By the late 1960s Austin was a prolific session musician and commercial jingle singer. By the 1980s she was signed to Jones's Qwest Records and she began having hits. She charted twenty R&B songs between 1969 and 1991 and had success on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where she hit number one in 1981 with "Do You Love Me?" / "The Genie."
The album containing that hit, Every Home Should Have One, also produced her biggest mainstream hit. "Baby, Come To Me," a duet with James Ingram, peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1982. After being featured as the love theme in a prominent storyline on the soap opera General Hospital, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October and went to number one in early 1983.
Next Austin released her third album in three years entitled "Gettin' Away With Murder". In addition to the title track, she had two more hit singles, "Honey For The Bees" (#24 R&B and #6 Dance) and "The Heat of Heat". Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, noted for their later work with Janet Jackson, the latter track returned Austin to the top 15 of the R&B charts for what would be the last time to date. It would also be her last Hot 100 charting to date, peaking at number 55, although she would score a top-5 dance hit with the single Reach that appeared originally on her 1994 CD That Secret Place (GRP Records). "Gettin' Away With Murder" used producers Russ Titelman, Tommy LiPuma, Monte Moir (of "The Time"), and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Billy Joel (Austin sang background on his "Just The Way You Are"), Dan Hartman, friends Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown, along with Chaka Khan were among the background vocalists on the project, with successful songwriters, Randy Goodrum, Michael Bolton, Jam & Lewis plus several other big name writers offering up their best compositions on what was likely a big budget affair. She next appeared with Jeff Bridges and Joan Allen in Francis Ford Coppola's critically acclaimed period piece Tucker: The Man and his Dream (1988). That year, Austin released The Real Me, a collection of standards which garnered her the first of several Top 10 showings on the Jazz Albums chart. "The Real Me" was chiefly produced by David Pack who had been a part of the Pop group Ambrosia. Austin served as a co-producer and as Executive Producer on the project. Austin sang "It's the Falling in Love" with Michael Jackson on his album Off The Wall. Other duet partners include George Benson ("Moody's Mood for Love" and "Keep Your Dreams Alive"), and Luther Vandross ("I'm Gonna Miss You In The Morning"). Earlier she'd recorded featured duets with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons on "Our Day Will Come" and "Swearin' To God" with little billing. Austin also sang lead and background vocals on many contemporary Jazz instrumentalists' records in the 1970s. In 1985 she sang lead vocals on a collaboration with her producer, Narada Michael Walden, and the single, "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme", went top 40 on the R&B charts. In 1991, she recorded the duet "You Who Brought Me Love" with music legend Johnny Mathis, which was received with critical acclaim. That same year she was invited to be a guest on a Johnny Mathis television special that was broadcast across North America.
Austin led a new group of Raelettes for the 2006 album Ray Charles + Count Basie Orchestra = GeniusΒ². That group also featured veteran session singer Valerie Pinkston and members of the group Perry.
During a 2007 interview promoting her latest recording, Austin reflected how as a teenager she reluctantly attended one of Judy Garland's last concerts and the experience helped focus her career, stating "She (Judy Garland) ripped my heart out. I wanted to interpret a lyric like that, to present who I was at the moment through the lyric."
In 2007 Patti Austin participated in the Avo Session Basel with a program dedicated to Ella Fitzgerald.
In 2008, fifty-three years after getting her first record contract, Patti Austin was awarded her first Grammy Award, winning Best Jazz Vocal Album for "Avant Gershwin" at the 50th annual Grammy Awards. The award came for her ninth nomination in that category.
Austin is co-producer and one of over 70 artists singing on "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti", a charity single in aid of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
In 2011 Austin released a mostly covers album project titled "Sound Advice" which contained re-works of Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody", Brenda Russell's "A Little Bit Of Love", a lesser known Jacksons tune, "Give It Up," her tribute to late friend/collaborator, Michael Jackson, a cover of Bill Withers, "Lean On Me" which she first sang at a milestone birthday for her Godfather Quincy Jones. Also on "Sound Advice" standout performances of Don McLean's "Vincent" (aka Starry Starry Night) and a deeply female take on "My Way." Austin wrote the anthemic "The Grace Of God" after watching an episode of the old "Oprah Winfrey Show" which featured a facially scarred woman ... Keeping relevant, Austin offered the bouncy slice of Pop/Rock/RandB "Round And Round" including the latest trendy vocal effects, though Austin remains one singer who clearly needs no such production techniques to cover a crystal clear, flexible, and knowing voice imitated by many, duplicated by none. Austin co-wrote and sings in the star-studded L.O.V.E. - Let One Voice Emerge, encouraging especially younger Americans to get out there and exercise their right to vote.[citation needed]
Austin appears in the Academy Award-winning documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released on 21 June 2013. She is working on an upcoming, as yet untitled duets album project with James Ingram.
They Can't Take That Away from Me
Patti Austin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The melody lingers on.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
The way you wear your hat
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
W e may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
Can't take that away
Can't take that away from me
The song "They Can't Take That Away From Me" centers on the idea that no one can take away the memories and experiences shared between two people, even when they are separated. The opening lines express the sentiment that even though the romance may be ending with the departure of a loved one, it doesn't have to end on a sorrowful note. The melody may have ended but the memories and emotions continue to linger on. This line refers to the idea that even though the physical presence of the loved one may be gone, the emotional connection and memories will always stay.
The verses that follow express the special little moments that the singer cherishes. From the way the loved one wears their hat, to how they sip their tea, and even how they sing off-key, the singer celebrates every little detail about the person they love. The chorus is a repeated statement that the special things about the loved one cannot be taken away. Memories of their smile, the way they hold their knife, the way they danced till three, and most significantly, the way they changed the singer's life, are all part of the singer's fond recollections.
Overall, the song celebrates the eternal power of memory and how it can keep loved ones close to the heart, no matter what separates them.
Line by Line Meaning
Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Our love story may be ending soon, but it will end on a happy note and not with sadness.
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
Even though you may leave me tomorrow.
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The song that represents our love may have ended, but as the songwriter had said, the melody will linger on.
The melody lingers on.
The memories of our love will remain with me.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
They may separate us, and I will miss your loving touch.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
Even though we may be apart, I will still have the memories of our love.
The way you wear your hat
The unique style in which you wear your hat.
The way your sip your tea
The way you enjoy your tea.
The memory of all that
The memories of our shared moments.
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No matter what happens, they cannot take away the memories of our love.
The way your smile just beams
The way your smile radiates happiness.
The way you sing off key
The unique and imperfect way you sing.
The way you haunt my dreams
The way you always stay in my thoughts and dreams.
We may never, never meet again
We may never cross paths again.
On the bumpy road to love
In the unpredictable journey of love.
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
Nevertheless, I will always cherish the memories of our time together.
The way you hold your knife
The way you hold your knife while having a meal.
The way we danced till three
The joyful time we spent dancing till the early hours of the morning.
The way you changed my life
The positive impact you had on my life.
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No matter what happens, they cannot take away the memories of our love.
No, they can't take that away from me
Our memories will forever belong to us, and no one can take them away.
Can't take that away
The memories of our love are indestructible and cannot be taken away.
Can't take that away from me
No one can take away the memories of our love from me.
Lyrics Β© RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Saxiesax 2
Yes, I have to agree with "62chucky" below! This is a great song and it is from a really great Album/CD! I had this on Cassette Tape for the longest when it first came out, but after it came out on CD, I couldn't and STILL can't get enough of it....Patti Austin has been around for many of my growing up and maturing years; I couldn't imagine music without her being around with her beautiful voice and style! This is one of those "Must Haves" for your CD Collection of Patti Austin's CD's...grab it!
Queenie Isaacs
..... One of the first songs I fell in love with!!!!
Thanks,
George
Quincy
Patti
..... the band
Brian Holiday
I just absolutely love this ladyβs voice. Truly in a league all her own.
Althea Descallar
The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off-key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On this bumpy road to love
Still I'll always, always keep the memory of...
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you've changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
ππππ
Eddie Simms
Of all the female vocalist that sings this song, Patti, gurl you kill this song. You took this song to a new HEIGHT, your performance is out standing!!!
C Flow
YES!!!!! Been waiting on this one. Love it, love it! Thanks for posting, you are the FIRST one to do it.
Mats Funcke
My father and me met musically in this version Of this song. Great memories from the late β80s.
Thylias Moss
The way H, Mr. Bob Holman, wears a hat! Does not get better than that! I still get thrills and chills each time I see him in one!
xenon2
Best piece @1:51
Pat Dan
Miss you daddy