Billy Paul
Me and Mrs. Jones

We are back in the seventies for a change. A trend known as "philly sound" starts to take hold in the varied world of black music. The sixties soul, that of James Brown, Otis Redding, and Aretha Franklin, just to make it clear for the less experienced, peeks out from another window, that of Philadelphia, the American metropolis. Two producers, the makers of what will become a historic label, Philadelphia International Records, namely Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, begin to think about music, to write it, to arrange it.

But they don't sing their own songs. In this context, new soul singers emerge. Launched by the two producers, characters like Teddy Pendergrass of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Lou Rawls, Jean Carn, Arthur Prysock make a fortune. But not only solo artists, groups like the O'Jays or the Trammps emerge; the latter do not come from Philadelphia and it is not under the eponymous label that they release songs: yet, gentlemen, the philly sound becomes the winning ingredient of their music. And among others, in this rich and varied prosperous situation, there is a singer who seems to have stepped out of a literary novel: top hat, glasses, thick beard, a voice that stands out for its uniqueness, it is Billy Paul.

Gamble and Huff, together with Cary Gilbert, write a song for Billy. A piece that talks about two people, a man and a woman who regularly meet in a small café. It is not clear whether the two also sleep together, the lyrics do not mention it. But we know she is married to another man, to Mr. Jones, because she is actually Mrs. Jones. This is what the song Me and Mrs. Jones is about: an extramarital affair between two lovers who feel something important for each other. But her marriage seems even more important, so much so that, once the romantic meeting is over in that venue where their favorite song plays on the jukebox, the two return each to their own path. They will see each other again tomorrow, once more, because perhaps their relationship is something that goes beyond sex. Perhaps they love each other deeply.

Sometimes it is difficult to understand whether a song is a masterpiece or not. Well, without a shadow of a doubt, this one is. The lyrics, in their simplicity, are already stunning. Sensual in just the right way, avoiding any kind of over-the-top praise. But two elements make the difference: the music, mind you, with its original 1972 arrangement and the voice of its interpreter, Billy Paul. Because his tone, so warm and reassuring, is a dream turned to voice. An artist, alas, little remembered today, but with this piece, and this piece alone would be enough, he has entered into legend.

I often find myself listening to this song and every time it's EXACTLY like the first time. After the first listen, it's difficult for me to move on: so I play it again from the start. In headphones, in stereo, in the car, it doesn't matter. One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Long live black music. And you, Billy, with your Mrs. Jones, you have reached eternity.