Esther Phillips Just Say Goodbye

Seeing Esther Phillips perform "Just Say Goodbye" is one of my favourite moments on the Nashville based 60's TV show "The Beat".

The 45 was one of many magical records which I first heard back in the mid-70's after one of my friends, Nick Cowan, first played it to me during one of our weekly get togethers. These get togethers always remain amongst my fondest musical memories as Nick and I would sit around playing our latest 45 acquisitions on an old record player before going out for a few beers.

When Nick sold up some of his sounds, "Just Say Goodbye" was high up on my wants list and that's how I got my copy. As the years went by this 45 became a firm favourite on the UK soul scene especially after Richard Searling used to play it on his then Jazz FM North West show Soul Sauce. By then, the song had become an anthem for me and my late first wife Clare and I will always associate the record with her.

Esther bleeds out every last ounce of bitterness of a failed love affair which sucks you into a melodramatic ensemble of emotions which always leaves me on the verge of tears. The melodrama is wonderfully enhanced by the arrangement of Oliver Nelson who takes a simple song and turns it into an opus.

See Esther performing the song circa 1965: