IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME BY NOW
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES
SONGWRITERS: KENNY GAMBLE & LEON HUFF
COUNTRY: U. K.
ALBUM: I MISS YOU
LABEL: PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS
GENRE: SOUL
YEAR: 1972
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an
American soul and R&B vocal group.
One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the
middle of the 1950s as The Charlemagnes, the group is most noted for several
hits on Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia
International label between 1972 and 1976,
although they performed and recorded until Melvin's death in 1997. Despite
group founder and original lead singer Harold Melvin's top billing, the Blue
Notes' most famous member was Teddy Pendergrass,
their lead singer during the successful years at Philadelphia International. The remaining members of the Blue
Notes have reunited for Soul Train Cruises in 2013, 2015, and 2017.
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a
song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff,
and recorded by the Philadelphia soul musical group Harold Melvin
& the Blue Notes. It became their first hit after
being released as a single in September 1972, topping the US R&B chart and peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" was
originally written for Labelle(a trio
led by Patti LaBelle) but
they never recorded it. Much like the issue with "I Miss You" and The Dells passing
on it, the song's composers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff gave it
to Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which featured Teddy Pendergrass as lead vocalist. In addition to the single release, the track was
included on their debut álbum I Miss You.
Patti LaBelle later made the song part of her concert repertoire in 1982; a live
version appears on her 1985 album, Patti.
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" has
since been recorded by a number of other artists, most notably the English pop
and soul band Simply Red, who
took their version to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989.
The
song was chosen as one of the "Songs of the Century" by the RIAA
Sing the song,
everybody
C'mon
If you don't know me
by now (wunderbar)
You will never, never, never know me
Oooh
Now all the things
That we've been through
You should understand me
Like I understand you
Now girl I know the
difference
Between right and wrong
I ain't gonna do nothing
To upset our happy home
Don't get so excited
When I come home
A little late at night
You know we only act like children
When we argue fuss and fight
If you don't know me,
baby
(You will never never never know me)
No, you won't (oooh)
Oooh, yeah, c'mon
Oh, if you don't know
me, girl
(You will never never never know me)
You... (Uuuh)
We've all got
Our own funny moods
I've got mine
I bet you woman you've got yours too
You better trust in
me like I trust in you
As long as we've been together
It should be so easy to do
Just get yourself
together
Or we might as well say goodbye
What good is a love affair
When you can't see eye to eye
If you don't know me,
baby
(You will never never never know me)
No, you won't (Oooh)
No, you won't, no, you won't, no, you won't
Twenty long years
we've been together
(You will never never never know me)
(Ooohh) ooh ooh-ooh oh
Well...
Oooh (You will never never never know me)
No, you won't (oooh).