Spend Some Time with the Writer of "Just the Two of Us"

Bill Withers in 1980.
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David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

What's it like to hear a hit song you wrote resonate all over the world 40 years later? William Salter shares his story on a new episode of the Rhino Podcast.

Though not a household name, it's Salter, alongside Bill Withers and percussionist Ralph MacDonald, who penned "Just the Two of Us," a No. 2 smash hit for saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. with Withers on vocals. Nearly four decades after its release as a single, the song has reached a new audience on the social app TikTok, with users of all ages falling in love all again with this warm, romantic tune.

Read More: The Beauty of It All: "Just the Two of Us" is Having a Moment

In the podcast, Sadler takes credit for the song's distinctive chorus, but praises Withers for rewriting the verses in his own style. "To be honest with you," he recalled, "I don't remember the original words that I wrote...Bill Withers took the song and he created, 'I see the crystal raindrops fall / on the window down the hall.' Fantastic!"

For more than half a century, Salter, a bassist, songwriter and arranger has enjoyed a career working alongside some of the biggest names across multiple genres, like Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, Roberta Flack and Miriam Makeba. This engaging half-hour interview raises the curtain on some of those highlights.

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