Luther Ingram
Luther Thomas Ingram was born on November 30, 1937, in Jackson, Tennessee, as one of ten children. His family relocated to Alton, Illinois, in 1947 when he was ten, where he developed an interest in music and formed a gospel group called the Alton Crusaders with his brothers Archie and Richard. The group later shifted to doo-wop and recorded as the Gardenias for Federal Records in 1956, accompanied by Ike Turner.
Ingram started his solo career in 1965 with Decca Records, releasing "You Never Miss Your Water," which he co-wrote. He signed with KoKo Records in the late 1960s, a Memphis label tied to Stax Records, achieving his first charting hits like "My Honey And Me" (#19 R&B in 1969) and "Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)" (#6 R&B, #45 Hot 100 in 1970).
His signature song, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right," topped the R&B chart for four weeks and reached #3 on the Hot 100 in 1972, becoming his biggest hit on KoKo/Sta.x Ingram placed 15 singles on the R&B charts from 1970-1978, including "I'll Be Your Shelter (In Time of Storm)" (#9 R&B) and co-wrote the Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself." Other notable tracks include "Pity for the Lonely" (#39 R&B) and Northern Soul favorites like "I Can't Stop."
Ingram continued recording into the 1990s, though later releases were less prominent. He passed away on March 19, 2007, in Belleville, Illinois, at age 69. His work influenced soul and R&B, with songs featured in films like Hustle & Flow and Now and Then.
I’ve Been Here All The Time
A2 You Were Made For Me (Sam Cooke 3:57)
A3 Oh Baby, You Can Depend On Me (Luther Ingram 2:08)
A4 My Honey & Me (John McFarland, Luther Ingram 3:15)
A5 I'll Just Call You Honey (J. Baylor, J. Northern, L. Ingram, R. Stewart 2:51)
A6 Since You Don't Want Me (Luther Ingram 4:18)
B1 Missing You (John McFarland, Luther Ingram 3:24)
B2 I'll Love You Until The End (James Banks, Johnny Baylor 3:43)
B3 Be Good To Me Baby (Johnny Baylor 4:11)
B4 Pity For The Lonely (Dorian Burton, Gertrude Jones 2:46)
B5 To The Other Man (J. Baylor, J. Northern, L. Ingram, R. Stewart 4:00)
B6 Ghetto Train (J. Baylor, J. Northern, L. Ingram, R. Stewart 3:46)
Label: KoKo – KOS-2201
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Southern Soul
Luther Ingram's debut album, I've Been Here All the Time, is a classic of Southern Soul music, known for its emotional depth and a sound heavily influenced by the Stax Records scene in Memphis.
The album was released in 1971 (though some sources list early 1972) on the KoKo label, which was owned by his producer Johnny Baylor and closely affiliated with Stax Records. It showcases Ingram's powerful and emotive vocals over rich Southern Soul arrangements, featuring a blend of smooth ballads and mid-tempo grooves.
The rhythm sections included top-tier musicians like the Bar-Kays, and Isaac Hayes' backing band the Movement. The album also features Hayes' backing group Hot Buttered Soul.
In line with many soul albums of the era, the LP primarily served as a compilation of previously released 45 rpm singles, rather than a single cohesive artistic statement like the concept albums that groundbreaking artists like Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye were producing at the time.
The album features several significant tracks that became R&B hits, including:
"Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)"
"You Were Made for Me"
"Pity for the Lonely"
"To the Other Man"
"I'll Love You Until the End"
The album's success laid the groundwork for his biggest hit, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right," which was released shortly after and often paired with this album on later CD reissues.