Soul Serenade

On Tuesday, my review of the new Jimmy Webb album, Just Across the River, ran on Popdose. If you read it, you know that I am a huge fan of Mr. Webb. The mp3 that I provided from the album was a song called “Do What You Gotta Do,” which, though it had been recorded by many other artists, had never been recorded by the songwriter himself until it appeared on the new album.

Since I am such a big fan, I couldn’t let the release of a new album go by with a mere review. To commemorate the occasion, here are three soulful, distinct takes on “Do What You Gotta Do” by three legendary soul artists:

Nina Simone

Nina Simone – “Do What You Gotta Do” (1968)

Clarence Carter

Clarence Carter – “Do What You Gotta Do” (1968)

Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack – “Do What You Gotta Do” (1970)

About the Author

Ken Shane

Ken Shane lives in Narragansett, R.I. He is a freelance writer and far and away the oldest Popdose writer. In fact, he may be the oldest writer, period. He wants you to know that he generally does not share his colleagues' love for the music of the '80s, and he does not forgive them for loving it. (Ken passed away in November 2022. R.I.P. —Ed.)

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