Adderley is remembered for his 1966 single "Mercy Mercy Mercy", a crossover hit on the pop charts, and for his work with trumpeter Miles Davis, including on the epochal album Kind of Blue (1959). He was the brother of jazz cornetist Nat Adderley, a longtime member of his band.
The name 'Canonball' is supposed to have originated from his being nicknamed 'cannibal' in his youth, on account of his prodigious eating
Early life and career
Originally from Tampa, Florida, Adderley moved to New York in the mid-1950s. His nickname derived originally from "cannibal", a title imposed on him by high school colleagues as a tribute to his voracious appetite.
His educational career was long established prior to teaching applied instrumental music classes at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cannonball moved to Tallahassee, Florida when his parents obtained teaching positions at Florida A&M University. Both Cannonball and brother Nat played with Ray Charles when Charles lived in Tallahassee during the early 1940s. Cannonball was a local legend in Florida until he moved to New York City in 1955, where he lived in Corona, Queens.
It was in New York during this time that Adderley's prolific career began. Adderley visited the Cafe Bohemia, where Oscar Pettiford's group was playing that night. Adderley had brought his saxophone into the club with him, primarily because he feared that it would be stolen, and he was asked to sit in as the saxophone player was late. That performance established his reputation.
Prior to joining Miles Davis' band, Adderley formed his own group with his brother Nat after signing onto the Savoy jazz label in 1957. He was noticed by Miles Davis, and it was because of his blues-rooted alto saxophone that Davis asked him to play with his group.
Adderley joined the Miles Davis Sextet in October 1957, three months prior to John Coltrane's return to the group. Adderley played on the seminal Davis records Milestones and Kind of Blue. This period also overlapped with pianist Bill Evans' time with the sextet, an association that led to recording Portrait of Cannonball and Know What I Mean?.
His interest as an educator carried over to his recordings. In 1961, Cannonball narrated The Child's Introduction to Jazz, released on Riverside Records.
Band leader
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet featured Cannonball on alto sax and his brother Nat Adderley on cornet. Cannonball's first quintet was not very successful; however, after leaving Davis' group, he formed another, again with his brother, which enjoyed more success.
Later life
By the end of the 1960s, Adderley's playing began to reflect the influence of the electric jazz, avant-garde, and Davis' experiments on the album Bitches Brew. On his albums from this period, such as Accent on Africa (1968) and The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free (1970), he began doubling on soprano saxophone, showing the influence of Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. In that same year, his quintet appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, and a brief scene of that performance was featured in the 1971 psychological thriller Play Misty for Me, starring Clint Eastwood. In 1975 he also appeared (in an acting role alongside Jose Feliciano and David Carradine) in the episode "Battle Hymn" in the third season of the TV series Kung Fu.
Joe Zawinul's composition "Cannon Ball" (recorded on Weather Report's album Black Market) is a tribute to his former leader. Pepper Adams and George Mraz dedicated the composition "Julian" on the 1975 Pepper Adams album (also called "Julian") days after Cannonball's death.
Songs made famous by Adderley and his bands include "This Here" (written by Bobby Timmons), "The Jive Samba", "Work Song" (written by Nat Adderley), "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (written by Joe Zawinul) and "Walk Tall" (written by Zawinul, Marrow and Rein). A cover version of Pops Staples' "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)?" also entered the charts.
Adderley was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity (Gamma Theta chapter, University of North Texas, '60, & Xi Omega chapter, Frostburg State University, '70) and Alpha Phi Alpha (Beta Nu chapter, Florida A&M University).
Adderley died of a stroke in 1975. He was buried in the Southside Cemetery, Tallahassee, Florida. Later that year he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.
02- love for sale
Cannonball Adderley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Appetizing young love for sale
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Love that's only slightly soiled
Love for sale
Who will buy? Come on now
Who would like to sample my supply?
For a trip to paradise?
Love for sale
Let the poets pipe off love
In their childish way
You know, I know every type of love
Better far than they
If you want the thrill of love
I've been through the mill of love
Old love, new love, every love but true love
Love for sale
Appetizing young, young love for sale
If you want to buy my wares
Follow me, climb the stairs
Love for sale
Love, love, love for sale
Love, love, love for sale
Love, love, love for sale
Love, love, love for sale
In the song "Love for Sale," Cannonball Adderley sings about the commodification of love in a way that's both sultry and cynical. He describes young, fresh love that's being sold to the highest bidder, only slightly soiled and ready for consumption. He challenges the listener, asking who will buy and who's prepared to pay the price for a trip to paradise.
Adderley also calls out the poets who write about love in a childish way, claiming that he knows every type of love better than they do. He's been through the mill of love and experienced it all - old love, new love, and every love but true love. And yet, love is still for sale, as if it's a commodity that can be bought and sold like any other.
In many ways, "Love for Sale" is a commentary on the nature of love and relationships in the modern world. It suggests that love has become something that can be purchased, rather than something that's freely given or earned. It's a cynical take on a subject that's often romanticized, and Adderley delivers it with his trademark blend of soulful swagger and biting social commentary.
Line by Line Meaning
Love for sale
Offering love in exchange for money
Appetizing young love for sale
Selling love that appears desirable and appealing to potential buyers
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Selling love that is new and not yet corrupted
Love that's only slightly soiled
Offering love that has been used before, but not significantly tainted
Who will buy? Come on now
Asking who is interested in purchasing love
Who would like to sample my supply?
Asking who wants to test and evaluate the quality of the love being sold
Who's prepared to pay the price?
Asking who is willing to pay the cost for love
For a trip to paradise?
Implying that buying love is equivalent to experiencing a heavenly experience
Let the poets pipe off love, in their childish way
Dismissing the romantic musings of poets as simplistic and naive compared to the true nature of buying and selling love
You know, I know every type of love, Better far than they
Claiming to have experienced all kinds of love, including those that the poets could not even imagine
If you want the thrill of love, I've been through the mill of love, Old love, new love, every love but true love
Promising buyers that they will experience the excitement of love, with the singer having gone through many experiences but never finding true love
Love for sale
Reiterating the main message of the song
Appetizing young, young love for sale
Emphasizing that young love is what is being sold
If you want to buy my wares, Follow me, climb the stairs
Directing potential buyers to follow the singer and proceed to where the love is sold
Love, love, love for sale
Repeating the main message in a rhythmic and catchy manner
Love, love, love for sale
Continuing the repetition to emphasize the central theme of the song
Love, love, love for sale
Reinforcing the message one more time
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind