Taylor Hicks ~~ "The Right Place"

It was written for Ray Charles, but after Brother Ray’s death, Taylor Hicks was given the Bryan Adams song to record in 2006 on his first post-Idol self-titled album.

You can imagine the raspy voice of Ray Charles and see him sitting at his piano with his head back pouring out this lasting vow of love. But Taylor Hicks brought his best Ray Charles, and made it his own with emotional vocals both tender and intense.

The Right Place

If it’s loving that you want
well it’s loving you receive
’cause you’ve come to the right place baby

yeah the door is always open
if you need some company
you’ve come to the right place baby.

Heaven knows, that I can’t read your mind
you can turn it around
darling one step at a time
angel, oh angel can’t you see
that I can’t live without you
so baby won’t you help me please

when there’s no one left to trust
well I think that you’ll agree
that you’ve come to the right place baby.
when you’re down on your luck
well just look around you’ll see
that you’ve come to the right place baby.

Sometimes you don’t know
what you’ve got until its gone
then you look around and it was right there all along
cause angel, angel you’ve got to understand
that I don’t wanna be without you
won't you help me if you can?

I ain’t asking for the world
I just want you to believe
that you’ve come to the right place baby
when there’s no one else to hold you
will I be there? yes indeed

Oh, you’ve come to the right place baby
yeah you’ve come to the right place
Oh, you’ve come to the right place baby
yeah you’ve come to the right place
yes, indeed

Written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance in 1988, “The Right Place” also became a mantra for when Taylor seemed to be in “the right place.”

Last week, Wonder from Season of the Soul took us back to a magical time in 2006 when Taylor was living in California where he could hear the waves in the morning before he went to the studio to record. Less than a year later, he was on a whirlwind tour with the music. The last stop on that tour in November, 2007, was at Pearl River, Mississippi, and I was lucky enough to be there.

One of the lasting memories I took from Pearl River was in the pictures of a “turned out for Taylor Hicks” casino. His poster was everywhere including a wall sized one!

Another hung on their gallery wall of artists who had performed there.

And on the same wall was the picture of a gray-haired Ray Charles who had also performed at Pearl River.



Just as I did when I sat at Pearl River looking at Taylor’s picture on the same wall with Ray Charles and every time I see Taylor perform this song, I think that Ray Charles would be proud that Taylor recorded “his” song. And that Taylor’s picture hanging on the wall was in “the right place.”

From those magical mornings in California to nights in Nashville now, Taylor Hicks will be “in the right place” for a long time, and I think that no one would be happier than Brother Ray.

One of the best performances of “The Right Place” was on The View in 2007, here on YouTube by Gypsee44:







The album, Taylor Hicks, with “The Right Place” was certified platinum by RIAA on January 17, 2008!
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Reference: “One Thing Leads to Another,” by Wonder
http://seasonofthesoul.wordpress.com/

Photos by San: Pearl River Casino, Philadelphia, MS, November, 2007.