Today's Song You Should Know: 'If I Were Your Woman' By Gladys Knight & The Pips

Gladys Knight is back in the public's mind, thanks to yesterday's performance of the National Anthem to open up the Super Bowl. Sadly, while soul and R&B singers like Aretha Franklin remain well known even to younger music fans, Gladys Knight is pretty much unknown to anyone under 30. Maybe you've heard the name Gladys Knight & The Pips. Maybe you've heard a bit of her biggest hit, "Midnight Train To Georgia." But you might not realize she recorded a string of epic hit singles in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Knight first came to public attention at the age of 7 when she won a 1952 contest on "The Ted Mack Amateur Hour." Soon after she and several family members formed the group The Pips. They went on to record some modest hit singles and eventually signed with Motown Records in 1966. That stint was a troubled one for the group now renamed "Gladys Knight & The Pips." Motown owner Berry Gordy apparently regarded them as a second-string act, despite the fact that he reportedly at one point pulled from their spot as an opening act for Diana Ross & The Supremes because they were difficult to follow . Despite Gordy's misgivings, they had a string of hit singles for the label including the Grammy-winning ""Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)." That 1972 single turned out to be the last the group released on Motown before switching to a new label.

While Buddah Records was a smaller label, it had a diverse roster that included bubblegum pop acts like the Ohio Express, folk act Melanie and the avant-garde sounds of Captain Beefheart. And over the next few years, Gladys Knight & The Pips released a string of hits, including "Midnight Train To Georgia," "The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" and "I've Got To Use My Imagination."

"If I Were Your Woman" was released in 1970 while the group was with Motown. It was a Top Ten hit but more importantly it is just a smoldering hot R&B tune. Knight's vocals are filled with wanting and a near-desperation that will sound familiar to anyone who has ever wanted someone who won't seem them the same way. If you've heard the song before, you'll be happy to hear it again. And if it's unfamiliar, you'll wonder where this song has been all of your life.