Simplicity is the key to life and reaching people if you're a singer/songwriter. An example is Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together." King Sporty, author of the Bob Marley classic "Buffalo Soldier," brought Thomas, a minister's son, to Hialeah, FL-based TK Records. Owned by Henry Stone, the label had hits with Betty Wright, Clarence Reid, and Little Beaver, among others. Staff producer Steve Alaimo listened to a demo of Thomas that consisted of him singing while playing a Lowry organ and bossa nova percussion created on a cheesy rhythm machine. At first, Alaimo was going to re-cut the song with a full band, then it hit him: "it's already done." Recorded in August 1972 in Miami, Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together" stayed at number one R&B for two weeks, reached number three pop, and by early 1973 it had sold over two million copies.
Timmy Thomas
Why Can't We Live Together
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Song Review by Ed Hogan
Appears On
| Year | Artist/Album | Label | Time | AllMusic Rating | |||
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1974 | BBR | 4:38 | ||||
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1990 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:56 | |||
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1991 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:57 | |||
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1992 |
Various Artists
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Dino Entertainment | 4:41 | |||
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1995 |
Various Artists
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Rhino | 3:55 | |||
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1998 |
Various Artists
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Crimson Productions | 4:49 | |||
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1998 |
Various Artists
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Thump Records | 3:50 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
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Millennium Hits (Netherlands) | 4:35 | |||
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2000 |
Various Artists
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EMI Music Distribution | 4:52 | |||
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2002 |
Various Artists
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Flashback Records / Rhino | 3:55 |
