Lloyd Price (born 9 March 1933 in Kenner, Louisiana - died 3 May 2021, New … Read Full Bio ↴Lloyd Price (born 9 March 1933 in Kenner, Louisiana - died 3 May 2021, New Rochelle, NY, United States) was a soul music star and early rock and roll pioneer who had a big hit with “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”, a track he wrote (featuring Fats Domino on piano) that topped the R&B charts for seven weeks in 1952. Staying with Specialty Records, Price then released "Oooh, Oooh, Oooh", "Restless Heart", "Tell Me Pretty Baby" and "Ain't It a Shame". He was then drafted and ended up in Korea from 1953-1956.

After returning from the military, Price became more financially savvy than many of his fellow early Rock n Roll and gritty R&B artists. In 1957, he decided to launch his own label KRC (Kent Record Company) and retain control of his masters, leasing his tracks to labels like Atlantic and later ABC-Paramount in an arrangement that likely inspired Ray Charles to do the same.

His first single after returning from Korea was "Just Because". That was followed by a massive hit, "Stagger Lee", which has appeared in many multi-artist collection albums and served as one of Price's best known songs. Television host Dick Clark insisted the violent content of the track, which lyrically describes a shooting based on a gambling fight, be toned down when Price appeared on the popular but highly sanitized show American Bandstand.

Price’s biggest year was likely 1959, during which he had four hit records: “Personality,” “Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day),” “I’m Gonna Get Married” and “Come Into My Heart.” His increasing entrepreneurial efforts soon included new record labels and starting the Turntable nightclub in New York City. Price's Double L Records, started with partner Harold Logan discovered Wilson Pickett, who got his career started on their label. Price's biggest hit for Double-l was a 1963 revival of the old standard "Misty", but his remaining efforts at hitmaking drew little national attention. He signed briefly to Monument in 1964 and then Reprise, and later to JAD and to his own Turntable imprint to no avail. By 1971, he was recording in Muscle Shoals his own cover version of BJ Thomas hit "Hooked On A Feeling" for Scepter but the arrangement failed to catch fire.

In 1974 Price was a partner of boxing promoter Don King who staged the famous music festival in Zaire featuring James Brown, B.B. King, Etta James, Bill Withers, The Spinners, and the Fania All Stars as documented in Spike Lee's film about the Ali vs Foreman fight "When We Were Kings"

Price continued touring with a 9 piece group in the 1970's, issuing some singles on the GFS label, but seemingly retired for awhile. He then returned to performing and touring in 1993, when Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Gary U.S. Bonds accompanied him on a European tour. He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of fame in 1998, and can still occasionally be seen on PBS performing during oldies revue concerts, or during fundraising breaks such as during a recent Sam Cooke documentary special, and remains surprisingly youthful despite well over 50 years in the music business.

Never Let Me Go
Lloyd Price Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Darling, hold me
Hold me, hold me
And never, never, never let me go

Darling, kiss me
Kiss me, kiss me
And never, never, never let me go

Lock my heart
Throw away the key
Fill my love with ecstacy

Bind my heart with your
Warm embrace
And tell me no one
Could ever take my place

Darling, tell me
Tell me, tell me

And never, never, never
Never, never...

Overall Meaning

The song "Never Let Me Go" by Lloyd Price is a beautiful and romantic ballad that speaks to the intense desire to be loved and held closely by someone you care for deeply. The song is written as a plea to a lover to never leave the singer, to hold him and kiss him and never let him go.

The opening lines of the song implore the lover to hold the singer tightly and never let him go, indicating the singer's fear that the relationship might slip away. The second verse continues with a request for kisses that will never end, adding to the intensity of the moment. The chorus acts as a bridge between the two verses, adding an air of mystery and suspense to the song's overall tone.

The third verse of the song asks the lover to lock the singer's heart away, effectively ensuring that no one could ever come between them. The lyrics then ask the lover to fill the singer's heart with ecstasy, indicating the desire for the relationship to remain passionate and alive. The final lines of the song once again ask the lover to promise to never let the singer go, cementing the singer's commitment to the relationship.

Overall, "Never Let Me Go" is a heartfelt and deeply personal song that speaks to the desire for true love and the fear of losing it. It is a beautiful and evocative ballad that still resonates with audiences today.

Line by Line Meaning

Darling, hold me
My dearest, I need your touch and affection to feel safe and loved.

Hold me, hold me And never, never, never let me go
Wrap your arms around me tightly and never let me go, for our love is true and unbreakable.

Darling, kiss me
My love, I long for a tender kiss from your lips, to feel our passion and desire.

Kiss me, kiss me And never, never, never let me go
Kiss me again and again, with all your heart, and never let me go, for our love is eternal.

Lock my heart Throw away the key Fill my love with ecstacy
Guard my heart from harm, let no one break its trust, and fill our love with joy and bliss.

Bind my heart with your Warm embrace And tell me no one Could ever take my place
Hold my heart tightly with your warm embrace, and reassure me that no one could ever replace me in your heart.

Darling, tell me Tell me, tell me And never, never, never Never, never...
My darling, affirm your love for me and reassure me again and again, with unending passion and commitment.

Contributed by Savannah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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