Let's Stay Together

Two people, one guitar, and a song that does not need anything else.

Al Green records are a lesson in leaving space. The vocal sits right at the front, everything else is understated, and the groove is unhurried in a way that most bands find uncomfortable to sustain. Playing it as a duet strips it further still, and it holds up, which is the mark of the writing.

This comes up as a first dance more than almost anything else in the soul end of our list. It is slow enough to actually dance to without being difficult, it is warm rather than mournful, and it is short - which matters more than couples expect when they are standing in the middle of a room with everyone watching.

The duet format is also how we cover the quieter parts of a day. Ceremony, drinks, the hour before the wedding breakfast. Same musicians who play the evening, at a scale that suits a room where people are talking.

Filmed in 2014 alongside The Way You Make Me Feel.