from ERIC MERCURY
Written by Eric Mercury & William D. Smith
In the mid-seventies, David Foster was starting his career in LA as a high-profile session player. Among the dozens of studio dates he played, there was a pretty good soul/R&B project for Eric Mercury. Mercury was a fellow Canadian musician who, like Foster, relocated to California in the early seventies.
He had solid songwriting talent with great vocal skills that delivered a warm, bluesy voice. Mercury’s album, Eric Mercury, was released in 1975 and included a number of originals that were mostly co-written with another great Canadian singer/songwriter, the late William “Smitty” Smith (1944-1997). Co-produced by Mercury with Trevor Lawrence, Eric Mercury showcased the singer’s outstanding voice backed up by a string of fantastic players that performed the heck out of his songs. The material included was extremely appealing, from soulful ballads to some light funk with smart arrangements that threw in some well-dosed gospel and country flavors. Some of the album’s atmospheres were due to Mercury’s beautiful baritone which reminded the listener of Joe Cocker’s (1944-2014) most soulful stuff. Foster and his fellow members of Attitudes including guitarist Danny Kortchmar, drummer Jim Keltner and bassist Paul Stallworth, played on the album with other legends Jeff Baxter of Doobie Brothers, David Paich of Toto, Waddy Wachtel, Bobby Keys and Dennis Coffey.
The Song of the Week picked from Eric Mercury is “Forgive A Fool In Love.”
“Forgive A Fool In Love” was a refined soul ballad that featured Foster’s piano supporting Mercury’s intense vocal performance. This song and another track, “Sweetie Pie,” were covered by co-writer Smith for his 1978 album, Smitty. Another beautiful ballad included on Eric Mercury was “Down The Backstairs Of My Life.” This song was covered by singers Yvonne Elliman (Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, Jesus Christ Superstar), Thelma Houston, Leah Kunkel and Kenny Rankin (1940-2009).
Listen
- Lead Vocals: Eric Mercury
- Piano: David Foster
- Drums: Jim Keltner
- Guitars: Dennis Coffey & Jesse Ed Davis
- Bass: Klaus Voormann
- Horns: Bobby Keys, Doug Richardson & Trevor Lawrence
- Strings & Horns Arranged by Trevor Lawrence
- Produced & Arranged by Trevor Lawrence & Eric Mercury
Lyrics
No Lyrics