riffs: Isaac Hayes on Luther Vandross's If Only for One Night

I'm a big fan of Luther's, but this song in particular is very special to me. Being a bachelor - I've been a bachelor now for 15 years - you find yourself alone quite a bit and you have, well, I guess you'd call it a lonely attack.

The first time I heard it was on the radio one night when I was in that mood the song talks about, getting that lonely attack, and I thought, "Shit, this is just what I need." It's such a mellow track, very soft, with its plea rendered so tenderly. I would say it in just that way; even the musical language is all just the way I would put it.

I have thought very seriously about covering it. But after what Luther did, what else can you do? I thought about putting a rap on the beginning to explain the kind of things that would have taken place to warrant such words of desperation. When I met Luther, he told me, "Isaac, I saw you on stage, you were rehearsing for three hours and I was in the balcony and you were such an influence on me." Nobody knew who Luther was back then. But I was so flattered when he told me. I'm certainly influenced and encouraged by him. He's very talented - his vocal prowess on this song is incredible. You might just hear me cover it if I get up enough nerve.