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 = Genius². 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.
You Brought Me Love
Patti Austin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holdin' hands is fine, but I've got better things on my mind
You know it could happen if you'd only see me in a different light
Maybe when we finally get together, you will see that I was right
Say you love me
You know that it could be nice
If you'd only say you love me
Please love me
I'll be yours and you'll be mine
If you'd only say you love me, baby
Things would really work out fine
Don't you know that I want to be more than just your friend
Holdin' hands is fine, but I've got better things on my mind
You know it could happen if you'd only see me in a different light
Maybe when we finally get together, you will see that I was right
Say you love me
You know that it could be nice
If you'd only say you love me
Don't treat me like I was lice, ooh, woo, woo
Please love me
I'll be yours and you'll be mine
If you'd only say you love me, darlin'
Things would really work out fine
Say that you love me
Mmm...mmm...ooh...ho...ho...
Say that you love me
Mmm...mmm...mmm...
Hoo...hoo...baby
Would you say you love me
You know that it could be nice
If you'd only say you love me
Don't treat me like I was lice, ooh, woo, woo
Please love me
I'll be yours and you'll be mine
If you'd only say you love me, baby
Things would really work out fine
If you'd only say you love me, darlin'
Things would really work out fine
If you'd only say you love me, darlin'
Things would really work out fine
The lyrics to Patti Austin's song "You Brought Me Love" speak to unrequited love and the frustration that comes with it. The singer expresses their desire to be more than just friends with the person they are addressing. They long for a deeper connection than simply holding hands, which seems insignificant to them. They believe that something more significant could happen if their love interest saw them in a different light.
The frustration comes through in the repetition of the plea for the person to say they love them. The singer believes that if they were only given the chance, things would work out fine. They are asking for a simple affirmation of love that would make all the difference. The line "don't treat me like I was lice" emphasizes the emotional pain the singer is experiencing due to the rejection. The final lines echo the sentiment of the entire song, holding onto hope that things could work out if only the person would say they love them.
In summary, "You Brought Me Love" is a song about the hope and frustration that comes with unrequited love. The singer is asking for more in their relationship with the person they are addressing and feels that a simple affirmation of love could make everything better.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know that I want to be more than just your friend
I desire a closer relationship with you beyond just friendship
Holdin' hands is fine, but I've got better things on my mind
I am interested in a deeper romantic relationship with you, not just physical intimacy
You know it could happen if you'd only see me in a different light
You might consider a romantic relationship with me if you viewed me in a more positive way
Maybe when we finally get together, you will see that I was right
If we start a romantic relationship, you may find that our deeper connection was the right choice
Say you love me
Verbally express your love for me
You know that it could be nice
Acknowledging love has the potential to improve our connection
Don't treat me like I was lice, ooh, woo, woo
Don't ignore or avoid me, like I am an undesirable or annoying presence
Please love me
I am asking for your love and affection
I'll be yours and you'll be mine
I am willing to commit to you in a romantic relationship
If you'd only say you love me, baby
If you just express your love for me openly and honestly
Things would really work out fine
Our romantic relationship would be positive and successful
Hoo...hoo...baby
Expressing passion and emotion in the hopes of winning your love
Would you say you love me
Asking for a verbal confirmation of your love
If you'd only say you love me, darlin'
If you expressed your love for me with affection
Things would really work out fine
Our romantic relationship would be positive and successful
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHILLIP J. ALLOCCO, SEAN O. CARMODY, ROBERT STEELE, SHANE J. VERDI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@annince5125
Beautiful singers and lovely song x
@jeanwilson1270
You gave Me All..my ART
@tamaraknox2185
Beautiful
@truzaphakula4775
Anything with Patti Austin is smooth and Johnny mathis ,,,this is magic
@whodatsuperbowlqueen5778
The best singer in the world, Johnny Mathis!
@juliehastings2119
Do Remember Seeing Johnny Mathis And Patti Austin Watching Them On As The World Turns So Many Years Ago , I Grew Up Listening To Johnny Mathis And All The Greatest Artists That My Dad Gave Me To Listen To And To My Sisters And Brother As Well And We Still Listen To All The Greatest And The Artists Of Today We Share With Your Dad Thanks For All The Great Music And Your Sweet Soulful Voices That Will Last A Life Time
@victoriajuergens-renfro3916
He has the voice you fall in love with ❤️
@soap1919jt
Awesome! What an incredible performance, and a beyond beautiful song. These are two of the best artists in the industry! I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes. They rarely make this kind of music anymore! Go Thom Bell (Spinners, Blue Magic, Stylistics, O'Jays) on the writing/composing/arranging/producing. This was Jessica's and Duncan's song on As the World Turns, and spoke to the reconciliation between Bob and Kim.
@sombrabr1
Really impressive harmony of this Duet. Fantastic.
@petertcain
Magic !!!