Loading details…
about this song
"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 near Muscle Shoals, Alabama in Sheffield. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time. The sidemen for this recording included Spooner Oldham, organ; Marlin Greene, guitar; Albert "Junior" Lowe, bass and Roger Hawkins, drums. According to the When A Man Loves A Woman Songfacts, Sledge had worked on the song for months before cutting a "final" version.
why this is interesting
# Worth Your Attention This 1966 recording captures something essential about human vulnerability set against the restraint of Southern soul musicianship. What distinguishes the track is its architectural simplicity—the instrumental arrangement builds gradually, allowing Sledge's voice to convey genuine emotional uncertainty rather than theatrical grandeur. The musicians, particularly Spooner Oldham's organ work, create space rather than filling it, a choice that amplifies the lyric's confession. The song's cultural significance lies in its honesty; it doesn't idealize love but examines its potential to unmake a person. Recorded in Muscle Shoals during a pivotal moment for American soul music, it represents a moment when restraint