Somewhere In My Lifetime is Phyllis Hyman’s third studio album and first for Arista Records. Six of the songs were on her previous album, Sing A Song, which was on the Buddah label. Skip Scarborough, who had written songs for Earth, Wind, & Fire, among others, co-wrote “Living Inside Your Love” with Renee Taylor, which is one of the songs that appeared on both albums. Scarborough also produced and arranged Somewhere In My Lifetime. Her core fans and R&B audiences were awed by her voice, despite critics believing that the material hindered her abilities. Black radio played “Living Inside Your Love” at night, usually during Quiet Storm programming segments. The song was one of many album cuts by Hyman that still built her legend, in addition to signature songs like “You Know How To Love Me” and “What You Won’t Do For Love.” Hyman’s 10th and last studio album, Forever With You, was released in 1998, three years after her death. 

Phyllis Hyman’s “You Know How To Love Me” was the center of her fourth album which shared its name with the song.  James Mtume and Reggie Lucas wrote “You Know How To Love Me” and produced the album. The upbeat tune became a club hit of classy funk that showcased Hyman’s versatility after singing a sultry ballad and soul classic for Norman Connors. Hyman had a Top 20 R&B album and a number six spot on the dance charts thanks to the title track which is now considered her signature song. “You Know How To Love Me” is still popular for its ability to get people on the dancefloor. Hyman’s last album Forever With You was posthumously released in 1998 three years after her passing. [youtube id=”VoOp0UjNXBI”]

 

[youtube id=”qpGx5pIS_zA”] Pharaoh Sanders was criticized for exploring R&B on his 1978 album Love Will Find A Way because it was different from the free jazz sound he helped to pioneer in the ’60’s. As a former member of John Coltrane’s band during his avant-garde jazz period Sanders was expected to adhere to the ideas of a jazz purist. In the 70’s he started playing other styles of music and found himself on Arista Records.  Norman Connors produced Love Will Find A Way and arranged for  an exceptional personnel including Lenny White, Wah-Wah Watson and McKinley Jackson. Phyllis Hyman gave one of her best ever performances on “As You Are” exhibiting another piece in her repetoire of emotional mastery. Love Will Find A Way dismissed any claims of commercial pandering by proving to be an honest step in Sanders’s vision that has held up over time.

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Philadelphia born singer Phyllis Hyman began her music career after she graduated high school and went on tour with the band New Direction. She performed with other local bands and appeared in the film Lenny before moving to New York City in 1975. Her big break came when she met Norman Connors and appeared on his 1976 You Are My Starship album. Their cover version of “Betcha By Golly Wow” was commercially successful and officially introduced her voice to the public. Hyman’s self-titled premiere on the Buddah label disclosed prodigious emotions that delivered ancient luster to songs that would later define her legacy including The Spinners’ “I Don’t Want To Lose You,” “No One Can Love You More,” “Loving You Losing You” and “The Night Bird Gets The Love.” Somewhere In My Lifetime was her debut album for Arista and it gave her fans more of her tortured sensuality in the form of “Living Inside Your Love” and “Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)” and the title track. You Know How To Love Me was Hyman’s marketplace tour de force thanks to the headlining track, “But I Love You” and “Complete Me.” The album was a Top Ten album and got her onto the dance charts but a Top Ten single did not arrive until her ’81 duet with Michael Henderson “Can’t We Fall In Love Again.” It was during this time period that Hyman appeared in the Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies which earned her a Tony nomination. Goddess Of Love was her last album for Arista in ’83 and was overlooked despite pleasantries like “Let Somebody Love You” and “Riding The Tiger.” Living All Alone reiterated her masterful expression of intense feelings evidenced in “You Just Don’t Know,” “Living All Alone” and “Old Friend” that made the collection a somber but important R&B outing. School Daze is Spike Lee’s second feature film and Hyman’s performance of “Be One” was a rare, priceless and immortalizing cameo. Prime Of My Life was Hyman’s last studio album and it had the pop hit “Don’t Wanna Change The World.” I Refuse To Be Lonely was posthumously released in ’95 months after her suicide. In 1998 Volcano Records put together a collection of unreleased songs from her time on the Philadelphia International label and it became her tenth studio and second posthumous release Forever With You.