what a song, what a performance by Esther Phillips, what production. Doesn't get any better than this - good call MMGreat when Gil Scott-Heron sang it, even better in this version IMHO.
The story is that Esther was presented with the song, but initially refused it because she was in the grip of a heroin addiction at the time - unintentionally biographical.
Eventually she sang it, encouraged by Pee Wee Ellis (e- JBs), to "sing it like you mean it".