(2) Love Makes a Woman - Barbara Acklin
A wonderful number from 1968 that was #3 on the R&B chart and #15 nationwide, this song epitomizes the importance of the hook with a groove. The structure of the song revolves around a repeated musical riff. Starting out with a simple drums and rhythm guitar interplay, the musical motif is almost immediate introduced with soulful horns and organ. Once Acklin starts to sing, the repetition is carried by organ and guitar interplay. Even as the chorus is introduce the riff continues. The song effectively breaks away from its groove for a few bars before continuing with the intoxicating repetition. At this point the horns join in along with a female chorus. Despite other forays away from the central phrase of this song, the basic groove continues to define it right until the fade out ending.
The lyrics effectively follow a "Can't Buy Me Love" narrative, equating female identity with basic emotions rather than material possessions. Quite the opposite from the "Money Changes Everything" ethic that appears in Cyndi Lauper's popular music only fifteen years later.
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