Sampha Finds A Kindred Spirit in Curtis Mayfield on “Close But Not Quite”
On his 1970 song “The Makings of You,” soul singer Curtis Mayfield struggled to convey the depths of his emotion: “The love of all mankind, should reflect some sign of these words I’ve tried to recite/They are close, but not quite.” His insecurity was beautiful; when love truly takes hold, it can render you speechless.
Those words, and Mayfield’s distinctive falsetto find new life on “Close But Not Quite,” the title-track from producer/XL founder Richard Russell’s new collaborative EP for his Everything Is Recorded project. The song features Sampha, another reflective soul singer, whose recent debut Process carried the same air of meditation. Russell was struck by Sampha’s falsetto, which bore similarities to Mayfield—but Sampha was largely unfamiliar with the soul legend.“I haven’t listened to too much Curtis Mayfield,” Sampha told the New Yorker. “From what I understand, [he] was quite a gentle soul, in an era where a lot of soul artists were quite macho.” After Russell played “The Makings of You” for Sampha, the two decided to record a song centered around the chorus and melody of the Mayfield cut.
As a result, “Close But Not Quite” is a duet of sorts, as Sampha’s delicate tone and Mayfield’s soaring voice accentuates Russell’s piano-driven instrumental. Amid well-placed strings and light drums, the music encases Sampha, creating a natural synergy between he and Mayfield. Lyrically, the song picks up where Process left off, with Sampha shuffling through his past. “I’m not one to go to church,” the singer admits. “But you made me believe in something more than hurt.” Sampha and Mayfield are kindred spirits, two souls who sound perfectly aligned. Forty-seven years removed from “The Makings of You,” Mayfield helps Sampha find his own words.
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