Moody’s Mood For Love - by James Moody sung by King Pleasure
There is a misconception that King Pleasure wrote the lyrics and the melody of this wonderful song. Let’s set the record straight here — James Moody was the accomplished jazz saxplayer who composed the melody and played it. The song was an instrumental and was originally called In the mood for love. It was popularized by Eddie Jefferson when he wrote lyrics for it.
King Pleasure was the first to record the song with vocals. Thank god he did! What a lovely adaptation.
The musicshoppingmall team here love the song. The little duet lyrics are cute and sincerely. King pleasure sings as though he is confessing his love. He takes breaths in disorganized intervals which make you feel he is really overwhelmed by the feeling of love. These little nuances are what polish the song off.
Lyrics composed back then were more like dialog than today’s point form cliff-notes. The part when the woman vocal starts shhe asks ” What is all this talk of loving me…” that is a real treat to here because it is like love bantering.
lyrics:
(He:) There I go, there I go, there I go
There I go..
Pretty baby, you are the soul who snaps my control
Such a funny thing but every time you’re near me
I never can behave
You give me a smile and then I’m wrapped up in your magic
There’s music all around me, crazy music
Music that keeps calling me so very close to you
Turns me your slave
Come and do with me any little thing you want to
Anything baby, just let me get next to you
Am I insane or do I really see heaven in your eyes?
Bright as stars that shine up above you in the clear blue skies
How I worry about you
Just can’t live my life without you
Baby come here, don’t have no fear
Oh, is there a wonder why
I’m really feeling in the mood for love?
So tell me why stop to think
About this weather, my dear?
This little dream might fade away
There I go talking out of my head again, oh baby
Won’t you come and put our two hearts together?
That would make me strong and brave
Oh when we are one, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid
If there’s a cloud up above us
Go on and let it rain
I’m sure our love together will endure a hurricane
Oh my baby
Won’t you please let me love you
And give a relief from this awful misery?
(She:) What is all this talk about loving me, my sweet?
I am not afraid, not anymore, not like before
Can’t you understand me?
Now baby, please pull yourself together, do it soon
My soul’s on fire, come on and take me
I’ll be what you make me, my darling, my sweet
(He:) Oh baby, you make me feel so good
Let me take you by the hand
Come let us visit out there
In that new promised land
Maybe there we can find
A good place to use a loving state of mind
I’m so tired of being without
And never knowing what love’s about…
James Moody, you can come on in man
And you can blow now if you want to
(Both:) We’re through.
This youtube.com clip is of Brian Mcknight duetting with Patti Austin. It is a vreat rendition. It’s very much intact. They were thoughtful enough to sing it straight - with the same tempo and melody and chords as King Pleasure did 50 years ago. No need to mess with perfection!
This clip is of Elliot Yamin singing it in the American Idol competition. Not bad. He added some flare to it…