut single, "The Ghetto (Part 1)". On his 2nd album, Hathaway recorded a duet with Roberta Flack, which led to the 2 reuniting for an entire album that was issued in 1972.
That same year, Hathaway recorded the theme song for the TV series "Maude" starring Bea Arthur. He also scored the film 'Come Back Charleston Blue'. Around this time, the talented pianist/ singer suffered depression and was often hospitalised. Following the release of 'Extension of a Man', Hathaway largely withdrew himself from the limelight. 
He re-united with Flack in 1977 and they cut a new duet, "The Closer I Get To You". This became their 2nd R&B #1 single in America. Its success led to a planned 2nd duets album. Sessions had started when he was discovered dead on the pavement outside his 15th floor apartment's window on January 13, 1979. His death was pronounced a suicide. The world lost an immensely talented voice whose full potential would never be realized. Only 2 duets ("You are my Heaven" and "Back Together Again") had been completed before the tragedy. Both charted in 1980.

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
2 new instalments are added each day (every 12 hours) with an expanded edition. Every day, the climb continues with 1 of the remaining 300 songs as well as moving down from #1201 to 1500, with 5 of those songs added daily.