from WHY GOODBYE (single)
written by Diane Warren
Veteran R&B star Peabo Bryson started his noteworthy career in the second part of the seventies. Bryson released a string of refined soul albums that spawned chart hits like “Reaching For The Sky,” “Feel The Fire,” “I’m So Into You” and “Let The Feeling Flow.” Bryson’s creamy tenor was also featured on romantic duets with female stars including Melissa Manchester on “Lovers After All,” Roberta Flack on “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” and Natalie Cole on “Gimme Some Time.”
The singer’s knack for hit duets kept going into the early nineties with Regina Belle on “A Whole New World” and Celine Dion on “Beauty And The Beast.” The huge one-two punch of Disney love themes brought Bryson back into the spotlight and crossed him over to pop/adult contemporary audiences. His success also brought Bryson an offer from David Foster to join the all-star lineup of the super-producer’s 1994 Japanese tour. Those concerts featured Bryson singing “Beauty And The Beast” with Dion and “A Whole New World” with Wendy Moten plus a performance of the new ballad “Why Goodbye.”
Composed by top tunesmith Diane Warren, “Why Goodbye” was a perfect fit for Bryson’s golden voice. The song sported a gorgeous melody and evocative refrain with intense, bittersweet lyrics. The production is a textbook of Foster’s work of the nineties with an ear candy arrangement based on prominent keyboards and lush strings to back-up Bryson’s top-notch vocal performance. Foster went on to produced a studio version of the song which was included on the singer’s next album, “Through The Fire.” Although “Why Goodbye” was released as a single, the song was only a minor hit on the R&B chart despite its potential.
Around this same time, Foster and Bryson collaborated on “By The Time This Night Is Over.” That tune was a duet with saxophone king Kenny G and became a multi-format hit in 1993.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/why_goodbye.mp3|titles=Why Goodbye|artists=Peabo Bryson]
Lead Vocals: Peabo Bryson
Keyboards: Randy Kerber
Additional Synthesizers: Claude Gaudette
Guitar: Michael Thompson
Bass: Neil Stubenhaus
Drums: John “J.R.” Robinson
Background Vocals: Warren Weibe, Alex Brown, Carmen Carter
String Arrangements by Bill Ross & David Foster
Produced & Arranged by David Foster
Lyrics
So are we over now
Do we just turn the page and let the story end
Do we just walk away just like we never met
I know we said some things and now you want to leave
But baby, that’s no reason to let it good love die
Why goodbye
Why must it be this way
So many words
So many other words that we could say
Why goodbye
After all this time
Can’t we try
Why goodbye
Why can’t we work it out
Why can’t we talk it out a little more this time
Search through the rain and find a ray of hope still shines
We can’t just close the door
We’re still worth still fighting for
We’ve come too far together to leave it all behind
Why goodbye
Why must it be this way
So many words
So many other words that we could say
Why goodbye
After all this time
Can’t we try
Why goodbye
There no other love is never reason
You get lost along the way, but in time you will find your way through
We can make it to the badtimes,
We can make it to the goodtimes
To the stormy weather coz we belong together
Why goodbye
Why must it be this way
So many words
So many other words that we could say
Why goodbye
After all this time
Can’t we try
Why goodbye
Can’t we try this one more time
We know were still worth one more try
Why goodbye
Why goodbye
Why goodbye