Elbert was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but when aged three his family relocated to Buffalo, New York. He learned to play guitar and piano as a child, and in 1955 formed a doo-wop group, the Vibraharps, with friend Danny Cannon. Elbert acted as the group's guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and background vocalist, making his recording debut on their single "Walk Beside Me". He left the group in 1957 for a solo career, and recorded a demonstration record that earned him a recording contract with the King label's DeLuxe subsidiary. His solo debut "What Can I Do?" reached #12 in the U.S. R&B chart, and he followed it up with the less successful "Believe It or Not" and "Have I Sinned?", which became a regional hit in Pittsburgh.
He continued to release singles on DeLuxe, but with little commercial success, and also played New York's Apollo Theater and toured the chitlin' circuit of African-American owned nightclubs. After completing an album, The Sensational Donnie Elbert Sings, he left DeLuxe in 1959, joining first Red Top Records, where in 1960 he recorded "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)", and then Vee-Jay Records, where he had another regional hit with "Will You Ever Be Mine?," which reportedly sold 250,000 copies in the Philadelphia area but failed to take off nationwide. His career was also interrupted by a spell in the US Army, from which he was discharged in 1961. He then recorded singles for several labels, including Parkway, Cub and Checker, but with little success. However, although the 1965 Gateway label release of "A Little Piece of Leather" failed to chart in the US, the record became a #27 pop hit when released on the London label in the UK several years later in 1972, and remains a Northern soul favorite.
Elbert relocated to the UK in 1966, where he married. There, he recorded "In Between The Heartaches" for the Polydor label in 1968, a cover version of The Supremes' hit "Where Did Our Love Go?". and an album of Otis Redding cover versions, Tribute To A King. His 1969 Deram release "Without You" had a rocksteady rhythm, and went to the top of the Jamaican charts. He returned to the US the same year, and had his first US chart hit in over a decade with the Rare Bullet label release "Can't Get Over Losing You," which reached #26 on the Billboard R&B chart. Following the success of that record, "Where Did Our Love Go?" was released on the All Platinum label, and became his biggest hit, reaching #15 on the US pop charts, #6 on the R&B charts, and (in 1972) #8 in the UK. Its follow-up "Sweet Baby" reached #30 on the R&B chart in early 1972.
Elbert then signed with Avco-Embassy, where he entered the recording studio with the successful production team of Hugo & Luigi. Although his cover of The Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself" reached #14 on the R&B chart, Elbert balked at the label's insistence that he record material associated with Motown. He returned to All Platinum and had a run of minor R&B hits, but left after he claimed authorship of Shirley & Company's R&B chart-topper "Shame Shame Shame" which was credited to label owner Sylvia Robinson. For 1975's "You Keep Me Crying (With Your Lying)," Elbert finally formed his own label, and "I Got to Get Myself Together," appeared on an imprint bearing his surname, but it was among his final recordings.
By the mid-1980s Elbert had retired from performing, and became director of A&R for Polygram's Canadian division. He suffered a massive stroke and died in 1989, at the age of 52.
A Little Piece of Leather
Donnie Elbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'est Si Bon
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
stars shinning bright above you
night breezes seem to whisper I love you
birds singing in the sycamore tree
dream a little dream of me
just hold me tight and tell me you miss me
while I'm alone and blue as can be
dream a little dream of me
stars fading but I linger on dear
still craving your kiss
now I'm longing to linger till dawn dear
just saying this
give me a little kiss
sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
but in your dreams whatever they be
dream a little dream of me
stars fading but I linger on dear
still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger to dawn dear just saying this
but in your dreams whatever they be
dream a little dream of me
It seems like the lyrics provided are not from Donnie Elbert's song A Little Piece of Leather but from Dream A Little Dream of Me, a popular song that has been covered by various artists including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
The song is essentially a romantic lullaby, with the singer urging their lover to dream of them while they are apart. In the first stanza, the singer sets the dreamy tone of the song, invoking images of stars and night breezes. The second stanza turns to the personal, with the singer asking their lover to hold them tight and tell them they miss them. The third and fourth stanzas have the singer yearning for their lover's kiss and expressing a desire to linger together till dawn. Finally, the song ends with a sweet wish for the listener to have sweet dreams and to dream of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
stars shinning bright above you
The stars are shining brightly above you
night breezes seem to whisper I love you
The night breezes seem to whisper 'I love you'
birds singing in the sycamore tree
The birds are singing in the sycamore tree
say nighty night and kiss me
Say 'nighty night' and kiss me
just hold me tight and tell me you miss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you miss me
while I'm alone and blue as can be
While I'm alone and feeling sad
stars fading but I linger on dear
The stars are fading but I am still here
still craving your kiss
I still want to kiss you
now I'm longing to linger till dawn dear
Now I want to stay with you until morning
just saying this
I am just speaking my mind
give me a little kiss
Give me a small kiss
sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Have sweet dreams until the morning sunbeams find you
sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
Have sweet dreams that make you forget all your worries
but in your dreams whatever they be
But whatever your dreams may be
dream a little dream of me
Think of me and dream a little dream of me
Contributed by Michael L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johncraven8867
Back in those days I loved his music
@scoott5436
Always reminds me of the scooter rallies and the alnighters..... amazing days KTF
@mannynvaleriegutierrez9213
This is the first time I ever heard this in over 40 years! still love it!
@marydenise7429
I love Donnie Elberts voice have loved this song for well over 40 years.
@tattyshoesshigure5731
Such a great record… one of those classic ‘floor fillers’ you just can’t resist dancing to!
@123UKelite
just heard this on tv. forgot all about it. takes me back..........fantastic!!!!
@wendybowis6932
I had forgot about this, just seen it on facebook
@malcolmcog
Danced to this at the Golden Torch in Stoke, 1972
@coloneldjahngostomper5170
Clapping and stomping.
what aaa voice!
@davehodge1531
Back again 👌