We all have those obscure songs in our playlists or record collections that feel like they belong to us. They have barely any streams, it took months to track down a limited physical copy on Discogs, and your friends look at you with puzzlement when you mention the artist\u2019s name. They\u2019re hidden treasures in your repertoire of recommendations, only to be handed out to the closest of friends and family. Or, if you\u2019re Patti Smith, to the most committed fans.<\/p>\n
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Like most artists, Smith was once one of those undiscovered gems before she became a leading figure in the New York punk scene. She spent her days busking around the city, honing her craft with spoken word projects and plays. But by the mid-1970s, she was no longer an obscure name as she began pairing her penchant for poetry with music.<\/p>\n
Decades later, Smith is one of the most influential figures in the alternative scene. Between Horses and Just Kids, she became an enduring reference point, a voice of wisdom and a source of inspiration for countless young artists, young women, young poets, and young punks everywhere. She\u2019s also a source of song suggestions, as she proved during a conversation with Shortlist.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Smith divulged several of those hidden gems in her list of recommendations, starting with \u201ca song by a Scottish girl, it\u2019s called John Anderson\u201d. Though this is as far as Smith\u2019s description goes, she seems to be referring to \u2018John Anderson My Jo\u2019, a poem by Robert Burns. \u201cIt\u2019s a little song that a woman is singing about her husband who is now old, but was once beautiful,\u201d Smith explained.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Keeping her recommendations almost too obscure, Smith didn\u2019t divulge the name of the Scottish singer who turned the poetry into music. Fortunately, she did share the name of her second pick: \u2018If I Can\u2019t Have You\u2019, duetted by Etta James and Harvey Fuqua. \u201cIt\u2019s an awesome song,\u201d Smith stated, \u201cNo one knows about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It seems like a strange pick for an obscure track, given James\u2019 mammoth legacy in music history, but this is one of the more underrated tracks in her discography. It\u2019s nowhere near as well known as classics like \u2018At Last\u2019 and \u2018A Sunday Kind of Love\u2019, even though it appeared on her debut record alongside them. \u201cI\u2019ve asked a million people,\u201d Smith stated, \u201cdo you know this song by Etta and Harvey?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The obscurity of the song certainly doesn\u2019t reflect its quality. The duet is a gorgeous collection of twinkling keys and jazz that serve to emphasise the perfect synergy of James and Fuqua\u2019s voices. \u201cThe way you love me, the way you squeeze me,\u201d they sing together, \u201cThe way you kiss me, if I can\u2019t have you.\u201d It\u2019s the kind of song you immediately want to hear on vinyl in all of its fuzzy glory.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Smith described the song as both \u201cvery sensual\u201d and \u201cbadass\u201d, a combination that few singers could achieve but one that James entirely mastered. \u2018If I Can\u2019t Have You\u2019 is sultry and sophisticated, a gorgeous back-and-forth of longing and love, but it\u2019s also full of intent and purpose. James\u2019 voice is truly badass, a quality that is only emphasised with Fuqua\u2019s addition.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a gorgeous new track to add to your playlist of obscurities and rarities, consider taking Smith\u2019s recommendation and hit play on \u2018If I Can\u2019t Have You\u2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We all have those obscure songs in our playlists or record collections that feel like they belong to us. They have barely any streams, it took months to track down a limited physical copy on Discogs, and your friends look at you with puzzlement when you mention the artist\u2019s name. They\u2019re hidden treasures in your 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