CLIFFORD COULTER-THE BETTER PART OF ME.
CLIFFORD COULTER-THE BETTER PART OF ME.
During a ten year period, Clifford Coulter released three solo albums. The first two of these albums 1970s East Side San Jose and 1972s Do It Now! Worry About It Later, were both released by one of the most prestigious jazz labels, Impulse Records. After this, it would another nine years before Clifford released another solo album, Better Part of Me on Columbia Records. Better Part of Me, which will be rereleased by BBR Records on 23rd April 2012, saw Clifford hook-up with Bill Withers, who produced the album. This made sense, given Bill Withers was going through one of the most successful periods of his career. Would some of the success Bill Withers had experienced between 1971 and 1979 rub off on Clifford Coulter, and could The Better Part of Me match the success of Bill Withers two most successful albums 1972s Still Bill and 1977s Menagerie?
Bill Withers and Clifford Coulter were no strangers when they started working on The Better Part of Me. Previously, Clifford had played keyboards on two of Bill’s albums, 1976s Naked and Warm and 1977s Menagerie, which gave Bill the second gold dic of his career. On Menagerie, Bill covered a song written by Clifford, Wintertime. This wasn’t the only occasion when successful artists covered a Clifford Coulter song, with Tower of Power covering By Your Side and Lovin’ You Is Gonna See Me Thru, while Sergio Mendes covered Life. At this time of Clifford was a songwriter, no longer perceiving himself as a singer. However, when Bill Withers played some demos of Clifford’s songs to CBS executives, suddenly, Clifford found himself back as a recording artist, signed to Columbia. However, since Clifford last recorded an album, he’d changed something, his vocal style.
Clifford felt he was able to deliver songs in a higher voice, better able to get across the emotion in a song. It was this new style that Clifford took to the recording studios in Los Angeles along with eight new songs. Recording took place at the Tiki Studios and Coultron Studios in San Jose, California. With Bill Withers producing what would become The Better Part of Me, a band of talented and accomplished musicians was assembled. This included drummer Ronnie Beck, Jerry Beck playing wah-wah guitar and Cubby Ingram on congas. Bill Withers played clavinet on some tracks, while Clifford a genuine multi-instrumentalist played keyboards, synths, bass, guitar, 12-string guitar, vibes and glockenspiel. Not only was Clifford a multi-instrumentalist, be co-produced the album. Occasionally, Bill and Clifford would exchange words, but mostly, the pair worked well. While Clifford laid down the music, Bill would be in charge of producing the vocals. This combination worked well, and soon, the eight tracks on The Better Part of Me were recorded. All that was left, was for it to be released. Would The Better Part of Me give Clifford some of the success that Bill Withers had recently enjoyed?
Before the release of The Better Part of Me, Don’t Wanna See You Cry was released as a single. It reached number eighty-five in the US R&B Charts in April 1980. A month later, in May 1980, The Better Part of Me was released. Sadly, The Better Part of Me failed to chart. Sales of the album weren’t helped by limited radio play of the single Don’t Wanna See You Cry. As if this wasn’t bad enough, people found it difficult to find the album in record shops. The failure of The Better Part of Me was a huge disappointment to everyone concerned, Clifford, Bill and of course, Columbia Records. It would prove to be both Clifford’s debut and final album for Columbia. It seems like the commercial failure of The Better Part of Me wasn’t down to the music on the album, more external factors. To see whether that’s the case, I’ll tell you about the music on The Better Part of Me.
Opening The Better Part of Me was the only single released from the album Don’t Wanna See You Cry. Here, Bill Withers plays clavinet, while former Tower of Power drummer Ronnie Beck plays drums, combining with Paul Jones’ Fender bass key to produce a funky rhythm section. Add to this punchy, jazzy horns, while Clifford plays an assortment of instruments including a Polymoog, Coultron synth and clavinet and a slick, jaunty arrangement that fuses funk with jazz unfolds. Of course, central to the track’s success is Clifford’s falsetto vocal that’s full of emotion and sincerity. Why a track as good as this didn’t fare better than number eighty-five in the US R&B Charts seems remarkable.
Nothing in the World is Free with its philosophical title, has a quite different sound and style. It’s a much slower, almost laid-back sounding track, with a poignant, thoughtful vocal accompanied by an arrangement that just meanders along beautifully, with just the rhythm section, synths and Jerry Perez’s wah-wah guitar combining. Clifford’s vocal is multi-tracked, so he sings backing vocals, that soar soulfully high above the arrangement as he delivers some of his best lyrics on the album. Although very different from the previous track, this is one of the real highlights of the album, with its thoughtful lyrics and laid-back, beautiful sound.
Magic Carpet Ride is a track that’s more in common with the opening track than the previous track. Here, Clifford and his band take you on a magical musical journey where they provide the soundtrack. The track marries funk with a post-disco beat and a myriad of synths. Providing the track’s heartbeat is drummer Russ Kunkel, while Kenny Burke lays down a pounding, funky bass line and stabs of synth and Polymoog complete the journey’s soundtrack. Meanwhile, Clifford adds a lilting falsetto vocal to a track that was perfect for any dance-floor, reminding me of the type of music Dan Hartman was making in his prime.
What’s so intriguing and compelling about The Better Part of Me is the eclectic quality of music on the album. On the title-track, The Better Part of Me Clifford slows things way down, delivering one of his most heartfelt vocals. His band provide the perfect backdrop for his vocal, never once overpowering his vocal. Here, Bill Withers plays both clavinet and acoustic guitar, while the rhythm section play subtly. Clifford adds a Polymoog and Coultron synth, allowing them to take centre-stage when his vocal drops out. This provides a real contrast to the emotion and beauty of Clifford’s vocal. Like another of the slower songs, Nothing in the World is Free, Clifford delivers his lyrics, emotively and with a real heartfelt style. This is what makes this such a compelling, and ultimately beautiful song.
When Another Day starts, immediately, you’re caught up in its hook-laden, irresistible charms. Here Clifford is like a one-man band, playing every instrument except drums. That’s left to Ronnie Beck, while Clifford plays clavinet, synths, bass and wah-wah guitar. Together with Ronnie, he produces an arrangement that sounds like something you’d expect on an Earth, Wind and Fire album. Together, they produce a funky arrangement, that includes wah-wah guitar and atop it, sits his soaring, soulful falsetto vocal. The longer the track goes on, the harder it gets to resist the charms of its pulsating, funky sound. Eventually, you realize that resistance is impossible and succumb to this track’s delights.
After the delights of the previous track, You and I Together has more of the same. Clifford meanwhile, plays guitar and 12-string guitar on this track, plus synth and Polymoog. Jerry Knight and Ronnie Beck provide the rhythm section, while Jerry Perez adds wah-wah guitar. They lay the foundations for the track, while Clifford’s guitar playing augments their playing. His impassioned falsetto is multi-tracked, so he sings backing vocals, responding to his call. He combines a pounding beat of 123 beats per minute with a funky sound, resulting in a track that although funky, works as a dance track. Like the previous track, is hugely catchy, full of subtle hooks, with an irresistible sound that’s guaranteed to sweep you away.
Love’s Too Hot to Hide sees Clifford reveal a different side to his music, with a much slower, jazzy sounding track. After two quick, dance tracks, he must think listeners need to recover. What better way to recover than a track as good as this one. Although predominantly jazzy in style, there’s still an element of funk present. Clifford’s vocal is gentle, tender and beautiful, while the rhythm section, wah-wah guitar, piano and synths combine. The track just gradually, meanders along, revealing its charms and secrets, fusing jazz and funk while Clifford’s heartfelt vocal adds just the finishing touch to this accomplished and classy sounding song.
Closing The Better Part of Me is Maybe It’s Better to Go, another slow song. Here, Clifford delivers one of the most emotive vocals on the album. Again, he’s like a one-man band, adding vibes and glockenspiel to his repetoire. Mostly, it’s with piano, synths, rhythm section and wah-wah guitar that feature throughout the arrangement. At the heart of the song’s success is Clifford’s heartfelt, emotive vocals. Later, during a prolonged breakdown, many of the instruments Clifford plays are key to the arrangement. He uses the piano and synth effectively, combining them with rhythm section to add to the drama and emotion of the track.
Clifford Coulter’s third and final solo album, The Better Part of Me is an album of eight, eclectic tracks that have one thing in common…quality. Whether you like your songs slow or fast, or your preference is for ballads, funky or dance-floor friendly music, it’s all here. With a multi-talented, highly experienced band, Clifford and producer Bill Withers record an album that combines soul, jazz and funk, with a few dance-floor friendly tracks. Nothing in the World is Free, The Better Part of Me, Love’s Too Hot to Hide and Maybe It’s Better to Go are slower tracks with some lovely lyrics, that demonstrate how talented a lyricist Clifford Coulter really is. On Magic Carpet Ride, When Another Day and You and I Together sees Clifford and his band kick loose, with track that are a fusion of styles, with jazz, funk and a post-disco beat combining to create three of the album’s highlights. The track that opens The Better Part of Me, Don’t Wanna See You Cry was the only single released from the album, and given its quality and beauty, should’ve fared much better than it did. Indeed, given the music on The Better Part of Me, the album should’ve sold in much greater numbers. There was nothing wrong with the music and the production was polished and professional. That such a multi-talented singer, songwriter, musician and producer as Clifford Coulter never found commercial success sees almost unjust. Hopefully, BBR Records’ forthcoming remastered rerelease of The Better Part of Me will see many people either rediscovering or discovering Clifford’s music for the first time. With music as good as features on The Better Part of Me, Clifford Coulter’s music very definitely deserves a much wider audience. Standout Tracks: Nothing in the World is Free, Magic Carpet Ride, When Another Day and You and I Together.
CLIFFORD COULTER-THE BETTER PART OF ME.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7FHj1hQcpo
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