Billy Preston -

Billy Preston (1946–2006) was an American R&B singer and keyboardist who released 24 albums between 1963 and 1986. After multiple teen-prodigy soul-jazz albums, his profile soared as a fifth Beatle on their 1969 hit “Get Back.” His fame peaked with the 1972–74 R&B crossover hits “Outa-Space,” “Will It Go Round in Circles,” “Space Race,” and “Nothing from Nothing.”

Background

He was born William Everett Preston on September 2, 1946, in Houston and mostly raised in Los Angeles by his mother. A child prodigy, he taught himself organ without any lessons.

At age 10, he played organ on stage during a gospel recital by Mahalia Jackson. In 1957, he appeared on The Nat ‘King’ Cole Show on NBC, where he and Cole sang the Fats Domino hit “Blueberry Hill.” In the 1958 W. C. Handy biopic St. Louis Blues starring Cole, Preston plays the composer’s younger self.

In 1961, Preston played organ on the self-titled gospel album by The Sutton Trio! The following year, he got featured billing on the Savoy Records release This Sunday-In Person by James Cleveland with the Angelic Gospel Choir. He also joined Little Richard’s backing band for a tour of Europe. During a 1962 stop in Hamburg, he met a then-fledgling Beatles.

1963–65 Albums

Preston’s debut album, 16 Yr. Old Soul, appeared in 1963 on Derby Records. The opening track, “Greazee,” was split in half for his first single, “Greazee Part II” (b/w “Greazee Part I”). That same year, he played on the albums Night Beat by Sam Cooke and Outer Limits by Jerry Cole and His Spacemen.

Meanwhile, Preston’s songs inspired covers on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1963, English instrumental beatsters Sounds Incorporated recorded his “Go” for a Decca a-side. Soon after, Ike & Tina Turner covered Preston’s “Strange” for a 1964 Sonja a-side. Preston’s ‎second album, The Most Exciting Organ Ever, appeared that year on Vee Jay Records. Seven of the 12 songs are Preston originals, including the Memphis-style organ rave-ups “I Am Coming Through” and “The Octopus.”

His next release, Early Hits of 1965, features instrumental covers of hits by The Supremes (“Stop! In the Name of Love”), Shirley Bassey (“Goldfinger”), The Beatles (“Eight Days a Week”), The Moody Blues (“Go Now”), The Temptations (“My Girl”), Petula Clark (“Downtown”), Gerry & the Pacemakers (“Ferry Across the Mersey”), and Jr. Walker & the All Stars (“Shotgun”). That year, he performed on the rock TV program Shindig!

1966–67 Albums

Preston turned to gospel for his 1966 album Hymns Speak From the Organ, released as William Everett Preston on Exodus Records.

His next release, Wildest Organ In Town!, appeared that year on Capitol. It features arrangements by a young Sly Stone, who collaborated with Preston on three numbers (“Advice,” “It’s Got to Happen,” “Free Funk”) intermixed with covers of James Brown (“I Got You (I Feel Good)”), Wilson Pickett (“In the Midnight Hour”), The Beatles (“A Hard Days Night”), and The Rolling Stones (“Satisfaction (I Can’t Get No)”).

Preston’s second Capitol release, Club Meetin’, appeared in 1967. It features covers of Willie Dixon (“I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man”), Bobby Hebb (“Sunny”), the much-covered traditional “Wade In the Water,” a medley of three James Brown hits (“Out Of Sight,” “I Got You,” “Please, Please, Please”), plus four originals, including “Billy’s Groove,” and “Ike’s Theme.”

In 1967, Preston joined the backing band of Ray Charles and the two wrote “Something’s Got to Change,” a Charles b-side on ABC. Both performed on the Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack to the 1967 mystery drama In the Heat of the Night starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger.

With The Beatles

At a 1969 Charles concert, Preston reconnected with Beatle George Harrison, then on shaky ground with his bandmates. Preston accompanied Harrison back to Abbey Road Studios, where his musical insights and outgoing charm eased the situation.

Preston served as a de facto “Fifth Beatle” during sessions for Let It Be, their last-released album, and Abbey Road, their last-recorded, penultimate release. Preston contributed keyboard parts to “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” “Something,” and the retro-rocker “Get Back,” where he cuts loose on electric piano.

Preston signed to Apple for his Harrison-produced 1969 album.

That’s the Way God Planned It

Billy Preston released his seventh album, That’s the Way God Planned It, on August 22, 1969, on Apple Records.

The album presents Preston in a gospel-charged soul setting with rock instrumentalists and arrangements that bridge his background in church music with the sound of the late-1960s UK rock scene. The sessions involved George Harrison (electric/acoustic guitar, Moog synthesizer, sitar) and half of Blind Faith: guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker.

Preston wrote eight of the twelve songs and co-wrote three with Troy and Jesse Kirkland. He also covers songs by Bob Dylan (“She Belongs to Me”) and Nat King Cole (“Morning Star”). Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards plays bass on “Do What You Want.”

The album’s songs divide between Preston’s spirited gospel testimonies and funk-soul excursions. “That’s the Way God Planned It (Parts 1 & 2)” closes the album with a climactic call-and-response between Preston’s Hammond organ and the guitar of Clapton. “Hey Brother” reworks the narrative of “Hey Joe” in a topical message format. “Morning Star” reflects devotional reverence, while “Everything’s All Right” and “This Is It” embody a jubilant, communal tone.

A1. “Do What You Want” (3:44) – Written by Billy Preston. Opens with percussive Hammond chords and syncopated rhythm underlining a lyric of agency and perseverance. Preston frames self-determination as both creed and prayer, his organ phrasing pushing forward in clipped bursts as Keith Richards’s bass anchors the motion.

A2. “I Want to Thank You” (3:13) – Preston’s vocal alternates between humble gratitude and exultant declaration. Over steady, layered rhythm, he directs thanks to a higher power for endurance through trial. The organ line traces wide, arcing phrases, mirroring the lyric’s reach toward transcendence.

A3. “Everything’s All Right” (2:44) – Written by Preston and Doris Troy. Built on overlapping piano and gospel handclaps, the song asserts optimism as defiance. The chorus circles back on its title phrase like an affirmation; Troy’s presence in the arrangement deepens its communal tone.

A4. “She Belongs to Me” (4:09) – A Bob Dylan evergreen from his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. Preston transforms Dylan’s wry character sketch into contemplative soul. His organ softens the lyric’s edge, turning irony into reverence, while his phrasing elongates the verses, giving the subject an almost devotional stature.

A5. “It Doesn’t Matter” (2:41) – Written by Preston. A statement of resilience, its lyric dismisses worldly judgment in favor of inner faith. The rhythm moves with quiet insistence, while Preston’s organ and piano trade terse replies that reinforce the song’s self-possession.

A6. “Morning Star” (3:20) – Adapted from Handy’s spiritual “Shine Like a Morning Star” with new lyrics by Mack David; first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1958 for St. Louis Blues. Here, the song becomes a tender meditation on a mother’s love and divine guidance. Preston’s delivery remains subdued, letting the ascending chord pattern suggest renewal.

B1. “Hey Brother” (2:34) – Written by Billy Preston and Jesse Kirkland. Uses conversational phrasing and blues-inflected rhythm to urge unity across division. Preston’s piano keeps close to the vocal line, while the organ rises in short, imploring surges that underscore the song’s plea for understanding.

B2. “What About You” (2:10) – Written by Preston. Cast as a question of accountability, the lyric challenges self-interest against shared responsibility. The clipped rhythm section and restrained tempo emphasize the tension between introspection and confrontation.

B3. “Let Us All Get Together (Right Now)” (4:06) – Written by Preston and Doris Troy. A gospel invocation shaped into collective rhythm, the song calls for immediate solidarity. Hand percussion and layered harmonies move in steady ascent, each repetition functioning as both summons and response.

B4. “This Is It” (2:45) – Written by Preston and Troy. Anchored by sharp rhythmic punctuation, the track expresses resolve in the face of uncertainty. Preston’s phrasing alternates between spoken cadence and sung release, treating decision as both act and affirmation.

B5. “Keep It to Yourself” (2:47) – Written by Preston. A study in restraint, its lyric warns against empty counsel and insincerity. The tight instrumental frame—muted drums, clipped guitar, deliberate organ strokes—mirrors the discipline of the message itself.

B6. “That’s the Way God Planned It (Parts 1 & 2)” (5:34) – Written by Preston. The album’s spiritual and musical culmination, merging gospel intensity with rock propulsion. Eric Clapton’s guitar arcs over Preston’s organ, while Keith Richards and Ginger Baker sustain a steady drive beneath. The lyric interprets personal fate as divine design, resolving the album’s recurring tension between effort and faith in an extended call-and-response finale.

Sessions occurred at Capitol Studios in Hollywood and EMI and Olympic Sound in London with George Harrison producing and technical engineering by staff at the respective facilities.

Apple issued “Hey Brother” in October 1968 as a pre-album single. They followed with “That’s the Way God Planned It” (b/w “What About You”) on June 27, 1969, which reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. “Everything’s All Right” (b/w “As I Get Older”) appeared in October 1969 as the third single.

“That’s the Way God Planned It” re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 after Preston’s high-profile performance of the song at the Concert for Bangladesh, where he reprised it with Harrison and Clapton. The song has since been covered by Ivan Kelley Jr. for the 2012 film Joyful Noise.

CD Bonus Tracks (1991–2010 editions)

13. “Through All Times” (3:58) – Written by Preston. A quiet statement of endurance, shaped around bluesy electric piano voicings and spare rhythm. Preston’s vocal traces the passage of hardship into renewal through calm repetition.

14. “As I Get Older” (3:42) – Written by Preston and Sly Stone. Originally produced by Ray Charles, this piece reflects on maturity as awareness rather than resignation. The organ carries a descending motif that mirrors the lyric’s cyclical insight into time and self.

15. “Something’s Got to Change” (2:12) – Written by Preston, Arthur Fullilove, and Melvin Ray Jernigan. Short and direct, the track fuses protest and faith into a compressed rhythmic pulse. Each chord lands like insistence, closing the reissue sequence with urgency rather than resolution.

Encouraging Words

Billy Preston released his eighth album, Encouraging Words, on September 11, 1970, on Apple Records.

The album deepens the gospel–soul foundation of Preston’s Apple debut with a tighter, funkier attack that merges sanctified piano and organ runs with punchy horns and rhythmic drive. It features a mix of Preston originals, recent Beatles material, and early versions of songs that George Harrison would later record for All Things Must Pass. Sessions involved Harrison, Eric Clapton, Delaney Bramlett, Klaus Voormann, Carl Radle, Ringo Starr, brassmen Bobby Keys and Jim Price, and the Edwin Hawkins Singers.

Preston wrote nine of the album’s thirteen songs and co-wrote two with gospel associates Joe Greene, Jesse Kirkland, and James Herndon. He covers songs by George Harrison (“My Sweet Lord,” “All Things Must Pass”) and the Beatles (“I’ve Got a Feeling”). He also recorded “You’ve Been Acting Strange,” written by Ronnie Lee Williams.

The album opens with “Right Now,” a hard-driving funk number with prominent horns and clavinet syncopation, and moves through a range of gospel-soul settings. “My Sweet Lord” and “Sing One for the Lord” display spiritual fervor, augmented by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. “I’ve Got a Feeling” reimagines the Beatles’ original as a propulsive funk track with deep bass contours. “Little Girl” eases into ballad territory with orchestral lift, while “The Same Thing Again” evokes low-down blues tension. The closing sequence pairs a gospel-tinged version of “All Things Must Pass” with the driving rocker “You’ve Been Acting Strange.”

A1. “Right Now” (3:14) – Funk-driven opener with horn riffs and clavinet syncopation. Clapton and Bramlett play guitar. The lyric insists on seizing the present, while clipped horns and layered keyboards trace a sharp, propulsive rhythm. Preston’s vocal urgency turns the refrain into both command and affirmation.

A2. “Little Girl” (3:28) – A restrained ballad balancing tenderness with poise. The piano line moves in measured arcs beneath his voice, which shifts from reassurance to quiet imploration. Subtle string accents widen the emotional space without softening its core of devotion.

A3. “Use What You Got” (4:22) – First recorded during Preston’s Capitol period, revisited here with expanded focus. The lyric frames resourcefulness as moral action, urging persistence through limited means. Horns and rhythm guitar maintain a taut pulse while Preston’s organ asserts resolve in each phrase.

A4. “My Sweet Lord” (3:21) – Written by George Harrison. Tracked before Harrison’s own version, this rendition approaches reverence through steadiness and restraint. Preston’s phrasing stretches each invocation toward unity, joined by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, whose layered harmonies turn praise into movement.

A5. “Let the Music Play” (2:44) – Co-written by Preston with Joe Greene and Jesse Kirkland. A collective hymn to renewal through sound. The lyric calls for release within rhythm, its phrasing circular and deliberate. Preston’s piano and organ merge devotion with action, suggesting song itself as instrument of grace.

A6. “The Same Thing Again” (4:32) – Co-written by Preston with James Herndon. Built on repeating harmonic turns, the piece studies routine as both comfort and confinement. Preston’s voice alternates between calm and resistance, his organ lines tracing the lyric’s cycles while the rhythm section underlines endurance as quiet strength.

B1. “I’ve Got a Feeling” (2:51) – Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Adapted from the Let It Be sessions, where Preston first played the part. His version tightens the rhythm and leans into syncopation, transforming personal unrest into collective insistence. Each phrase builds tension toward unguarded release.

B2. “Sing One for the Lord” (3:49) – Co-written by Harrison and Preston. Among their earliest collaborations, first recorded in 1969. The track opens with Preston quoting Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor before moving into a rolling gospel frame. The lyric joins Christian and Krishna devotion through shared praise, Harrison’s descending guitar lines reflecting humility before transcendence.

B3. “When You Are Mine” (2:45) – A statement of fidelity expressed through restraint. The rhythm section advances in clipped steps beneath smooth organ voicings, grounding affection in structure and control. Emotion is sustained through discipline rather than ornament.

B4. “I Don’t Want You to Pretend” (2:38) – A concise declaration rejecting artifice. The lyric’s directness is matched by sharp rhythmic accents and percussive phrasing. Preston’s delivery treats truth as both demand and release.

B5. “Encouraging Words” (3:35) – A personal credo merging gratitude with endurance. The lyric’s counsel—“be kind, be cool, and be careful”—unfolds across gently ascending chord changes, each repetition reinforcing calm as moral resolve. The arrangement’s restraint renders its message enduring.

B6. “All Things (Must) Pass” (3:43) – First issued here before Harrison’s solo recording. Preston treats impermanence as reconciliation rather than loss. The organ and strings rise with quiet inevitability, each vocal phrase an affirmation of time’s steady cycle.

B7. “You’ve Been Acting Strange” (3:27) – Written by Ronnie Lee Williams. A closing admonition framed by rhythmic insistence. The lyric addresses distance and confusion through repetition, while Preston’s organ lines move in clipped ascent, shaping unease into articulation.

Sessions occurred at Trident and Olympic Studios in London with Billy Preston and George Harrison producing.

Personnel: Billy Preston (vocals, Hammond organ, piano, electric piano, harmonica, backing vocals); George Harrison (electric guitar, Moog synthesizer, backing vocals); Eric Clapton (electric guitar); Delaney Bramlett (electric guitar, backing vocals); Klaus Voormann, Carl Radle (bass); Ringo Starr, Jim Gordon (drums); Bobby Keys (saxophone); Jim Price (trumpet, trombone, horn arrangements); the Edwin Hawkins Singers (backing vocals); members of the Temptations’ and Sam & Dave’s touring bands (guitars, bass, drums).

Apple promoted Encouraging Words with “My Sweet Lord” (b/w “Little Girl”) in December 1970. The single reached No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1971.

“Sing One for the Lord” marks Preston’s sole co-writing credit with Harrison. “My Sweet Lord” and “All Things Must Pass” predate Harrison’s own versions released two months later. The album was reissued in 1993 and 2010 with three bonus tracks, including Preston’s Apple A-side “All That I’ve Got (I’m Gonna Give It to You).”

14. “As Long as I Got My Baby” (2:42) – Expresses devotion as grounding principle. The rhythm maintains forward momentum, casting affection as composure and steadiness.

15. “All That I’ve Got (I’m Gonna Give It to You)” (3:34) – Written by Billy Preston and Doris Troy. A collaborative statement recorded in 1969. The lyric frames generosity as vocation, voiced over interlocking rhythms that turn offering into action.

16. “How Long Has This Train Been Gone” (3:17) – Written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher. Concludes the 2010 edition with a meditation on persistence. The driving rhythm and organ countermelody trace departure as both question and affirmation of motion.

I Wrote a Simple Song

Billy Preston released his ninth album, I Wrote a Simple Song, on November 8, 1971, on A&M.

The album marks Preston’s transition from Apple to A&M with a set that blends sanctified gospel drive, piano-centered soul, and contemporary funk instrumentals. It features a prominent dobro contribution by George Harrison and orchestral arrangements by Quincy Jones.

Preston wrote or co-wrote nine of the album’s eleven songs with lyricist Joe Greene. He co-wrote “John Henry” with Robert Sam, “The Looner Tune” with Greene and Jesse Kirkland, and “You Done Got Older” with Bruce Fisher. He interprets two well-known standards: the 1929 show tune “Without a Song” (popularized by Perry Como and Frank Sinatra) and the patriotic hymn “My Country, ’Tis of Thee.” He also reworks the traditional gospel number “Swing Down Chariot.”

Backing consists of George Harrison (guitar, dobro), David T. Walker (electric guitar), Louis Johnson (bass), Manuel Kellough (drums), King Errisson (congas, percussion), Rocky Peoples (tenor saxophone), and Carlos Garnette (trumpet). Quincy Jones handled horn and string arrangements, and Preston’s vocal chorus includes Merry Clayton, Venetta Fields, Clydie King, and Patrice Holloway among others.

The album opens with “Should Have Known Better,” a piano-soul number with clipped rhythm guitar and gospel backing. The title track builds slowly over dobro accents, rising to a testimonial chorus. “Without a Song” stretches out with strings and sustained piano phrasing, while “The Bus” rides a steady funk pulse. Side two centers on “Outa-Space,” a clavinet-and-wah improvisation that became Preston’s signature instrumental. “Swing Down Chariot” evokes mid-century gospel quartets with new rhythmic lift, and “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” closes the album with a solemn, organ-led arrangement.

A1. “Should Have Known Better” (2:28) – Co-written by Preston and Joe Greene. Opens with a clipped rhythmic pulse and organ bursts that drive a lyric of self-reproach. Preston balances contrition and motion, shaping regret into forward momentum rather than lament.

A2. “I Wrote a Simple Song” (3:28) – Preston/Greene. The title track frames humility as artistic intent. George Harrison’s dobro threads through a steady gospel-inflected rhythm while Preston’s vocal phrasing affirms sincerity over spectacle. Quincy Jones’s orchestration broadens the emotional reach without diluting its plainspoken core.

A3. “John Henry” (3:15) – Written by Billy Preston and Robert Sam. A reinterpretation of the folk legend, recast through electric instrumentation and syncopated drive. The lyric celebrates endurance and labor, Preston’s organ and rhythm section transforming the railroad tale into a parable of modern persistence.

A4. “Without a Song” (4:57) – Written by Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose, and Edward Eliscu. A 1929 standard reimagined with solemn intensity. Preston stretches each line against sustained organ chords, letting silence punctuate the lyric’s faith in continuity. The arrangement turns the old theater tune into a meditation on resilience through voice alone.

A5. “The Bus” (3:32) – Preston/Greene. A kinetic instrumental that mirrors motion itself. Organ and percussion move in interlocking figures, shifting between acceleration and pause. The track’s rhythmic turns evoke both travel and transformation—momentum as spiritual metaphor.

B1. “Outa-Space” (4:08) – Preston/Greene. An improvised instrumental built around Preston’s clavinet run through a wah-wah pedal. Its title reflects the sound’s otherworldly character, created spontaneously as he called out chord changes. Layers of organ and handclaps add propulsion, turning experiment into propulsion and space into rhythm.

B2. “The Looner Tune” (2:47) – Written by Preston, Greene, and Jesse Kirkland. A brief, eccentric instrumental sketch where shifting textures and clipped percussion form a controlled chaos. The piece toys with dissonance and release, extending Outa-Space’s inventiveness into playful abstraction.

B3. “You Done Got Older” (3:08) – Written by Preston and Bruce Fisher. A reflection on aging and wisdom delivered with dry rhythm and measured phrasing. Preston’s tone blends affection and admonition, his organ tracing the lyric’s patient recognition of time’s quiet changes.

B4. “Swing Down Chariot” (4:13) – Traditional; arranged by Preston/Greene. An adaptation of the spiritual “Swing Down Sweet Chariot.” Preston reworks the church standard into a rhythmic invocation, blending gospel ensemble vocals with percussive drive. The lyric’s call for divine visitation becomes both ritual and release.

B5. “God Is Great” (3:32) – Preston/Greene. Centers on praise through repetition, merging sermon cadence with funk rhythm. Preston’s phrasing alternates between exhortation and meditation, his organ sustaining reverence as continuous motion rather than static devotion.

B6. “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” (4:27) – Traditional. A reimagining of Samuel Francis Smith’s American hymn that closes the album in solemn grandeur. Preston’s organ re-harmonizes the familiar melody, fusing national and spiritual sentiment. His deliberate pacing turns the anthem inward, reframing patriotism as prayer.

Sessions occurred at A&M Studios in Hollywood with Billy Preston producing and Tommy Vicari engineering.

Record label A&M promoted I Wrote a Simple Song with the title track (b/w “Outa-Space”) in December 1971. Radio DJs favored the B-side, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart, earning a gold certification and the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1972. “The Bus” followed as a single and reached No. 43 on the R&B chart.

“Outa-Space” became a key instrumental of early 1970s funk and influenced subsequent clavinet-based tracks by artists including Herbie Hancock.

Music Is My Life

Billy Preston released his tenth album, Music Is My Life, in October 1972 on A&M.

The album blends gospel-inflected soul with Hammond-driven funk and piano-centered ballads, placing Preston’s keyboard work at the forefront. It introduced the Brothers Johnson as his core rhythm partners and features horns arranged by Tom Scott with additional orchestration by Clarence McDonald and guitarist David T. Walker.

Preston wrote or co-wrote nine of the album’s eleven songs. He co-wrote “One Time or Another” with Robert Sam, “I Wonder Why” and “Heart Full of Sorrow” with George Johnson, “Will It Go Round in Circles” with Bruce Fisher, “Ain’t That Nothin’” with Joe Greene and Sam, “God Loves You” with John Schuler, and “Nigger Charlie” with Greene. He covers the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” a Paul McCartney solo piece from the White Album.

Backing includes George Johnson (guitar), Louis Johnson (bass), Hubert Heard (keyboards), Manuel Kellough (drums), Tom Scott (horn), and reedist Jim Horn with trumpeter Paul Hubinon, trombonist George Bohanon, and horn players Buck Monari and Tom Scott. Vocal backing comes from Clydie King, Venetta Fields, and Oma Drake.

The album opens with “We’re Gonna Make It,” a piano-driven soul anthem with gospel-style chorus and sharp rhythmic accents. “Blackbird” appears as a stripped gospel-soul rendering of the 1968 Beatles original. “I Wonder Why” stretches to nearly six minutes with lurching Hammond chords and responsive vocal lines, while “Will It Go Round in Circles” rides a sustained rhythmic pulse. “Ain’t That Nothin’” injects a protest message into a buoyant funk framework. Side two includes “God Loves You,” a country-fried gospel anthem, and “Make the Devil Mad (Turn on to Jesus),” a swampy sermon-style rocker. “Nigger Charlie” builds on a heavy funk chassis, and “Music Is My Life” closes the album with Preston’s solo piano testimony.

A1. “We’re Gonna Make It” (3:13) – Opens with driving rhythm and sanctified piano phrasing. The lyric frames endurance as communal effort, its repeated declaration of faith delivered as both promise and command.

A2. “One Time or Another” (2:49) – Written by Preston and Robert Sam. Alternates clipped Hammond organ leads with collective vocal refrains. The lyric warns of moral reckoning, drawing tension between chance and responsibility through its circling rhythm.

A3. “Blackbird” (2:48) – Reimagines McCartney’s composition with electric keys and measured pulse. McCartney’s parable of liberation becomes here a gospel meditation, where each ascending phrase carries resolve rather than fragility.

A4. “I Wonder Why” (5:43) – Written by Preston and George Johnson. Expands from a slow invocation into a layered sermon of protest and self-questioning. The lyric searches for justice amid human division, with vocal and organ lines intertwining as lament and testimony.

A5. “Will It Go Round in Circles” (4:28) – Written by Preston and Bruce Fisher. This clavinet cut rides a revolving rhythmic motif that mirrors the lyrical message: an individual’s direction in life depends on his or her willingness to act. Preston’s phrasing turns reflection into propulsion, matching idea and momentum.

A6. “Ain’t That Nothin’” (3:47) – Written by Preston, Joe Greene, and Sam. A taut, percussive declaration of persistence. The lyric calls out deception and apathy, each instrumental accent underscoring its insistence that moral weight lies in action.

B1. “God Loves You” (2:50) – Written by Preston and John Schuler. A compact hymn that situates divine grace within daily struggle. The restrained rhythm leaves space for the vocal to function as affirmation rather than persuasion.

B2. “Make the Devil Mad (Turn On to Jesus)” (5:22) – Casts faith as rebellion through churning rhythm and repeated incantation. The lyric rejects temptation not through quiet devotion but through active defiance.

B3. “Nigger Charlie” (6:31) – Written by Preston and Greene. A narrative honoring a fugitive slave’s resistance. The lyric recounts endurance and survival, transforming historical memory into rhythmic assertion of identity and autonomy.

B4. “Heart Full of Sorrow” (3:35) – Written by Preston and Johnson. A reflective ballad structured around sustained keyboard lines. The lyric turns grief inward, its steady pulse suggesting reconciliation through endurance rather than release.

B5. “Music Is My Life” (3:58) – A closing prayer of gratitude in solo form. The lyric merges spiritual devotion and artistic purpose, presenting creation itself as the act of faith that unites the album.

Sessions occurred at A&M Studios in Hollywood with Billy Preston producing and Tommy Vicari engineering.

A&M promoted Music Is My Life with “Will It Go Round in Circles” (b/w “Blackbird”), released in March 1973. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over one million copies.

“Will It Go Round in Circles” became one of Preston’s most recognized songs and his first No. 1 solo hit.

Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music

Billy Preston released his eleventh album, Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music, on September 21, 1973, on A&M.

Preston uses the album as a stylistic showcase, moving through gospel, soul, funk, country, jazz, show tune, and classical modes. It includes his instrumental hit “Space Race,” conceived as a sequel to his 1971 single “Outa-Space.”

Preston sings and plays keyboards, bass guitar, and ARP synthesizer with guitarist David T. Walker, drummer Manuel Kellough, keyboardists Hubert Heard and Kenneth Lupper, and banjoist Dennis Coates. Paul Riser handled string and horn arrangements. Clarence McDonald arranged “My Soul Is a Witness,” which features the Divine Guidance Youth Choir directed by Rodena Fairley.

Preston wrote eight songs himself and co-wrote four numbers with lyricist Bruce Fisher, including “How Long Has the Train Been Gone,” “Sunday Morning,” “You’ve Got Me for Company,” and “Listen to the Wind.” He co-wrote “My Soul Is a Witness” with Joe Greene and “Do You Love Me?” with Fisher. The album closes with a classical-style instrumental of his own composition, “Minuet for Me,” and includes a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).”

The album’s first half moves through several genre vignettes, from the opening soul-pop title track to the brass-led “How Long Has the Train Been Gone,” the revivalist “My Soul Is a Witness,” and the country-inflected “Sunday Morning.” “You’ve Got Me for Company” and “Listen to the Wind” soften the mood with strings and rolling piano lines. Side two centers on funk and soul numbers, including the synth-driven “Space Race,” the horn-charged “Do You Love Me?,” and the slow funk burner “I’m So Tired,” with Dylan’s song reworked in Preston’s gospel-funk idiom. The closing “Minuet for Me” draws on classical counterpoint with piano and strings.

A1. “Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music” (1:08) – A brief overture framing the album’s concept through choral repetition and rhythmic pulse. The lyric functions as a declaration of unity through sound, setting the premise for the record’s stylistic reach.

A2. “You’re So Unique” (3:13) – Driven by crisp rhythm and punctuated horn lines, the song affirms self-worth through constancy rather than indulgence. Preston’s phrasing carries both admiration and steadiness, aligning devotion with discipline.

A3. “How Long Has the Train Been Gone” (2:25) – Written by Preston and Bruce Fisher as a showtune pastiche with brass, strings, shifting rhythmic accents, and call-and-response phrasing. The lyric reflects on change and missed momentum, the “train” symbolizing both time and opportunity.

A4. “My Soul Is a Witness” (2:47) – Written by Preston and Joe Greene. A gospel invocation built on handclaps and organ repetition, sung with a revivalist intensity. The lyric asserts faith through endurance, affirming testimony as both action and evidence.

A5. “Sunday Morning” (1:41) – Preston/Fisher. A short pastoral piece using a country-inflected rhythm with fiddle-like string accents. The lyric contrasts the calm of devotion with the routine of daily labor, turning stillness into reflection rather than repose.

A6. “You’ve Got Me for Company” (2:09) – Preston/Fisher. A moderate soul number with orchestral swells, balancing warmth and restraint. The lyric centers on steadfast companionship, while the arrangement interlaces soft strings against a firm rhythmic foundation.

A7. “Listen to the Wind” (3:04) – Preston/Fisher. A slow, reflective track where the lyric frames the wind as counsel and presence. The rhythm unfolds in measured steps, its contour mirroring the song’s quiet sense of searching, framed by a swampy soul-rock arrangement with gospel inflections.

B1. “Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music (Reprise)” (0:18) – A return to the album’s statement of intent, compressing its message into a final unifying phrase before the record’s stylistic turn.

B2. “Space Race” (3:23) – An instrumental sequel to “Outa-Space,” built on wah-filtered clavinet and ARP synthesizer lines. The title reflects both sound and concept—exploration through rhythm, propulsion as expression.

B3. “Do You Love Me?” (2:48) – Preston/Fisher. A blues-based track layered with horns, harmonica, and strings. The lyric questions reciprocity with direct address, its rhythmic insistence underscoring emotional uncertainty. The composition later inspired the Rolling Stones’ “Melody.”

B4. “I’m So Tired” (4:16) – Preston/Fisher. A weary yet insistent funk piece where exhaustion becomes revelation. Preston’s repetition turns fatigue into rhythm, his swirling synth lines tracing the tension between motion and restraint.

B5. “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” (3:39) – A 1965 Bob Dylan evergreen from Bringing It All Back Home. Preston reimagines the song through electric rhythm and gospel intensity. The lyric’s critique of hypocrisy and violence remains intact, but Preston’s phrasing reframes resistance as collective rather than solitary.

B6. “Minuet for Me” (2:05) – A closing instrumental that transposes classical form into personal meditation. Its measured pacing and circular phrasing act as coda, suggesting discipline as another kind of faith.

Sessions occurred at A&M Studios in Hollywood with Billy Preston producing and Tommy Vicari engineering.

Record label promoted the album with “Space Race” (b/w “We’re Gonna Make It”), which reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 4 on the Hot 100. “You’re So Unique” followed in early 1974 and reached No. 11 on the R&B chart and No. 48 on the Hot 100.

“Space Race” became a long-running cue on American Bandstand during the show’s mid-broadcast breaks through 1989. The Rolling Stones later drew on “Do You Love Me” as the basis for “Melody” on their 1976 album Black and Blue.

Live European Tour 1973

In April 1974, A&M abroad (UK, Japan) issued Live European Tour 1973, a document of Preston’s autumn ’73 tour.

The Kids & Me

Billy Preston released his twelfth studio album, The Kids & Me, in May 1974 on A&M.

Preston assembled the album after his European tour, blending funk, soul, and rock across a set that includes the No. 1 hit “Nothing from Nothing” and the original version of “You Are So Beautiful,” later popularized by Joe Cocker. The title references St. Elmo’s Village, a children’s recreation center in Los Angeles.

Preston plays piano, organ, and synthesizers throughout, joined by guitarists Tony Maiden and Joe Walsh, bassist Bobby Watson, banjoist Al Perkins, keyboardists Kenneth Luper and Hubert Heard, and drummer Manuel Kellough.

Preston wrote nine songs and co-wrote four with Bruce Fisher. George and Louis Johnson co-wrote “Struttin’,” and John Schuler co-wrote “John the Baptist.” Heard co-wrote “Creature Feature.” Joe Cocker scored a US Top 5 hit later in 1974 with his cover of “You Are So Beautiful.”

The set opens with “Tell Me You Need My Loving,” a thick, hard-paced funk track that shifts to double-time on the chorus. Preston channels sharp rhythmic patterns on the instrumental “Struttin’” and merges funk and rock on “Sister Sugar.” He adopts gospel-inflected phrasing on “Sad Sad Song” and delivers a Latin-tinged message piece on “Little Black Boys and Girls.” “Sometimes I Love You” unfolds over a rolling rhythm, while the closing instrumental “Creature Feature” layers wah-wah effects and synth textures.

A1. “Tell Me You Need My Loving” (2:42) – Written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher. Opens with rhythmic urgency, alternating between restrained verses and double-time refrains. The lyric tests emotional reciprocity, casting love as both desire and negotiation through shifting pulse and phrasing.

A2. “Nothing from Nothing” (2:33) – Preston/Fisher. A concise declaration of self-worth rendered through piano rhythm and brass punctuation. The lyric turns arithmetic metaphor into personal creed: affection or effort must hold tangible return.

A3. “Struttin’” (2:31) – Written by Preston, George Johnson, and Louis Johnson. An instrumental statement of propulsion and syncopation. Preston’s synthesizer lines pivot against bass accents, advancing movement as attitude and articulation without need of lyric.

A4. “Sister Sugar” (3:01) – Preston/Fisher. A kinetic soul piece framing affection as sustenance. Preston’s voice rises through clipped rhythmic layers, each repetition tightening the song’s sense of pursuit and release.

A5. “Sad Sad Song” (2:27) – Preston/Fisher. A gospel-inflected lament where endurance outweighs despair. The lyric recognizes loss while grounding itself in motion; Preston’s phrasing treats sorrow as labor, not surrender.

A6. “You Are So Beautiful” (4:44) – Preston/Fisher. A slow, devotional address originally inspired by Preston’s mother. The lyric offers unconditional reverence through minimal progression and suspended phrasing, transforming personal gratitude into universal appeal.

B1. “Sometimes I Love You” (3:12) – Alternates affection and frustration in a tightly wound rhythm. The lyric admits volatility without judgment, its measured repetition suggesting love’s rhythm as cyclical rather than fixed.

B2. “St. Elmo” (2:26) – An instrumental homage to St. Elmo’s Village, the community center to which the album is dedicated. The composition moves in bright rhythmic intervals, its uplift mirroring collective creativity.

B3. “John the Baptist” (3:19) – Written by Preston and John Schuler. A gospel-rock narrative invoking renewal through prophecy. The lyric aligns baptismal imagery with artistic calling, its organ and rhythm accents reinforcing conviction through motion.

B4. “Little Black Boys and Girls” (2:28) – Preston/Fisher. A message piece addressing racial identity and self-esteem with calm directness. The lyric centers pride as moral instruction, its steady rhythm supporting the clarity of its address.

B5. “Creature Feature” (3:27) – Written by Preston and Hubert Heard. A closing instrumental built from synthesized motifs and percussive repetition. Its title playfully reframes experimentation as spectacle, concluding the album in restless motion rather than resolution.

Sessions occurred at Record Plant in Los Angeles and Westlake Audio and A&M Studios in Hollywood with Billy Preston producing and engineering by the in-house A&M team.

A&M promoted The Kids & Me with “Nothing from Nothing” (b/w “My Soul Is a Witness”), which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the R&B chart. “Struttin’” followed as a second single (b/w “You Are So Beautiful”).

Joe Cocker’s cover of “You Are So Beautiful” appeared later in 1974 on I Can Stand a Little Rain and became a Top 5 US hit. The song was subsequently covered by Ray Stevens and numerous others.

It’s My Pleasure

Billy Preston released his thirteenth studio album, It’s My Pleasure, on June 20, 1975, on A&M.

The album reflects a clear modernization of Preston’s sound, with an increased emphasis on synthesizers and collaborative performances with high-profile guests. It marked his first pairing with Syreeta Wright and features harmonica by Stevie Wonder and guitar by George Harrison (credited as “Hari Georgeson”) on one track.

Preston plays piano, organ, and synthesizers throughout the album. His core band includes guitarist Shuggie Otis, drummer–percussionist Ollie E. Brown, bassist Reggie McBride, and guitar–bassist Kenny Burke. Wright appears on vocals, Harrison on guitar, and Wonder on harmonica. The Waters family — Lorna, Julia, Luther, and Oren — provide backing vocals. Synthesizer pioneers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff (TONTO) supply additional programming.

Preston wrote five songs alone, co-wrote “Fancy Lady” with Wright, “Do It While You Can” with Bruce Fisher, and “All of My Life” with Russ Rasputin. He features Wright on the opening cut and enlists Wonder on “Do It While You Can” and the title track. Captain & Tennille later covered “Song of Joy” on their 1976 album of the same name.

The album opens with “Fancy Lady,” a long-form cut with shifting rhythmic contours and an alternating vocal interplay between Preston and Wright. “Found the Love” and “That’s Life” lean on crisp, propulsive keyboard work, the latter enhanced by Harrison’s rhythmic guitar voicings. “Do It While You Can” extends over a measured pace with Wonder’s harmonica punctuating the verses. “It’s My Pleasure” and “Song of Joy” showcase synth layering by Cecil and Margouleff, while “I Can’t Stand It” stretches into extended instrumental breaks. “All of My Life” closes the set with a rolling bassline and elastic keyboard accents.

A1. “Fancy Lady” (5:40) — Co-written with Syreeta Wright, who shares lead vocals with Preston. The lyric frames romantic allure through flirtatious exchanges.
A2. “Found the Love” (3:58) — Preston composition centered on syncopated keyboard figures and fluid backing harmonies.
A3. “That’s Life” (3:36) — Features Harrison on guitar; Preston delivers clipped vocal phrasing over tight rhythmic accents.
A4. “Do It While You Can” (6:42) — Co-written with Bruce Fisher. Stevie Wonder adds harmonica embellishments that weave through the verses.

B1. “It’s My Pleasure” (3:51) — Title track built on bright synth tones and layered backing vocals.
B2. “Song of Joy” (3:22) — Later covered by Captain & Tennille. Preston delivers a direct, uplifting vocal line over warm keyboard textures.
B3. “I Can’t Stand It” (6:23) — Preston composition with extended instrumental breaks and fluctuating rhythmic patterns.
B4. “All of My Life” (5:52) — Co-written with Russ Rasputin. Kenny Burke plays guitar and bass, providing a solid foundation under Preston’s organ voicings.

Sessions occurred at Kendun Recorders in Burbank and Centaur Electronic Music Centre with Preston producing alongside Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil, who also handled the synthesizer programming.

It’s My Pleasure features art direction by Junie Osaki and photography by Benno Friedman.

Record label promoted the album with “Fancy Lady,” backed with “Found the Love.” Captain & Tennille’s 1976 cover of “Song of Joy” gave the composition broader exposure within pop circles.

Billy Preston

Billy Preston released his self-titled fourteenth studio album on November 19, 1976, on A&M.

The album builds on the synth-laced funk-soul sound of It’s My Pleasure with a tighter, more rhythm-forward production and a guest roster that includes Tower of Power’s horn section and guitarist Jeff Beck. Preston revisits material from his Apple Records era with updated arrangements that align with mid-1970s soul and R&B production values.

Preston plays Hammond organ, piano, Clavinet, Hohner Pianet, and synthesizers throughout the album. Guitarists Jeff Beck, Tony Maiden, and Steve Beckmeier appear alongside bassist Keni Burke and RTF drummer Ollie E. Brown. George Johnson plays bass on one track. Stephanie Spruill contributes percussion and backing vocals with Merry Clayton and Olivia Foster. Tower of Power supply horns via trumpeters Greg Adams and Mic Gillette, tenor saxophonists Emilio Castillo and Lenny Pickett, baritone saxophonist Steve Kupka, and Gillette on flugelhorn and piccolo. Malcolm Cecil handles synthesizer programming.

Preston wrote six songs alone and co-wrote three with lyricist Bruce Fisher, two with Doug Jones, and one with Jesse Kirkland. The Johnson brothers, George and Louis, contributed “Simplify Your Life.” He reworks three earlier Apple-era songs: “Do What You Want” (1969), “Let the Music Play,” and “When You Are Mine” (1970).

The album alternates between tightly arranged horn funk and synth-anchored soul tracks. “Do What You Want,” “When You Are Mine,” and “Let the Music Play” present streamlined re-recordings of Preston’s late-1960s/early-1970s compositions. “Bad Case of Ego” features Beck’s taut guitar lines, while “Girl” and “Bells” highlight Preston’s contoured keyboard phrasing against soft harmonic layers. “I’ve Got the Spirit” and “Take Time to Figure It Out” carry a steady rhythmic momentum, and “Ecstasy” closes the album on an extended, climactic pulse.

A1. “Do What You Want” (2:56) — A 1969 Preston original re-recorded here with fuller horn and keyboard textures. The lyric urges self-determination and faith.
A2. “Girl” (3:15) — Co-written with Bruce Fisher. Preston delivers yearning vocals over clipped keyboard phrases and backing harmonies.
A3. “Bells” (3:20) — Another Fisher co-write; features overlapping keyboard patterns and softened horn accents.
A4. “I’ve Got the Spirit” (3:57) — Co-written with Doug Jones. The lyric celebrates inner strength and joy.
A5. “When You Are Mine” (2:48) — Originally from Encouraging Words, newly arranged with tighter rhythm section phrasing.

B1. “Bad Case of Ego” (2:56) — Beck and Maiden play over a brisk, syncopated pulse. The lyric frames pride as an isolating force.
B2. “Take Time to Figure It Out” (3:14) — Jones co-write with a measured pace and rhythmic vocal delivery.
B3. “Let the Music Play” (3:00) — A Kirkland co-write and a 1970 remake with sharpened horn charts.
B4. “Simplify Your Life” (3:46) — Written by George and Louis Johnson. A clipped rhythm section underpins a lyrical call to shed excess.
B5. “Let’s Make Love” (2:46) — Preston and Fisher collaboration with hushed phrasing over steady keyboard accents.
B6. “Ecstasy” (4:04) — Preston composition; climactic closer built on layered organ and percussive drive.

Sessions occurred at Indigo Ranch in Malibu with Record Plant Mobile facilities. Preston co-produced the album with Robert Margouleff, who also oversaw synthesizer programming with Malcolm Cecil.

Billy Preston features cover photography by Norman Seeff.

A&M promoted the album with “I’ve Got the Spirit” (b/w “Bad Case of Ego”), which reached the Billboard R&B Top 50. “Girl” followed as a second single.

The album marked Preston’s last A&M release before his 1977 shift to Motown for A Whole New Thing.

A Whole New Thing

Billy Preston released his fifteenth studio album, A Whole New Thing, on July 14, 1977, on A&M.

The album finds Preston blending brisk, rhythmic funk with instrumental showcases and understated ballads. It includes a pair of instrumentals that highlight his keyboard dexterity and features a supporting cast of seasoned session players across guitars, horns, and backing vocals. This was his final release for A&M before his move to Motown.

Preston sings on nine tracks and plays keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion. His backing players include keyboardists Kenny Moore and Truman Thomas; guitarists Tony Maiden, Michael McGloiry, and Eugene Henderson; bassist Keni Burke; drummer Ollie E. Brown; drummer–percussionist Alvin Taylor; and percussionist Bobbye Hall. Additional rhythm contributions come from bassist Welton Gite and drummer Manuel Kellough. Horn charts feature saxophonist Wynell Montgomery and trumpeters Charles Garnett and Angelo Richards. Andre Crough, Joe Greene, Gloria Jones, Clydie King, and Frankie Spring provide backing vocals.

Preston wrote or co-wrote eight songs. Thomas co-wrote and produced the title track, while Preston partnered with Robert “Inky” Incorvaia on “Complicated Sayings” and “You Got Me Buzzin’,” Joe Greene on “Sweet Marie” and “You Don’t Have to Go,” and Jack Ackerman on “Touch Me Love.” Truman Thomas, Jeffrey Bowen, and James Ford wrote the opening title track.

The set alternates between rhythm-driven vocal cuts and keyboard-centered instrumentals. “Whole New Thing” launches the album with sharp horn punctuations and layered keyboard lines. “Disco Dancin’” rides a steady four-beat pulse, while “I’m Really Gonna Miss You” slows the pace with sustained organ and reflective vocal phrasing. Instrumentals “Attitudes,” “Wide Stride,” and “Happy” function as stylistic showcases, with “Wide Stride” evoking Preston’s early-1970s synthesizer work. “You Got Me Buzzin’” and “Touch Me Love” feature clipped rhythmic vocal delivery, and “Sweet Marie” closes the album with gently rising keyboard figures and close harmonies.

A1. “Whole New Thing” (3:35) — Written by Truman Thomas, Jeffrey Bowen, and James Ford. A fast-tempo horn funk opener built around clustered keyboard accents and layered rhythm.
A2. “Disco Dancin’” (3:30) — Preston original built on a four-beat rhythmic pulse with clipped keyboard phrasing.
A3. “Complicated Sayings” (2:54) — Co-written with Robert “Inky” Incorvaia. Vocal line moves in short, rhythmic bursts against tight rhythmic figures.
A4. “Attitudes” (2:29) — Instrumental with honky-tonk flavored piano voicings and short, concise phrasing.
A5. “I’m Really Gonna Miss You” (3:48) — Organ-driven ballad with sustained tones and a direct farewell lyric.

B1. “Wide Stride” (3:15) — Instrumental track with syncopated rhythmic structure reminiscent of Preston’s earlier “Space Race.”
B2. “You Got Me Buzzin’” (2:42) — Co-written with Incorvaia; measured vocal phrasing against steady rhythmic movement.
B3. “Sweet Marie” (3:40) — Co-written with Joe Greene. Warm keyboard layers and backing vocals underpin a lyric of devotion.
B4. “Happy” (2:20) — Instrumental, concise and bright in phrasing.
B5. “Touch Me Love” (3:22) — Co-written with Jack Ackerman; vocal exchanges punctuate clipped rhythm.
B6. “You Don’t Have to Go” (3:00) — Co-written with Greene. Soul ballad with prominent organ voicings.

Sessions occurred between January 10 and 31, 1977, at Kendun Recorders in Burbank and The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. Preston co-produced the album with Truman Thomas. Michael Schuman engineered and mixed the sessions.

A Whole New Thing features art direction by Roland Young, design by Chuck Beeson, and photography by Moshe Brakha.

A&M promoted the album with “Wide Stride” (b/w “Attitudes”), which reached No. 33 on the Billboard R&B chart. A re-recorded version of “I’m Really Gonna Miss You” appeared as a single the following spring.

Preston followed A Whole New Thing with Behold, an album of gospel music on Myrrh.

Fast Break (OST)

In March 1979, Motown issued Fast Break, composer David Shire’s soundtrack to director Jack Smight’s sports comedy starring Gabe Kaplan (Welcome Back Kotter) and NBA All-Star Bernard King (then of the Utah Jazz). The soundtrack features songs performed by Syreeta Wright (“He Didn’t Say”) and Billy Preston (“More Than Just a Friend”).

Preston performs two instrumentals with Fast Break cast musicians and duets with Syreeta on two numbers: “With You I’m Born Again” and “Got for It (Theme From Fast Break).”

Late at Night

Billy Preston released his seventeenth studio album, Late at Night, in July 1979 on Motown.

The album combines sleek soul-pop and rhythmic dance cuts with gospel undertones and a high-gloss production typical of Motown’s late-1970s sound. It marked Preston’s first release for the label and includes his major comeback hit, “With You I’m Born Again,” a duet with Syreeta Wright.

Preston fronts the sessions on vocals, piano, organ, synthesizers, melodica, harpsichord, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals. Guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and David T. Walker, bassists Keni Burke, Robert Lee Hill, and Chuck Rainey, drummers Ollie E. Brown and James Gadson, percussionist Bobbye Hall, saxophonist Bobby Keys, and harpist Dorothy Ashby augment the instrumental lineup. Backing vocals include Maxayn Lewis, Scherrie Payne, Gloria Jones, Bruce Fisher, Richard Jones, Bobby King, Phyllis St. James, Joe Greene, Jesse Kirkland, and Syreeta Wright.

Preston wrote or co-wrote seven of the nine tracks. External writers David Shire and Carol Connors contributed the hit “With You I’m Born Again,” which originated on the Fast Break soundtrack.

The album opens with a sequence of rhythm-forward dance numbers before pivoting toward pop-soul balladry. “Give It Up, Hot” and “Late at Night” surge with fast-paced rhythmic drive, while “You” takes a contoured urban pop approach with layered harmonies. “I Come to Rest in You” draws on classic soul balladry in the Ray Charles mold. “It Will Come in Time” features a percussive bounce reminiscent of Preston’s 1974 hit “Nothing From Nothing,” and “With You I’m Born Again” closes the album on a subdued, devotional note.

A1. “Give It Up, Hot” (5:59) — co-written by Preston, Ronnie Vann, and Bruce Fisher
A2. “Late at Night” (4:49) — co-written by Preston, Jesse Kirkland, and Joe Greene
A3. “All I Wanted Was You” (4:43) — co-written by Preston and Carol Connors
A4. “You” (4:25) — co-written by Preston, Gloria Jones, and Richard Jones
A5. “I Come to Rest in You” (3:52) — co-written by Preston and Guy Finley

B1. “It Will Come in Time” (4:57) — written by Preston
B2. “Lovely Lady” (3:52) — co-written by Preston and Jack Ackerman
B3. “With You I’m Born Again” (3:38) — originated as a 1979 soundtrack ballad for Fast Break, written by David Shire and Carol Connors, and first recorded by Preston and Syreeta Wright. The lyrics express a spiritual rebirth through romantic love.
B4. “Sock-It, Rocket” (3:10) — written by Preston

Sessions occurred at Motown Recording Studios in Los Angeles and Kendun Recorders in Burbank with Preston as producer. David Shire and James Di Pasquale produced “With You I’m Born Again.” F. Byron Clark engineered and mixed the album with assistance from James Warmack, Steve Williams, and Bob Winard. Russ Terrana handled remixing and mastering.

Motown promoted Late at Night with “It Will Come in Time” as the lead single in 1979. In December of that year, they reissued “With You I’m Born Again” (b/w “All I Wanted Was You”), which became Preston’s biggest hit since his early 1970s run, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the UK.

“With You I’m Born Again” has since been covered by later performers and featured prominently in numerous television and film soundtracks in the decades following its release.

Discography:

16 Yr. Old Soul (1963)
Hymns Speak From the Organ (1965 • William Everett Preston)
The Most Exciting Organ Ever (1965)
Early Hits of 1965 (1965)
Wildest Organ in Town! (1966)
Club Meeting (1967)
That’s the Way God Planned It (1969)
Encouraging Words (1970)
I Wrote a Simple Song (1971)
Music Is My Life (1972)
Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music (1973)
The Kids & Me (1974)
Live European Tour 1973 (1974)
It’s My Pleasure (1975)
Billy Preston (1976)
A Whole New Thing (1977)
Behold (1978)
Late at Night (1979)
Fast Break (OST, 1979 • Billy Preston & Syreeta)
Universal Love (1980)
The Way I Am (1981)
Pressin’ On (1982)
On the Air (1984)
Ministry of Music (1986)
You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down (1986)
Billy’s Back (1995)
I Believe to My Soul (2005 • Ann Peebles, Billy Preston, Mavis Staples, Irma Thomas & Allen Toussaint)