Today’s classic song of the day comes to us from one of Stax Records’ most popular artists, Eddie Floyd. The song is “I’ve Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)” and, when it was released in June of 1988, it peaked at just #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #47 on the Cash Box Top 100, but went all the way to #2 on Billboard’s Best Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles chart.
“I’ve Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)” is a piece of sweet Memphis soul, written by Eddie Floyd himself, along with Booker T. Jones; Stax exec Al Bell also got songwriting credit. The single was produced by Steve Cropper. Backing musicians included all the members of Booker T. and the MG’s (Booker T. Jones on keyboards, Steve Cropper on guitar, Duck Dunn on bass, and Al Jackson Jr. on drums) along with the Memphis Horns.
Eddie Floyd, an Alabama native, started singing professionally at age 16. He signed with Stax Records in 1965, as a songwriter; among his songs was Wilson Pickett’s “634-5789” and Carla Thomas’ “Comfort Me.” He had his first big solo hit in 1966 with “Knock On Wood.” “I’ve Never Found a Girl” was his second mainstream hit, followed in 1968 with “Bring It On Home to Me.”
Eddie Floyd has been recording and performing constantly over the decades. My wife and I caught him at Minneapolis’ Dakota Jazz Club about a decade ago, sharing a bill with Booker T. and the MG’s, and they blew the roof off the joint. He’s still alive today, 88 years old.
For today’s daily bonus video of the day, here’s an older but still dynamic Eddie Floyd performing “I’ve Never Found a Girl” at the Alabama Theater in Myrtle Beach on November 15, 2015. That’s about when I saw him live, and he really cooked.
