This week’s final classic song by a guy named Gary, Gerry, or Jerry of the day takes us back to 1960 and “He Will Break Your Heart” by Jerry Butler. This track went all the way to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard R&B chart.
Jerry “The Iceman” Butler was a former member of soul group the Impressions and co-wrote this tune with fellow Impression Curtis Mayfield and producer Calvin Carter. It’s a prime example of the early Chicago soul sound, a kind of smooth soul with pretty harmonies.
“He Will Break Your Heart” was the first solo hit for the Iceman after leaving the Impressions earlier in 1960. He continued to have a string of pop and R&B hits on his own, his biggest being “Let It Be Me” (with Betty Everett, #5 in 1964), “Hey Western Union Man” (#16 in 1968), and “Only the Strong Survive” (#4 in 1969). He continued recording through the early ’80s and performing through the turn of the century. The Iceman is still alive today, 83 years old.
Interestingly, Tony Orlando and Dawn had a hit with this song, under a different title, in 1975. They named it after the first line of the chorus, not the second, as “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You).” Their considerably less soulful version charted higher than Butler’s original single, going all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard Adult Contemporary, and Cash Box Top 100 charts. It was so popular that Billboard ranked it the #18 song for all of 1975. (For some inexplicable reason, Tony Orlando and Dawn were very big in the mid-70s.)
It’s a great song in either version, although I naturally prefer the Iceman’s more soulful original. But isn’t that always the case?
