Throwback Thursday: Du-Ettes – “Every Beat of My Heart”
Sometimes, a song’s potential is only as great as the number of people that get to hear it. This was often the case for songs by Black artists that couldn’t “cross over” because the very radio stations that make crossover hits possible wouldn’t play songs by Black artists. And to add insult to injury, some of these songs would end up becoming crossover hits after being covered by white artists. But I digress.
Today’s TBT post is about “Every Beat of My Heart,” a song performed by Du-Ettes, an R&B duo from Chicago comprised of cousins Barbara Livsey and Mary Hayes. Before we go any further, we must salute them for that brilliant name. Get it? All of their songs are duets because…you get it.
Released in 1965, “Every Beat of My Heart” only managed to become a regional hit, and after nearly six decades, it was as good as forgotten. That all changed recently when it was used for a Whole Foods commercial. I and so many others have since fallen in love with that song — the majority of the YouTube comments for it reference the commercial. At a time when it feels like we’ve heard it all, it makes you wonder how many masterpieces are out there lying dormant in catalogs that never got fair exposure.
May the hidden gems of years past continue to find their their belated moments in the sun.
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