Teddy Pendergrass vs. Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore

In the fourth edition of Head 2 Head (2025), Teddy Pendergrass and Kenny Lattimore x Chanté Moore contend for the best rendition of “Close The Door.”

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians performing the same song and compare their performances.  After deliberation, we decide which performance is the best or moves us more subjectively.  In the fourth edition of Head 2 Head (2025), Teddy Pendergrass and Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore contend for the best rendition of “Close The Door”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence! 

1. Teddy Pendergrass, “Close The Door”  

Teddy Pendergrass (1950 – 2010), a soul musician firmly planted in the Philly soul movement, had success on the pop charts as a member of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and as a solo artist.  Pendergrass peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 with arguably his greatest of greatest hits, “Close The Door”, his sole gold single. It graces his platinum-certified, 1978 sophomore album, Life Is a Song Worth Singing. “Close the door / Let me give you what you’ve been waiting for,” he sings, in the famous opening verse. He continues, romantically and sexily, “Baby, I’ve got so much love to give / And I wanna give it all to you.” Pendergrass was the ultimate sex symbol, further amplified by his commanding, soulful baritone 😍.    

Further enhancing this classic are Philly soul proponents Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.  Gamble and Huff were a match made in heaven for Pendergrass, who excelled singing their masterworks.  The reason why Pendergrass urges to ‘close the door’ is simple – sex.  Sure, he has an emotional connection but it’s crystal clear that physical pleasure is a must as well.   

“I waited all day long  

Just to hold you in my arms  

And it’s exactly what I thought it would be 

Me loving you and you love me 

Close the door, baby 

And let me blow your mind 

Plenty good lovin’ all through the night  

And then again, and then again, when the morning comes.” 

Ultimately, Gamble and Huff give, dare I say, sex-positive Pendergrass a surefire bop that’s still fresh more than 40 years later. This is the perfect soundtrack for making love.

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2. Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore, “Close The Door”

How does one follow-up the legendary Teddy Pendergrass? That is an elephantine task! Former husband and wife Kenny Lattimore and Chanté Moore had big shoes to fill covering his beloved classic, “Close The Door”. Their rendition of “Close The Door” appears as the eighth track on their 2002 collaborative album, Things That Lovers Do. Lattimore and Moore bring their ‘A’ game nearly 25 years after the release of TP’s original.

Lattimore and Moore ensure that “Close The Door” becomes their own, distinct song. First of all, it’s a duet instead of a solo performance.  The smoothness and sensual vibes from the original remain on this cover.  The lush, Philly soul stylings are traded for more of an adult contemporary flavor and vibe. This sounds more 2000s (2002) than 70s (1978).  The groove differs from the original yet fits this contemporary take.  And just when it seems strings and horns may be absent from the musical backdrop, they gradually appear, enhancing this classic.  Lattimore and Moore shine with their buttery smooth vocals.  Even if most of the time it doesn’t sound like either Kenny or Chantee ‘break a sweat,’ both pack a punch.  Some of the best moments are when they harmonize, exuding sweet chemistry.  One of the best instrumental touches is a muted trumpet solo that occurs during the music interlude.  Running north of six minutes, the final two minutes mark an extended, sensual outro – sexy vibes! All told, “Close The Door” sounds quite nice in the hands of Kenny Lattimore and Chanté Moore.

Who “closed the door” the best? Was it the original, Philly soul classic by the late, great Teddy Pendergrass, or the more contemporary cover by former married couple Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore?  Give Kenny and Chanté ample credit for bringing a nearly 25-year-old song to a new generation of listeners.  Their vocal chemistry is marvelous.  The sensual vibes are superbly executed.  But, the man who closed that door the best with his once-in-a-lifetime performance – his otherworldly baritone – Teddy Pendergrass.  “Close The Door” will forever be TP’s ace-in-the-hole, PERIOD.

Teddy Pendergrass vs. Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore: Head 2 Head No. 4 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Arista, Sony Music Entertainment; Israel Torres, KoolShooters, Los Muertos Crew, RDNE Stock project, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels]