HARVEY MASON-GROOVIN’ YOU.

dereksmusicblog ♦ May 28, 2012 ♦ 1 Comment

HARVEY MASON-GROOVIN’ YOU.

By the time Harvey Mason signed a five year recording contract with Clive Davis’ Arista Records in 1976, Harvey was one of the most in-demand session drummers. He was seen as the go-to guy for anyone needing a top-class drummer. This saw Harvey playing on albums by Minnie Riperton, Donald Byrd, Chick Corea and Earth, Wind and Fire. Ever since Harvey played on Donald Byrd’s breakthrough album Black Byrd, his services were in demand. From there, Harvey played on Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters album, before playing on albums by Grover Washington Jr., Patrice Rushen, Charles Earland, Carlos Santana and George Benson. Then in 1976, Clive Davis realized the Harvey Mason was more than a session player. Now was the time for Harvey to step up to the plate and become a solo artist. His debut album for Arista was 1976s Marching In the Street, followed by Earth Mover later in 1976. A year later, in 1977, came one of Harvey’s best albums, Funk In A Mason Jar. As good as Funk In A Mason Jar was, Harvey’s next album would surpass even it. Groovin’ You was released in 1979, and became Harvey Mason’s most successful album. Not only did it reach number forty-eight in the US R&B Charts, but became Harvey’s first album to enter the US Billboard 200, reaching number 149. One of the highlights of Groovin’ You is the title-track, Groovin’ You where funk and disco combine seamlessly. After I’ve told you about the background to Groovin’ You, I’ll tell you about the music on the album.

For what was Harvey’s fourth album in just three years, nine tracks were chosen. Of the nine tracks on Groovin’ You, Harvey Mason wrote two tracks and cowrote three other tracks. This included co-writing I’ll Still Be There with Onaje, Never Give You Up with Kenny Mason and Say It Again with David Foster. Somewhat ironically, Kenny and Sally Mason cowrote the album’s best known track Groovin’ You. Wave was a cover version of a track written by Antonio Carlos Jobim. With the tracks that would become Groovin’ You chosen, all that was needed was a band. The band that would accompany Harvey is deserving of the description, all-star band,

Joining Harvey Mason were some of the biggest names in music. This included guitarists Phil Upchurch, Ray Parker Jr, bassists Mike Porcaro and Stanley Clarke, while Bob James played keyboards and Sheila E sprinkled percussion throughout the album. Kenny Mason, Harvey’s brother, played trumpet on Groovin’ You. Adding backing vocals were Sheila E, Jim Gilstrap and Stephanie Spruill. Harvey produced the nine tracks on Groovin’ You, which was recorded at New York’s Power Station. Now that the album was recorded, all that was left was for the album to be released.

When Groovin’ You was released, it would become Harvey Mason’s most successful album. It reached number forty-eight in the US R&B Charts and number 149 in the US Billboard 200. While Marching In the Streets and Funk In A Mason Jar reached numbers forty-five and thirty-seven respectively in the US R&B Charts, neither had entered the US Billboard 200. This was a breakthrough for Harvey’s music, seeing it cross into the mainstream. Sadly, after this, only M.V.P. would enter the US Billboard 200, stalling at number 186, meaning Groovin’ You would be Harvey’s most successful album. However, what made Groovin’ You such a successful album though? Quite simply it was the music on Groovin’ You, which I’ll now tell you about.

Opening Groovin’ You is I’d Still Be There sees blazing horns and the rhythm section combining, before when the vocal enters, the track reminds me of Earth, Wind and Fire. Swathes of cascading strings, percussion and keyboards enter, as the track grows in drama and beauty. By now, Harvey Mason and his band have you hooked. A soaring vocal is accompanied by dancing strings, bursts of horns and a rhythm section with Harvey’s drumming at its heart. The result is a gloriously uplifting, joyous track.

A track that become synonymous with Harvey Mason is the title-track Groovin’ You. It bounces into being brief bursts of punchy horns, shimmering, quivering strings and  the funkiest of bass lines. Bursts of backing vocals, handclaps and keyboards give way to Harvey’s vocal. Backing vocalists accompany him, while flourishes of keyboards, rasping horns and the rhythm section ensure the track swings along. Later, a myriad of percussion joins booming drums in adding to the drama of the track. Seamlessly, Harvey Mason and his band marry elements of funk, soul disco, resulting in dance-floor classic.

Harvey gets on his marks before The Race begins. For a race, this is lovely laid-back competition. Swathes of strings, gentle bursts of horns, chiming guitars and the rhythm section combine, before an emotive vocal enters. Soaring, soulful backing vocalists play an important part in the track’s lush, beautiful sound. So do keyboards, lush strings and braying horns that drift in and out the track. Again, there’s a real Earth, Wind and Fire sound present, the way the vocals, horns and strings are used. They’re used in a way that’s not just really effective, but quite beautiful.

We Can has a much more understated sound as the track opens. Key to the track’s success this is the slower tempo, plus the space that’s left within the arrangement. The addition of a tender, heartfelt vocal is the clincher for me. It really makes this track. The band play around the vocal, playing with a subtlety. Strings are lush, horns rasp gently, while keyboards and the rhythm section play with care, ensuring they don’t overpower the vocal. Later, their playing matches the power and emotion of the vocal, as the track heads towards its conclusion. Still the band don’t overplay, playing with just the right combination of power and subtlety. This is really effective. The band reflect and compliment one of the most emotive, impassioned vocals on Groovin’ You.

As Never Give You Up opens the drama builds and builds. The rhythm section, blazing horns and flourishes of piano combine, before a lone horn Thom Bell tinged horn sounds. From there, the track reveals its many charms and delights. Quickly, the sound becoming uplifting and joyous. Key to this are the vocals. Meanwhile, the rhythm section and guitars fuse funk and soul, while keyboards, dancing strings and bursts of blazing horns punctuate the arrangement. The lead and backing vocalists feed off each other, as if encouraging the other to greater heights of emotion and soulfulness. Somehow they manage to achieve this and in doing so, play their part in what is a hugely catchy, soulful track.

Say It Again opens with that much sampled “ooh ooh,” before the tracks reveals a sound that’s reminiscent of variously The Jacksons, Earth Wind and Fire. Straight away, the track bursts into life, with braying horns, sweeping, swirling strings and the rhythm section combine. Funk and soul are fused, with tight harmonies gracefully dancing their way through the track. Keyboards and guitars drift in and out, before the band take the track in the direction of funk during a breakdown. Guitars, rhythm section, punchy horns and a proliferation of percussion combine, before punchy vocals enter. By then, you realize you’re hearing this all-star band at the top of their game. They’re doing what comes naturally to them, making some funky music.

From the get-go, Harvey and his band keep the funk flying on Here Today Gone Tomorrow. The rhythm section, guitars and percussion combine with his vocal, while backing vocalists sweep in. Braying horns, keyboards and percussion play their parts, before the guitars and rhythm section take turns to demonstrate their talents. In doing so, they demonstrate how jazz-funk should sound. The music is bold and dramatic, with lengthy solos the order of the day. This isn’t so much grandstanding or showboating, but more hugely talented musicians exploring the music. They see where they can take the music, before rejoining their colleagues and uniting. There’s a word that describes this perfectly…jazz.  

Wave was written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and sees the track head in a much more mellower direction. The track is slower, spacious and much more subtle sounding. Here, the emphasis is on percussion, lush sounding strings and the rhythm section playing gently and thoughtfully. Later, the music grows in power, with drums, bass and guitars responsible for the change in sound. Still, there’s a subtlety, with space still left, allowing the music to breath and its beauty to shine through.

Kauai the perfect track to close Groovin’ You. Opening with just the rhythm section and percussion combining, a sultry sounding saxophone drifts in. It’s accompanied by the rhythm section and guitars. Occasional flourishes of keyboards plus sweeping, swirling strings drift in and out. Later, the saxophone takes the track on diversions into a much more funky sound. The rest of the band follow this lead, before changing tack and returning the previous sound. This sees them flit between jazz and funk for five minutes during which Harvey Mason and his band tease and tantalise whilst Groovin’ You.

Of all the albums Harvey Mason has released, Groovin’ You has long been my favorite. I say this as someone whose been a fan of Harvey Mason’s music since his debut solo album Marching In the Streets. After the release of Marching In the Streets, Harvey released a string of outstanding albums. Although Funk In A Mason Jar and Groovin’ You are Harvey’s two best albums, Groovin’ You is an album that’s both complete and cohesive. From the opening bars of I’d Still Be There the album’s opener, until the closing notes of Kauai, which closes the album, there’s no let up in the consistency and quality of music. One great track gives way to another, leaving you spellbound. Jazz, funk, soul and even disco are fused during the nine track’s on Groovin’ You by Harvey Mason and his all-star band. This includes some of the biggest names in seventies jazz music. Since then, Harvey continues to release albums, plus writing music for films and working as a session musician. He continues to work with the biggest names in music, and since his career started in the early seventies, has played on more albums than just about any other musician. However, for anyone wanting to hear Harvey Mason at his very best, then Groovin’ You is the perfect starting place. After this, I’d recommend Funk In A Mason Jar. Both Groovin’ and Funk In A Mason Jar were rereleased by SoulMusic.com in 2011 and are the perfect introduction to Harvey Mason, and very soon, Harvey will be Groovin’ You. Standout Tracks: I’d Still Be There, Groovin’ You, We Can and Never Give You Up. 

HARVEY MASON-GROOVIN’ YOU.