When you’re being seen by millions on television every week, and you have some singing talent at your disposal, it’s only natural that you might entertain the idea of making hit records. For David Soul, music actually came first, even before the TV fame.
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As such, Soul didn’t falter when his opportunity arose. And he was the beneficiary of a lovely song from an ace songwriter, resulting in the 1977 No. 1 single “Don’t Give Up On Us”.
Soul Music
When David Soul passed away in 2024, most obituaries didn’t go very far before mentioning his star-making role in the 70s TV cop drama Starsky & Hutch. By the time that show debuted, he had collected several impressive acting credits. During that time, he mostly set aside his first love, which was music.
Acting only came into the picture when he started doing theater work in the mid-60s. But still, his music dreams persisted. For a few years, he appeared on various talk shows as The Covered Man, singing with a mask over his face as a gimmick.
But Soul’s good looks and undeniable presence on camera meant that his acting career was bound to take off. A two-year stint on Here Come The Brides raised his exposure, setting the table for Starsky & Hutch. The show debuted to high ratings in 1975. With his stardom at its highest level, he dove back into music.
Something’s Gotta “Give”
British songwriter Tony Macaulay amassed an impressive track record of top songs that he’d penned for others. Artists like The Foundations, The Fifth Dimension, and Edison Lighthouse had enjoyed hits with Macaulay songs. He started writing “Don’t Give Up On Us” without any idea that it might end up being a song sung by one of the world’s biggest TV stars.
Macaulay hadn’t even finished the track when he was told about David Soul and that he was expected to join the actor ASAP in Los Angeles. Because Soul had never sung a song quite so delicate, Macaulay patiently coached him on how to caress it.
Soul already had an entire album pretty much in the can when “Don’t Give Up On Us” was delivered to him. It was chosen as a single and couldn’t be stopped upon its release. The actor rode to the top of the US pop charts at the same time that his TV show was near the peak of its popularity.
Behind the Lyrics of “Don’t Give Up On Us”
“Don’t Give Up On Us” comes on as an urgent plea from the narrator to his significant other to try to keep their relationship steady, even though there have clearly been bumps in the road. “The future isn’t just one night,” he insists, trying to get her to see the big picture. “Don’t give up on us, I know,” he claims. “We can still come through.”
He admits to a huge mistake. “I really lost my head last night,” he explains. “You’ve got a right to stop believing.” Later, he explains that he sees them as a pair that’s meant to be together, not unlike a certain TV cop duo. “The angel and the dreamer,” is how he imagines them. “Who sometimes plays a fool.”
We think of David Soul as a one-hit wonder. In the UK, however, he enjoyed three more Top 10 hits. His biggest American single, “Don’t Give Up On Us”, featured an apropos title. After all, Soul never gave up on his music dreams.
Photo by RB/Redferns
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