Song:When A Man Loves A Woman
Album:Time, Love and Tenderness: The Best of Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton started out as a rock singer and songwriter in the 70s. He wasn't very successful until he reinvented himself as a blue eyed soul crooner in the late 80s. His 1991 cover of the Percy Sledge classic When A Man Loves A Woman is one of his two number one pop hits. What got him into trouble was trying to take credit for writing one of those soul covers and he got sued. He was born Michael Bolotin Feb. 26, 1953 in New Haven, CT. He recorded two unsuccessful albums in the mid-70s for RCA as Michael Bolotin. One guy who worked on both albums was pianist Patrick Henderson who would go on to work with the late 70s version of The Doobie Brothers and then he became a gospel artist. The Guess Who producer Jack Richardson produced Bolotin's second album and Bolotin even covered These Eyes. Then Bolotin was lead singer of the hard rock group Blackjack. They recorded two unsuccessful albums for Polydor in the late 70s and they split up after Polydor dropped them. Then Bolotin unsuccessfully auditioned for Black Sabbath. He had success as a songwriter. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You was a hit for Laura Branigan in 1984. Bolotin signed with Columbia and changed his name to Michael Bolton. His first couple of albums were rock albums. When his 1987 cover of the Otis Redding classic Dock Of The Bay from his 1987 album The Hunger was praised by Redding's widow, it reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success heralded a new approach and on the 1989 album Soul Provider was Bolton's reinvention as a blue eyed soul crooner. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You topped the charts. That song was produced by Michael Omartian but Bolton produced a lot of the tracks himself. The album was certified 6XPlatinum. The 1991 album Time, Love & Tenderness went even farther. Working with Mariah Carey's producer Walter Afanasieff, Bolton's cover of When A Man Loves A Woman topped the charts. The album was certified 8XPlatinum. What got Bolton into trouble was when he took credit for writing the top five hit Love Is A Wonderful Thing. The Isley Brothers claimed they wrote the song in 1966 and ultimately were awarded five million dollars. Also it's the only Bolton hit that's not on any Bolton comp including the budget CD I am suggesting. Bolton continued to have success until he left Columbia in 1999. Bolton has recorded for Jive, Concord and Motown. It looks like he has his own label with Sony Legacy recording covers. He released an album last year and Bolton is currently on tour. At this point, he's a nostalgia act. Here's the video for When A Man Loves A Women by Michael Bolton.
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