Subliminal Melody

On a Summer evening in late August 1971, a young composer by the name of Donny Hathaway walked back out onto the stage without his band at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA.

As he began his encore performance, his piano glissando drew shouts from the crowd, and then Hathaway launched into a performance of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” that embodies transcendence — of the audience’s expectations and perhaps even of his own.

The whole performance is so breathtaking that it’s hard to fathom such a moment was captured on tape. But it’s the timeless interlude that stands out. “And if my words don’t come together,” Hathaway sings, “listen to the melody, ‘cause my love is in there, hiding…” As in the studio version, he plays the tear-drop piano line, but he draws it out into a complex chord that heightens the tension.

Citrus Accord Top

Hathaway’s live performance of this haunting love ballad inspired Subliminal Melody’s creative process. The protagonist in this song is attempting to express his love while acknowledging his imperfections and how difficult it may be to love in return.

Because love is such a strong and complex emotion, we chose notes that are typically overpowering on their own but are beautifully smoothed out during the blending process.

Much like Hathaway’s approach to his rendition of “A Song for You” where he took you for a ride while hanging on to every note in the composition, Subliminal Melody takes you on a journey as notes of Citrus, Rose, and Oud Accords unfold beautifully like a haunting melody that touches many but can only truly be understood by whom it was intended for.