Extension of a Man
Studio album by
Donny Hathaway
ReleasedJune 18, 1973 (1973-06-18)
RecordedOctober 11, 1971 (1971-10-11)–November 26, 1972 (1972-11-26)
Studio
GenreProgressive soul, R&B
Length47:33
LabelAtco
7029
ProducerArif Mardin
Donny Hathaway chronology
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
(1972) 		Extension of a Man
(1973) 		In Performance
(1980)
Singles from Extension of a Man
  1. "Love, Love, Love"
    Released: 1973
  2. "Come Little Children"
    Released: 1974
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
MusicHound[2]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[3]

Extension of a Man is the final studio album released by the R&B/soul singer Donny Hathaway on Atco Records in 1973.

The release was his last solo studio album. It is noted for including a young Stanley Clarke of (then) Return to Forever on a couple of tracks, as well as drummer Fred White, brother to Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White, who worked with Hathaway in Chicago in the early days. White also played with Hathaway on concert dates and is featured on Hathaway's live performance recordings.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Donny Hathaway; except where indicated

  1. "I Love the Lord; He Heard My Cry (Parts I & II)" - 5:32
  2. "Someday We'll All Be Free" (Hathaway, Edward Howard) - 4:14
  3. "Flying Easy" - 3:13
  4. "Valdez in the Country" - 3:33
  5. "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Al Kooper) - 5:23
  6. "Come Little Children" - 4:35
  7. "Love, Love, Love" (J.R. Bailey, Ken Williams) - 3:25
  8. "The Slums" - 5:11
  9. "Magdalena" (Danny O'Keefe) - 3:08
  10. "I Know It's You" (Leon Ware) - 5:13
  11. "Lord Help Me" (Joe Greene, Billy Preston) - 4:06

"Lord Help Me" was originally only released as a B-side to the single "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know". It did not feature on Extension of a Man until the 1993 Compact Disc re-release. The song features Billy Preston. Also, it is the only track produced by Jerry Wexler, with fellow Atlantic producer, Arif Mardin taking over production duties.

The opening instrumental track pays homage to the melody of "Here Comes De Honey Man" from The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Bush, John. Extension of a Man at AllMusic
  2. ^ Graff, Gary; Freedom du Lac, Josh; McFarlin, Jim, eds. (1998). MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 250. ISBN 1-57859-026-4 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (August 30, 1973). "Records: Donny Hathaway – Extension of a Man". Rolling Stone. No. 142. Straight Arrow Publishers. p. 88. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
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