“I Can’t Quit Her” is a song from the 1968 album Child Is Father To The Man, the debut of the “rock with horns” band Blood Sweat & Tears. After the band The Blues Project disbanded, Al Kooper had this idea that he got from Chicago’s The Buckinghams, who had made a name for themselves by adding horns to their songs, such as “Kind Of A Drag,” “Susan,” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” and “Don’t You Care.” He got with guitarist Steve Katz, who had been with Al in The Blues Project, and drummer Bobby Colomby, and gradually built an octet with a four-member horn section. “I Can’t Quit Her”, released in May 1968, was written by Kooper and Irwin Levine, who also wrote “Knock Three Times” and “Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Ole Oak Tree” for Tony Orlando and Dawn. From: https://thesoundofonehandtyping.com/2025/05/04/song-lyric-sunday-blood-sweat-tears-i-cant-quit-her/
Another fabulous Curtis Mayfield-influenced ballad from the pen of Al Kooper, "I Can't Quit Her" was the pilot single from Blood, Sweat & Tears in early 1968. Although not a huge chart success, the song encapsulated the band's melting pot of soul, jazz, and rock perfectly. Led by a sterling upright piano riff from Kooper, the song quickly mutates into a Stan Kenton-influenced big band showcase for the BS&T horn section, along with their powerful, hard rock leanings. The lyrics are certainly derived from an old blues ballad but are brought into the late-'60s sensibility with class and an artless style. From: https://www.allmusic.com/song/i-cant-quit-her-mt0011277056#review
