In 1998,Lalah Hathaway andJoe Sample began working on their collaborative album. Hathaway sang most of the lead vocals on such songs as lead single "When Your Life Was Low" and a cover ofThe Crusaders' hit "Street Life," while Sample supplied the instruments likepiano. The second single was the covered song "Fever".
The album received a favorable review fromAllMusic editor Jonathan Widran. He stated that "the daughter of the popular late R&B singer Donny, husky voiced Lalah Hathaway is the perfect foil for Joe Sample's compelling notion thatThe Song Lives On. Finding a happy medium between the graceful straight-ahead jazz trio vibe of his Invitation album and the plucky pop energy of Spellbound, Sample provides Hathaway on seven of the 11 tunes with a showcase for her sultry approach."[1]
The Song Lives On peaked at number two on the USBillboardTop Jazz Albums.[2] In response to the album's commercial success, Hathaway and Sample were honored with Billboard/BET On Jazz Award for "Mainstream Jazz Album."[3]
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