“What You Gained’t Do for Love” went to No. 9 on the Billboard Scorching 100 and No. 6 on what was then referred to as the Scorching Promoting Soul Singles chart. It grew to become a long-term customary and career-defining hit for Mr. Caldwell, who additionally wrote the track.
The track was coated by artists together with Boyz II Males and Michael Bolton and was sampled by rapper Tupac Shakur on his posthumously launched track “Do For Love.”
Different Caldwell songs had been sampled by hip-hop artists together with the Infamous B.I.G., Widespread, Lil Nas X and Probability the Rapper.
Robert Hunter Caldwell was born in Manhattan on Aug. 15, 1951, and grew up in Miami.
A multi-instrumentalist, he started performing professionally at 17 and received his break taking part in guitar in Little Richard’s band within the early Seventies. A number of years later, Mr. Caldwell performed in bar bands in Los Angeles earlier than touchdown a solo file deal.
Mr. Caldwell would by no means have successful that got here shut in prominence to “What You Gained’t Do for Love,” however he launched well-regarded albums, together with “Cat within the Hat” (1980) — on which he appeared on the quilt carrying a fedora — and “Carry On” (1982), on which he was his personal producer and performed all of the devices.
His track “Open Your Eyes” from “Cat within the Hat” was coated by John Legend and sampled by Widespread on his 2000 single “The Gentle.”
Within the Nineties, Mr. Caldwell shifted to recording and performing American requirements, together with songs made common by Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.
Survivors embrace his spouse, two daughters and a stepdaughter.