Born Esther Mae Jones in Galveston, Texas, when she was an adolescent, her parents divorced, and she was forced to divide her time between her father in Houston and her mother in the Watts area of Los Angeles. Because she was brought up singing in church, she was hesitant to enter a talent contest at a local blues club, but her sister insisted and she complied. A mature singer at age fourteen, she won the amateur talent contest in 1949 at the Barrelhouse Club owned by Johnny Otis. Otis was so impressed that he recorded her for Modern Records and added her to his traveling revue, the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, billed as 'Little Esther Phillips' (she reportedly took the surname from a gas station sign).
Her first hit record was Double Crossing Blues, recorded in 1950 for Savoy Records. After several hit records with Savoy, including her duet with Mel Walker on Mistrusting Blues, which went to number one that year, as did "Cupid Boogie". Other Phillips records that made it onto the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1950 include "Misery" (number 9), "Deceivin' Blues" (number 4), "Wedding Boogie" (number 6), and "Faraway Blues" (number 6). Few female artists, R&B or otherwise, had ever enjoyed such success in their debut year. Phillips left Otis and the Savoy label at the end of 1950 and signed with Federal Records.
But just as quickly as the hits had started, they stopped. Although she recorded more than thirty sides for Federal, only one, Ring-a-Ding-Doo, charted; the song made it to number 8 in 1952. Not working with Otis was part of her problem; the other part was her drug usage. By the middle of the decade Phillips was chronically addicted to drugs.
In 1954, she returned to Houston to live with her father to recuperate. Short on money, she worked in small nightclubs around the South, punctuated by periodic hospital stays in Lexington, Kentucky, stemming from her addiction. In 1962, Kenny Rogers re-discovered her while singing at a Houston club and got her signed to his brother Lelan’s Lenox label.
Phillips ultimately got well enough to launch a comeback in 1962. Now billed as Esther Phillips instead of Little Esther, she recorded a country tune, Release Me, with producer Bob Gans. This went to number 1 R&B and number 8 on the pop listings. After several other minor R&B hits on Lenox, she was signed by Atlantic Records. Her cover of The Beatles' song And I Love Him nearly made the R&B Top Ten in 1965 and the Beatles flew her to the UK for her first overseas performances.
She had other hits in the 1960s on the label, but no more chart toppers, and she waged a battle with heroin dependency. With her addiction worsening, Phillips checked into a rehab facility. While undergoing treatment, she cut some sides for Roulette in 1969, mostly produced by Lelan Rogers. On her release, she moved back to Los Angeles and re-signed with the Atlantic label. A late 1969 gig at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper club produced the album Burnin'. She performed with the Johnny Otis Show at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1970.
One of her biggest post-1950s triumphs was in 1972 with her first album for Kudu Records. The song penned by Gil Scott-Heron, Home Is Where the Hatred Is, - an account of drug use — was lead track on From a Whisper to a Scream which went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award. When Phillips lost to Aretha Franklin, the latter presented the trophy to Phillips, saying she should have won it instead.
Taylor continued to cut albums with her until in 1975, she scored her biggest hit single since "Release Me" with a disco-style update of Dinah Washington's What a Diff'rence a Day Makes. It reached a high of a Top 20 chart appearance in the U.S., and Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. On November 8, 1975 she performed the song on an episode of NBC's Saturday Night hosted by Candice Bergen. The accompanying album of the same name became her biggest seller yet, with arranger Joe Beck on guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, David Sanborn on alto sax, and Randy Brecker on trumpet to Steve Khan on guitar and Don Grolnick on keyboards.
She continued to record and perform throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, completing a total of seven albums on Kudu and four with Mercury Records, for whom she signed in 1977. In 1983, she charted for the final time on a tiny independent label, Winning with Turn Me Out, which reached #85 R&B. She completed recording her final album a few months before her death, but it was not until 1986 that the label (Muse) released the record.
Phillips died at UCLA Medical Center in Carson, California in 1984, at the age of 48 from liver and kidney failure due to drug use. Her funeral services were conducted by Johnny Otis, and she was buried in the Morning Light section, at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. The bronze marker recognizes her career achievements, as well as quoting a Bible passage, "In My Father's House Are Many Mansions" - St. John 14:2
Such A Night
Esther Phillips Lyrics
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It really was such a night
The moon was bright, Oh how bright it was
It really was such a night
The night was alive, with the stars above mmmm
When she kissed me, I had to fall in love
It was a kiss mmmm, what a kiss it was
How she could kiss, Oh what a kiss it was
It really was such a kiss
Just part of her lips, could set me afire
I I I reminice, and I feel desire
I gave my heart to her in sweet surrender
How well I remember, I'll always remember
Oh that night, Oh what a night it was
It really was such a night
Came the dawn and my heart and my love
And the night was gone
But I'll never forget that kiss in the moonlight
Such a kiss oh such a night
I gave my heart to her in sweet surrender
How well I remember, I'll always remember
Oh what a night, Oh what a night it was
It really was such a night
Came the dawn and my heart and her love
And the night was gone
But I know I'll never forget her kiss in the moonlight
Such a kiss oh oh such a night
Now she's gone, gone, gone
Yes she's gone, gone, gone
Came the dawn, dawn, dawn
And the night was gone
And my heart was gone
And her love was gone
And before that morn
Oh oh oh oh such a night
The song "Such A Night" by Esther Phillips is a love song about a romantic encounter that took place one special night. It begins by describing the night as being bright with a luminous moon and a sky full of stars. The singer then recalls the feeling when the person they were with kissed them, causing them to fall in love instantly. The kiss was so intense, that even the slightest touch of their lips set the singer on fire. The lyrics are imbued with strong feelings of nostalgia as the singer recounts the memories of the night and the love they shared with their partner.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the lasting impact of that one night on their life. They gave their heart to their partner in sweet surrender, and although the night had to end, the memories of the passionate kiss lingered on. Despite their partner being gone, the singer never forgot how they felt that night. The song concludes with the realization that the night has now passed, and their love has gone with it, but the singer will forever cherish the memories of that one special night.
Overall, "Such A Night" is a heartfelt ballad that speaks of the power of connection and how it can affect a person's life in profound ways. The lyrics are full of nostalgia and longing that resonates with anyone who has experienced a powerful and unforgettable love affair.
Line by Line Meaning
'T was a night mmmmm, what a night it was
The night was one to remember
It really was such a night
The experience was unforgettable
The moon was bright, Oh how bright it was
The moon illuminated the night sky
The night was alive, with the stars above mmmm
The night was full of stars
When she kissed me, I had to fall in love
Her kiss was so powerful that it made me fall in love
It was a kiss mmmm, what a kiss it was
The kiss was extraordinary
How she could kiss, Oh what a kiss it was
Her ability to kiss was remarkable
Just part of her lips, could set me afire
Even a small amount of her kiss was very intense
I I I reminice, and I feel desire
I still remember the kiss vividly and feel the same desire for her
I gave my heart to her in sweet surrender
I fell completely in love with her
How well I remember, I'll always remember
The memory will always stay with me
Came the dawn and my heart and my love
As morning came, my love for her began to fade
And the night was gone
The memorable night was over
But I'll never forget that kiss in the moonlight
The kiss will always be etched in my memory
Now she's gone, gone, gone
She has left me
Yes she's gone, gone, gone
She is no longer with me
Came the dawn, dawn, dawn
Morning has come
And my heart was gone
I no longer have the same feelings for her
And her love was gone
She no longer loves me
And before that morn
But before that morning came
Oh oh oh oh such a night
It was truly an unforgettable night
Such a kiss oh such a night
That kiss was a highlight of the night
Oh what a night, Oh what a night it was
The night was incredibly special
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAC REBENNACK, MALCOLM J. REBENNACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
carol morrison
This is her at her best. I just love this song. I will always be a big fan. She had such a lot of talent.
John LaStrada
Esther Phillips doing a Dr. John song. Ha....what a great compliment that must be for Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack. Lots of covers of this song in the past but Esther has polished this into a gem. The strings are typical of the 60's style and it, of course, sounds wonderful. You can hear that she's "into it." Esther is soooo good on this track. What a great find.