Born in Chicago, Illinois on December 8, 1939,
Jerry Butler, Jr.’s family had very little money but attended church regularly. It was in a local housing community and the church choir that Butler would meet
Curtis Mayfield, born June 3, 1942 in the mid-1950s. Together, the two boys sang in a gospel quartet known as the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers. Inspired by artists such as
Sam Cooke, Butler and Mayfield united with Arthur and
Richard Brooks, brothers, to develop a vocal group of their own known as The Roosters. What they eventually became, with the addition of
Sam Gooden, was The Impressions. After signing with
Vee-Jay Records, the band released their first hit, heard below, in 1958. After their next hit, “Come Back My Love,” Jerry Butler left the band to embark on a solo career. Mayfield wrote most of his successful songs. Mayfield also became The Impressions’ new primary singer and songwriter as the group welcomed
Fred Cash to the lineup, a member who had previously been with them for a short while when they were still known as The Roosters. The new Impressions soared to new heights, reaching number two with “Gypsy Woman,” number one with “It’s All Right,” number three with the famous “
People Get Ready” (
previously featured), and numerous others. Mayfield would eventually leave the group in 1970 to have a successful solo career of his own, but the group continued on. Although their last hit song, “Loving Power,” was released in 1976, the group is still together today featuring original member Sam Gooden and Roosters-era member Fred Cash.
Written by Jerry Butler with help from Arthur and Richard Brooks, this song was The Impressions first big hit. Released in 1958, it was put out with the credit being given to “Jerry Butler & The Impressions,” as the group was known before Butler parted ways. The song peaked at number eleven and has since been covered by Jerry Butler (as a solo artist in 1966),
Otis Redding (in 1965),
The Rolling Stones (in 1989), and various others.
Jerry Butler & The Impressions - For Your Precious Love (1958)
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Lyrics:
Your precious love
Means more to me
Than any love could ever be
For when I wanted you
I was so lonely and so blue
For that's what love will do
And darling, I'm-
(I'm so surprised)
Oh, when I first realized
That you were fooling me
And darling
They say that our love won’t grow
But I just wanna tell them
That they don't know
For as long
As you're in love with me
Our love will grow wider
Deeper than any sea
And of all the things that I want
In this whole wide world
Is just for you to say
That you’ll be my girl
And oh
(Wanting you)
Wanting you
(Oh, I'm lonely and blue)
I'm so lonely
(That's what love will do)
