Upchurch started his career working with the Kool Gents, the Dells, and the Spaniels before going on to work with Curtis Mayfield, Otis Rush and Jimmy Reed. (His association with Kool Gents member Dee Clark would continue, including playing guitar on Clark's 1961 solo hit "Raindrops".) He then returned to Chicago to play and record with Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Groove Holmes, B.B. King, and Dizzy Gillespie.
In 1961, his record "You Can't Sit Down", by the Philip Upchurch Combo, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. "You Can't Sit Down, Part 2" peaked at #29 on the Billboard charts in the US. In the 1960s he toured with Oscar Brown, appearing on the 1965 live album, Mr. Oscar Brown, Jr. Goes to Washington. Returning from the Army in 1967, he recorded with Richard Evans, John Lee Hooker, Grover Washington, Jr. and Cannonball Adderley. Upchurch was part of a group called the Soulful Strings during the 1960s, prior to working with Rotary Connection on Chess's Cadet label. In the 1970s he worked with Ramsey Lewis, Quincy Jones and led his own quartet with Tennyson Stephens. In the mid 1970s and 1980s, he performed with George Benson, Mose Allison, Gary Burton, Lenny Breau, Joe Williams, Natalie Cole, Carmen McRae, Cat Stevens and Michael Jackson.
In the 1990s he worked with Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff.
His son is the drummer, Sean Rickman.
His wife, his seventh, is the actress Sonya Maddox.
Discography
As leader
You Can't Sit Down, Part Two (Boyd/United Artists #UAL-3162 mono and #UAS-6162 stereo, 1961)
The Big Hit Dances: The Twist... (United Artists #UAL-3175 mono and #UAS-6175 stereo, 1962)
Feeling Blue: The Phil Upchurch Guitar Sound (Milestone #9010; OJC #1100, 1967)
Upchurch (Cadet/Chess #LPS-826, 1969) with Donny Hathaway on piano.
The Way I Feel (Cadet/Chess/GRT #LPS-840, 1970)
Darkness, Darkness (Blue Thumb #BTS-6005, 1972)
Lovin' Feeling (Blue Thumb #BTS-59, 1973)
Upchurch/Tennyson with Tennyson Stephens (Kudu/CTI #KU-22, 1975)
Phil Upchurch (Marlin/T.K. Productions #MAR-2209, 1978) produced by John Tropea and George Benson.
Free & Easy (JAM/Jazz America Marketing #007, 1982)
Revelation (JAM #011, 1982)
Name Of The Game (JAM #018, 1983)
Companions with Jimmy Witherspoon (JAM #021, 1984) issued as Paladin/Virgin #PAL-4 for UK market.
Phil Upchurch Presents L.A. Jazz Quintet (Pro Arte/Intersound #631, 1986) with Brandon Fields, Bobby Lyle, Brian Bromberg, Harvey Mason.
Dolphin Dance (Sound Service #6177, 1987)
Midnite Blue (Electric Bird/King #KICJ-53, 1991) compilation of JAM material.
All I Want (Ichiban #ICH-1127, 1991)
Whatever Happened To The Blues (Ridgetop/Bean Bag/Go Jazz #55566, 1992) issued as Go Jazz #VBR-2066 for Germany market.
Love Is Strange (Ridgetop/Bean Bag/Go Jazz #55552; Go Jazz #6012, 1995)
Rhapsody & Blues (Go Jazz #6035, 1999)
Tell The Truth! (Evidence #22222, 2001) produced by Carla Olson.
Impressions Of Curtis Mayfield by Jazz Soul Seven (BFM Jazz/Varese Sarabande #62413, 2012) produced by Brian Brinkerhoff; co-produced and arranged by Phil Upchurch; featuring Terri Lyne Carrington, Russ Ferrante, Master Henry Gibson, Bob Hurst, Wallace Roney, Phil Upchurch, Ernie Watts.
With the Soulful Strings
Paint It Black (Cadet/Chess #LPS-776, 1966)
Groovin' with the Soulful Strings (Cadet/Chess #LPS-796, 1967)
Another Exposure (Cadet/Chess #LPS-805, 1968)
The Magic of Christmas (Cadet/Chess #LPS-814, 1968)
Back by Demand: The Soulful Strings in Concert (Cadet/Chess #LPS-820, 1969)
String Fever (Cadet/Chess #LPS-834, 1969)
Play Gamble-Huff (Cadet/Chess/GRT #LPS-846, 1971)
The Best of the Soulful Strings (Cadet/Chess/GRT #2CA-50022, 1972) compilation/2-LP set
As sideman
With George Benson
Bad Benson (CTI, 1974)
Good King Bad (CTI, 1975)
Breezin' (Warner Bros., 1976)
With Stan Getz
What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David (Verve, 1968)
With Dizzy Gillespie
The Real Thing (Perception, 1969)
With Red Holloway
Standing Room Only (Chiaroscuro, 2000)
With Hubert Laws
The Chicago Theme (CTI, 1974)
With Ramsey Lewis
Them Changes (Cadet, 1970)
With Jack McDuff
The Natural Thing (Cadet, 1968)
The Heatin' System (Cadet, 1971)
Magnetic Feel (Cadet, 1975)
With Carmen McRae
Fine And Mellow [live] (Concord, 1987)
With Ben Sidran
Don't Let Go (Blue Thumb, 1974)
Fire And Rain
Phil Upchurch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I won't make it any other way
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
Na na na. Na na na na na na na na na na. Na na na na na na na na
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
The lyrics of Phil Upchurch's song "Fire & Rain" tell the story of the aftermath of losing someone close. The song opens with the singer receiving the news that his friend, Suzanne, has passed away. As he tries to process his grief, he reflects on the ups and downs of his own life, referencing the fire and rain he's seen, both literal and metaphorical. He asks for help from Jesus, hoping that he'll be able to make it through one more day.
The song then shifts to the present moment, with the singer feeling somewhat adrift without the person he's lost. He longs to see Suzanne "one more time again," but realizes that there are only a few things coming his way this time around. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, reflecting the cyclical nature of life with its highs and lows.
Overall, "Fire & Rain" is a poignant portrait of loss and grief, but also of the resilience and hope that can sustain us in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone
Yesterday morning, I received news of your passing
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
The plans made by, or involving, a person named Suzanne led to your death
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
This morning I went out and composed this song
I just can't remember who to send it to
I cannot recall to whom I should address this song to
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I have experienced both good times and bad times
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I once enjoyed good times that seemed like they would last forever
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
I have experienced times of sadness when I had no one to turn to
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Despite these experiences, I expected to meet you once more
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
I implore Jesus to take pity on me
You've got to help me make a stand
I request the Lord's assistance in standing strong
You've just got to see me through another day
I beg Him to see me through the day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I am tired and feel like my end is near
I won't make it any other way
I will never be able to endure without His help
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
I sometimes reminisce about simpler moments, my back facing the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
The coldness of life can disorient even the strongest among us
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
There is much time for us to talk about the future over the phone
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Dreams and aspirations often end in failure
Thought I'd see you one more time again
I had hoped to see you one last time
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
I have a few more things to deal with this time around
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
I hoped to see you again, despite everything life has thrown at me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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