Chuck Prophet: “Nearer To You,” Betty Harris. “From the aptly titled collection Soul Perfection. Or was it, Soul Imperfection? Greasy and Funky? You bet. Dramatic, too. Betty Harris sang with unbridled desire—she ate the mic and chewed right through the tape with her white hot yearning. She sang like she had a capo around her throat, milking just a few words, wringing ‘em out—as if she doesn’t need words at all. Betty feeds you and leaves you hungry for more. And with the Meters backing her up, (particularly Leo Nocentelli playing the bent guitar fills around her pleas for love), those singles she cut in the 60’s with Bert Berns and later with Alan Toussaint were pure unrequited, untamed, longing at it’s best. It doesn’t get any more heart-wrenching than “Nearer to You.” Like a mystery I could never solve—I’ll just have to keep listening.