B.B. King – “To Know You Is To Love You” Live

To Know B.B. King More Is To Love Him More

I admit, B.B. King’s studio versions are absolutely great but his live ones are much more so! He’s one performer I can listen to over and over again. I can’t get enough of how his voice pulses with so much passion and feeling. It’s like if there’s any way to touch music, THIS IS IT.

• “To Know You Is to Love You” was written by Syreeta Wright and Stevie Wonder.
• B.B. King released the single in 1973 which was co-interpreted with Stevie Wonder.

If B.B. was looking to make a smooth transition from blues to a more commercially viable, blues-based idiom, he has succeeded admirably. There are several possible singles here.

No matter how loud the music is, B.B. King’s powerful voice always manages to stand out. Especially with this intimate concert, he sings with such gusto. The entire song is a feast in itself.

King’s attempts to emulate Bukka’s slide guitar technique helped him develop what Musician called his “trademark,” namely “a first-finger vibrato that shakes at the wrist and punctuates the blues as recognizably as very few other sounds.”