Walter Jackson was an R&B singer with a big band pop soul sound. When first starting to perform he seemed destined to make a tremendous impact, but for some reason fell just short of this prediction. Never the less some feel the Walter left a collection of some of the finest R&B music from that era. Crippled from childhood with Polio, Walter was on crutches most of his life. Yet his disability enhanced his performances more than detract from them. It seemed to give him an ability to interpret and project his music with a much deeper emotion and never dampened his ambition or enthusiasm. During his lifetime, as with so many artist of that era, he never found a way to connect with more than a few fans outside R&B circles. Whether “not in tune with the times” or perhaps “ahead of the times” he none-the-less has left us with a collection of unbelievable music.
Walter and his parents moved to Detroit when he was still a baby and there he later attended Northwestern High School singing whenever he had the opportunity. His first recording experience came in 1959 as lead singer with a local group, the Velvetones (Ronald Head, Neil Magby, Bobby Jones and Mary Nicholson). After the group broke up, he unsuccessfully auditioned for Motown. Then in 1962 he got his first real break. Okeh Records A&R director, Carl Davis was in a local piano bar one evening and by chance heard Walter performing. Davis’ first impression of Walter’s commanding voice was that of Nat “King” Cole, Joe Williams, Arthur Prysock or Billy Eckstine. Actually Walter was influenced more by these pop singers than by gospel singers. Davis arranged for Walter to join him in Chicago at the studio along with Curtis Mayfield, Van McCoy and other top writers. His solo career began with the first release in 1962 “I Don't Want to Suffer” which only made a little splash, but got Walter noticed. In 1963 “That’s What Mama Say” was released followed by "Funny (Not Much)" and “It’s All Over” in 1964. The latter of these issues made the R&B charts and was An R&B hit, but neither had any crossover success. In 1965 “Welcome Home” reached No 15 in the R&B chart, and “Suddenly I'm All Alone” reached No 13. In 1966 when Davis left Okeh, Ted Cooper took over the production of Walter’s recordings and created enough of a pop sound to push Jackson into the spotlight. In 1966 he released "Speak Her Name" and "It's an Uphill Climb to the Bottom". These were both solid R&B hits the latter, his biggest, peaking at No. 11 on the R&B charts. But in 1967 his powerful version of “My Ship Is Comin' In” did not chart. Despite the obvious pop crossover potential of his recordings, he remained unknown to most white listeners. Then with the record company fading Walter moved to Epic, unfortunately with little success. A minor hit ended the 60's, “Any Way That You Want Me” on the Cotillion label.
In the 1973 Walter again teamed up with Davis at the Chi-Sound label later releasing covers of songs like Morris Albert’s, "Feelings" in 1976 and Peter Frampton’s, "Baby I Love Your Way" in 1977. After the release of several albums with his now signature pop and mainstream sound, but with diminishing health, Walter reluctantly retired from performing.
In 1982 Kelli-Arts label issued “Touching in the Dark” b/w “If I Had a Chance”. Walter Jackson passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1983. Three days earlier Chi-Sound released “It's Cool” and after his passing a memorial album was released. Since then numerous greatest hits and commemoration albums have been released.
His music influenced many artists that followed. Among them, Luther Vandross, Barry White, Freddie Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass. His music lives on, leaving his old fans with great enjoyment as well as winning over many new fans to the magic of his Chicago, big band soul sound.
Check out: www.billyprice.com/Jackson.php
It's An Uphill Climb
Walter Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And went away and broke your heart
Darling, dry your eyes, I realize
That you have got to make a new start
'Cause your baby′s gone and left you
And you're making it hard
It's an uphill climb to the bottom
When your love has gone
Some relationships produce anew
Something about your heart
When I looked at you
All at once I knew
That we would never ever part
Yes, your baby′s gone and left you
It′s time for you to make it on your own
It's an uphill climb to the bottom
When your love has gone
When your love has gone
(Interlude)
Listen, I think you and I can live
We can make some brand new dreams
Darling, take my hand, understand
No matter how hard it seems
Yes, all you′ve got to do is think about
How hard anyone can try
I've got to get you to try on and on
Try baby, I know
It′s an uphill climb to the bottom
Oh, when your love has gone
All you've got to do
Is call me just sometime
I think... fade
The song "It's an Uphill Climb" by Walter Jackson is a emotional ballad about heartbreak and the need to start anew. The song starts by acknowledging the pain that the listener is going through after losing their loved one. The lyrics address the hurt that comes with being abandoned and left to pick up the broken pieces of one's own heart. The line "It's an uphill climb to the bottom when your love has gone" perfectly sums up the emotional journey of going through heartbreak. This phrase suggests that even though you're going down, it's still a climb to get there, meaning the journey won't be easy.
The second verse suggests hope that even after heartbreak, new relationships can be formed. The phrase "Some relationships produce anew, something about your heart" implies that a new relationship can bring forth growth within oneself. The lyrics also suggest that the love between the song's narrator and the listener will never end. The singer assures them that they will always be together, even after their heartbreak. The song ends with the singer offering the listener his hand and encouraging them to continue moving forward, even in the face of struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
You’ve been in love with her
You have previously had romantic feelings for someone
And went away and broke your heart
You left that person and their departure caused emotional pain
Darling, dry your eyes, I realize
I understand that you are upset and trying to offer comfort
That you have got to make a new start
You need to move on and begin a fresh chapter in your life
'Cause your baby’s gone and left you
Your significant other has ended the relationship and left you alone
And you're making it hard
You are finding it difficult to cope or move on from this loss
It's an uphill climb to the bottom
Recovering from heartbreak is a challenging journey
When your love has gone
After your partner has ended the relationship
Some relationships produce anew
Certain romances create new feelings or experiences
Something about your heart
These feelings resonate deep within oneself
When I looked at you
Upon seeing you
All at once I knew
It became apparent to me
That we would never ever part
That we would always be together
Yes, your baby's gone and left you
Your love has left you and moved on
It's time for you to make it on your own
It's time for you to learn how to live independently
Listen, I think you and I can live
I believe we can have a fulfilling life together
We can make some brand new dreams
We can make new, exciting goals for our future
Darling, take my hand, understand
Let me help you and realize that I care for you
No matter how hard it seems
Despite the difficulties we may face, we can overcome them together
Yes, all you've got to do is think about
All you need to do is consider
How hard anyone can try
People can push themselves to achieve great things
I've got to get you to try on and on
I need to motivate you to persist and never give up
Try baby, I know
Keep striving, I believe in you
It's an uphill climb to the bottom
Recovering from heartbreak is a challenging journey
Oh, when your love has gone
After your partner has ended the relationship
All you've got to do is call me just sometime
Feel free to contact me whenever you need support
I think...fade
The song is ending
Writer(s): F. Enzel
Contributed by Nicholas K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@karenkarlsen7235
My late husband Joe Karlsen used this record title to describe his battle with cancer and lost unfortunately. Didn't know it was a song but glad I've found it x another music memorie x
@tazzhoughton6576
Karen Karlsen so sorry for your loss ✊💞 xx
@daveg4257
Karen i came through my fight with the bastard disease but i sure know what your Joe meant total respect.
@soulbrotherLLyn
Knew Joe, sad , sad loss, danced on many a dance floor with him XX
@liamoleary31
God bless you Karen . The happy years will remain eternal . X
@nycsongman9758
Condolences.
@henrypawlica6809
My late wife's favorite Walter Jackson record, god bless you Lyn.xx
@RecordSeeker
What a beautiful song and an amazing voice.
@daveg4257
There is just something very special about this song i know there is something special about most songs but this just blows me away with its passion and soul .
@LondonSoulMan
one of the best and most beautiful records ever made. Means so much to me.