That Heavenly Voice Meets the Smoothest Philly Sound: A Symphony of Romantic Devotion
There are voices that simply define romance, and few possess the crystalline beauty and timeless warmth of Johnny Mathis. For those of us who came of age with his early, luminous ballads, his records felt like the sonic backdrop to every first dance, every hopeful sigh. By the early 1970s, as the music landscape shifted with the emerging sounds of Motown and Philly Soul, Mathis took a bold and brilliant step: he collaborated with the architect of that soulful sound, Thom Bell. The result was an album of stunning emotional depth, I’m Coming Home (1973), which gifted us with Mathis’s unforgettable interpretation of the Thom Bell, Linda Creed, and Anthony Bell composition, “I’m Stone in Love with You.”
This song was originally a massive hit for the phenomenal Stylistics in 1972, riding the airwaves on the power of their distinct, soaring falsetto and lush orchestration. Their version reached No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the U.K. Singles Chart. Yet, when Johnny Mathis approached it, he transformed it. He traded the high-pitched urgency of the original for his signature velvety baritone, grounding the exuberant declaration of love in a mature, deeply felt sincerity. This Mathis version was released as a single much later, in 1975, and proved to be a quiet international success, peaking at No. 10 on the U.K. Singles Chart and reaching No. 16 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It was a testament that his voice, paired with the gorgeous, flowing arrangements of the Thom Bell production, could bridge the world of classic pop standards and contemporary soul.
The meaning of “I’m Stone in Love with You” is what makes it resonate so profoundly with the sentimental heart. It’s the anthem of the devoted dreamer. The narrator is an “average man” who wishes he could give his beloved extravagant things—to be a movie star, a titan of industry, or even the “owner of the first house on the moon.” Yet, the core message is humility and boundless love. He can’t offer all those fanciful riches, but he offers something far more valuable: a love so solid, so complete, it’s like a rock—he is “stone in love” with her. This beautiful concept, marrying grand, wishful thinking with simple, honest adoration, makes the song incredibly relatable.
For those of us reflecting back, this record captures a beautiful moment in music history—the meeting of two romantic giants from different genres. You can close your eyes and almost feel the warmth of the strings, the gentle rhythm of the Philly-soul groove, all supporting that smooth, liquid-gold voice of Johnny Mathis as he sings of a love that is unwavering and true. It’s not just a song; it’s an emotional echo of a time when romance was sung in grand, sweeping declarations, reminding us that the greatest gifts we can offer are never material, but those given with the whole heart.