This song was in the style of "oldie" R&B, and soul.  The singer was
male and sounded a bit like Sam Cooke.  The instrumentation had a
syncopated early ska rythm, and was peppered with a pizzicato violin
(or violin like) arrangment.  The most significant lyrics i can
remember go something like "people talk the way they do sometime, but
dont let them change your mind"

I'm quite certain that the song you're looking for is the delightful
"People Gonna Talk," by James Hunter. When I first heard this on the
radio, I was curious about it, and was amazed when I learned that the
singer is a white guy from the UK.

You can listen to an audio clip of "People Gonna Talk" at Amazon
(scroll down, it's the first song sample listed):

Amazon: People Gonna Talk - James Hunter
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E1NX1S

A longer version can be heard on this page. Click under the photo,
where it says "click to listen":

ArtVoice: People Gonna Talk
http://artvoice.com/issues/v5n25/music/people_gonna_talk

I hope this is precisely what you need! If this isn't the right song,
please request clarification; I'll be glad to offer further assistance
before you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

Spot on! So fast too.  Thank you.