Why Can't We Live Together

6/10 - "Why Can't We Live Together" is a song by Timmy Thomas from the 1972 album Why Can't We Live Together. The song is remarkable for being recorded in mono; its sparse, stripped-down production, featuring nothing but a Lowrey organ (thought to be the Holiday model), bossa nova-style percussion that was probably built into the organ, and Thomas's passionate, soulful vocal. Thomas recorded a demo at Dukoff Recording Studios in North Miami, Florida. The single version got more airplay because the longer instrumental coda. Producer Steve Alaimo listened to the demo of the song and was going to re-cut it with a full band, but then decided the song was already finished the way it was. Released as a single in late 1972, the song became a major hit in the U.S. during the early part of 1973, reaching the number one spot on the R&B chart, number three on the Billboard Pop Singles and eventually selling over two million copies. The song became his only hit single. The song has been covered by many artists, including Sade (1984, on her debut album Diamond Life), Joan Osborne, Steve Winwood (2003) and Maria Muldaur (2009). MC Hammer re-interpreted the song on his 1991 album Too Legit to Quit. In 2015, Canadian rapper Drake released "Hotline Bling", which heavily samples the song. "I was watching Walter Cronkite give the news on the Vietnam War in 1972, and he said, '35,000 Viet Cong died today and 15,000 Americans,'" remembers 71-year-old soul survivor Timmy Thomas. "I said, 'Man, come on – these are mothers' children. We're losing too many lives.' All of a sudden – ping! – it came out: 'Why can't we live together?'" The anti-war anthem became the theme song for the 1994 South African general election that swept Nelson Mandela into power and marked the end of apartheid. "No matter, no matter what color," the song goes, "You are still my brother." "There were tears rolling down my eyes," remembers Thomas of his South Africa trip. "There were long lines of people voting for the first time in their lives, and you could hear my song all over Johannesburg. I couldn't believe it." And he did it all with a single instrument and a few simple chords. "I went to the recording studio with just my organ. The engineer said, 'Where's the rest of the band?' I said, 'No, it's just me.' It was my left hand playing the guitar accompaniment, my foot playing the bass, my right hand playing the organ, and I was singing. I did all that at one time!" Regarding Drake borrowing the beat wholesale, Timmy said: "That makes me feel good, because I've grabbed younger people with my rhythm, and I'll ease in a message. I sing songs that mean something to the world, and I'll keep doing it until the last note I hit before I go to glory." HAMMOND B3 Organ: Ed Alstrom BASS: pedals, baby! DRUMS: Korg Electribe drum machine www.edalstrom.com