In 2007, Darondo's song "Didn't I" was covered by Jack Peñate on his Spit At Stars EP and in 2008, featured on an episode (season 1, episode 4) of Breaking Bad. "Didn't I" was also featured in the 2010 film Saint John of Las Vegas in a scene featuring Steve Buscemi. In 2009, the song "Legs" was featured in an episode (season 1, episode 8) of the American version of Life on Mars. In 2010, "Didn't I" was featured in the films Night Catches Us and Jack Goes Boating. It also appeared in the New Element video, Future Nature.
Recordings of Darondo are available from Luv N Haight, an imprint label of Ubiquity Records. Other works can be purchased from Omnivore Recordings. He died of heart failure in 2013
Darondo Pulliam, who performed in the 70s under the name Darondo, was a funk and soul singer who sounded like a combination of Ronald Isley and Al Green. Little known by anyone except serious enthusiasists of that genre, Darondo is highly respected by that limited audience.
He opened-up for James Brown and lived a colorful lifestyle hanging with folks like the notorious Fillmore Slim. The mythology surrounding Darondo is that he was a pimp. However, he denies this claim.
Releasing three singles in the early 1970s (as Darondo, Darondo Pulliam, or the miss-spelled Dorando) he mixed low-rider soul with blues and r'n'b. He delivered in a variety of styles from the socially-charged "Let My People Go" to the sexually-driven funk of "Legs". All three singles were recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area, and both sides of each of the singles are fantastic productions. But after the release of his three 45s Darondo stopped recording.
DJ Gilles Peterson played his 1973 single, "Didn't I" on his BBC 1 radio program and choosing it for his Gilles Peterson Digs America: Brownswood USA compilation.
The six tracks from the three original singles are featured on the album Let My People Go, released on Ubiquity Records in 2006, along with three previously unreleased songs that were recently discovered on a demo reel. The demo reel was sitting in a box of VHS copies of his cable TV shows which we had requested to use for images in the CD booklet.
Recorded in the early 1970s, tracks from the demo reel were taken into a San Francisco studio in the summer of 2005 for enhancement. Darondo over-dubbed missing background vocals and guitar parts alongside up and coming San Francisco soul man Bing Ji Ling. Darondo warmed up quickly, he hasn't lost his touch. After the session Darondo confessed that he was inspired to start playing again. As yet though there has been no new material released, although further 'lost tracks' were released on the Legs EP.
Such A Night
Darondo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl what's your name? (cha, cha, cha)
I just want (cha, cha, cha)
To hold your hand (cha, cha, cha)
Sweet lady (cha, cha, cha)
Please help this man (cha, cha, cha)
I've been waiting patiently (cha, cha, cha)
Such a night
Lovely night
Together
Together
Hold me baby
And kiss me yeah
Do you really love me?
Are you for real?
Do you really love me?
Please be for real
Hold my hand
Hold me close
Let me love
I'm your man
Please hold me baby
And kiss me yeah
Such a night
Lovely night
Together
Such a night
Hold me baby
Kiss me baby
Such a night
Lovely night
Together
Hold me baby
Don't ever let me go
Please don't ever leave me baby
I love you so
Such a night
Lovely night
Together
Whoa babe
Baby!
Such a night
Lovely night
Such a night
The song "Such a Night" by Darondo is a sweet melody about a man expressing his desire to be with a woman that he meets for the first time. The lyrics communicate his feelings of love and affection towards the woman, and his hope that she reciprocates these feelings. The opening lines of the song engage the attention of the listener, as he refers to the lady as "Ms. Lady" and immediately asks her, "Girl, what's your name?" The man is clearly smitten with this woman and desires to hold her hand. The use of the phrase "cha cha cha" at various points throughout the song adds to the romantic and playful tone of the music.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the sense of togetherness that the man hopes to experience with this woman. He repeats the phrase "such a night" several times, emphasizing the importance of this moment in his life. The entire song is imbued with a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the man knows that he must seize this opportunity to be with the woman he loves.
Overall, the lyrics to "Such a Night" are relatively simple, but they convey a powerful message of love and longing. The song has a romantic and nostalgic feel that is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the thrill of a new romance.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Ms. Lady, (cha, cha, cha)
Addressing an unknown woman with respect and a cheerful expression.
Girl what's your name? (cha, cha, cha)
Asking the woman for her name.
I just want (cha, cha, cha)
Expressing the singer's desire for something.
To hold your hand (cha, cha, cha)
The singer wants to be close to the woman he is addressing and desires physical contact.
Sweet lady (cha, cha, cha)
Addressing the woman with affection and sweetness.
Please help this man (cha, cha, cha)
The singer is requesting and seeking the woman's help.
I've been waiting patiently (cha, cha, cha)
The singer has been waiting for some time, in a patient manner.
To know your name (cha, cha, cha)
The singer wants to know the woman's name.
Such a night
Referring to a previous or current night that was special or significant.
Lovely night
The night was lovely, full of love, peace, or happiness.
Together
The singer and the woman are together and united.
Hold me baby
The singer desires physical contact with the woman, using a term of endearment like "baby".
And kiss me yeah
The singer wants to be kissed by the woman, using a casual expression.
Do you really love me?
The singer is asking the woman if her feelings for him are genuine.
Are you for real?
The singer wants to confirm if the woman's intentions and feelings towards him are authentic.
Please be for real
The singer is pleading with the woman to be truthful about her feelings for him.
Hold my hand
The singer is requesting physical contact with the woman through holding hands.
Hold me close
The singer desires to be physically close to the woman.
Let me love
The singer wants to express his love towards the woman.
I'm your man
The singer is expressing his devotion and availability towards the woman.
Please hold me baby
The singer is requesting physical contact with the woman, using an affectionate term like "baby".
Such a night
Referring to a previous or current night that was special or significant.
Whoa babe
An expression of amazement or surprise, addressing the woman with an affectionate term like "babe".
Baby!
Addressing the woman with an affectionate term like "baby" or expressing excitement.
Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.