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TOP 1500 CHOICE TRACKS

#212 WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN Billy Preston & Syreeta
The gorgeous ballad "With You I'm Born Again" was penned by Carol Connors and David Shire for the 1979 motion picture 'Fast Break', which starred Gabe Kaplan. The love song was performed by Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright (although billed with just her first name). Both singers of this duet were on the Motown label at the time. 
Wright was born in 1946 and moved to Detroit with her family at a young age. In time, she was employed at Motown, first as a secretary and later discovered by Brian Holland (of the songwriting trio Holland/ Dozier/ Holland). Beginning as a backup vocalist, she impressed label head Berry Gordy enough to be given her own song to record. "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" had been intended for Diana Ross. At the time she was using the name Rita Wright. While not a hit, the single proved an effective breakthrough for her. Wright was married to Stevie Wonder from 1970-72 and they started collaborating musically. Together they wrote some unforgettable Motown gems, including "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" for Wonder and "It's A Shame" for The Spinners. The couple wrote songs she recorded, such as "Spinnin' and Spinnin'". 1972 saw the release of an album bearing her new monnicker, simply 'Syreeta'. Wonder produced the LP, as he did for her next 2. 
Preston had already established himself as a music veteran from an early age. In 1956, he played keyboards for gospel legend Mahalia Jackson, aged just 10. He starred as a young W.C Handy in the film 'St. Louis Blues'. After gigs with Little Richard, Preston performed on The Beatles' 'Let It Be' album. He launched a successful solo career in the 1970s, scoring hits in his own right such as "Nothing From Nothing", "That's The Way God Planned It" and "Outa-Space".
"With You I'm Born Again" was released as a single in late 1979 and reached #2 in Britain and 4 in the USA. On the Australian Top 40, the disc peaked at #21. As a follow-up, Preston and Wright released a second duet, entitled "One More Time For Love". 
Wright retired during the 1980s. Ironically, both she and Preston died within a few years of each other. Wright succumbed to cancer in July 2004. Preston fell ill with pericarditis in 2005 and fell into a coma from which he never recovered. He passed away in June 2006. 
 
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.
A new song is added each day.