GEORGE McCRAE-GEORGE McCRAE.

dereksmusicblog ♦ November 18, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

GEORGE McCRAE-GEORGE McCRAE.

Describing George McCrae as an overnight success would be wrong. Instead, the success that would come his way come about almost accidentally. Lady Luck decided to look George’s way. Having spent years of trying to forge a career in music, George McCrae had just about given up hope. He was planning to head back to college, to study law enforcement. Then his luck and life changed. His wife Gwen had been booked to record a song called Rock Your Baby. Gwen was late for the recording session of Rock Your Baby, so George stepped into the breach. Rock Your Baby would become synonymous with George McCrae, reaching number one in over eighty countries. Following the success of Rock Your Baby, George hooked up with Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, who’d written and produced Rock Your Baby. They wrote and produced Rock Your Baby, George’s debut album. It reached number thirty-eight in the US Billboard 200 and number seven in the US R&B Charts. Following up such a successful single and album, wasn’t going to be easy. So when George released his eponymous, sophomore album George McCrae in 1975, it must have been with a sense of trepidation. Was it even possible to replicate the success of Rock Your Baby? That’s what I’ll tell you, after I’ve told you about the background to George McCrae, which will be rereleased by BBR Records on 26th November 2012.

In many ways, Rock Your Baby must have become something of a poisoned chalice for George McCrae. Whatever he’d release would always be comparisons would be drawn. Indeed, regardless of all the other singles and albums George released, he became synonymous with one single, Rock Your Baby. So when it came to writing material for George’s sophomore album George McCrae, Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band must have been determined to prove that Rock Your Baby wasn’t a one-off. Like George, they were keen to show that there was more to George McCrae than one track. Harry and Richard were enjoying the hottest period of their career. Not only were they hugely successful as KC and the Sunshine Band, but as songwriters, musicians and producers. Could they work their magic again on George McCrae?

For recording of George McCrae’s sophomore album George McCrae, the recording took place at T.K. Records cutting-edge recording studios. Joining George, Harry and Wayne were a number of session players. This included a rhythm section Richard, playing bass and percussion, guitarist Jerome Smith and drummer Robert Johnson. While they provided the album’s heartbeat, Harry played keyboards and Fire adding backing vocals. Fire were a trio featuring Beverley Champion, Margaret Reynolds and Jeanette Holloway. Together with a horn section of trumpeter Vinnie Tanno, tenor saxophonist Mike Lewis and baritone saxophonist Whit Sidener, the nine tracks that became George McCrae were recorded, with Harry and Richard producing the album. Could lightning strike twice for George McCrae and would he enjoy and replicate the success of Rock Your Baby?

Unlike many albums, there was no single released in advance of the release of George McCrae in June 1975. It reached number 152 in the US Billboard 200 and number twenty-four in the US R&B Charts. So far, lightning hadn’t struck twice in the same place. Nor would it. I Ain’t Lyin’ stalled at number thirty-one in the US R&B Charts in July 1975. Honey I, was released in November 1975, and fared better, reaching number sixty-five in the US Billboard 100 and number eighteen in the US R&B Charts. Over in the UK, George McCrae proved more popular.

Sing A Happy Song was released as the lead single in March 1975, reaching number thirty-eight. It’s Been So Long gave George a number four single in in July 1975. When George McCrae was released in September 1975, it reached number fifty-four. When I Ain’t Lyin’ was released in November 1975, it reached number twelve and then Honey I reached number thirty-three in the UK in February 1975. While George McCrae proved more popular in the UK than the US, it failed to match the success of Rock Your Baby. Maybe people were expecting Rock Your Baby Mk. II. That’s not what they found on George McCrae, as you’ll realize when I tell you about the album.

Baby Baby Sweet Baby opens George McCrae. It’s an uptempo track with a driving rhythm section and chiming guitars creating the backdrop for George’s vocal. Bursts of drums signal the entrance of George’s tender, distant vocal. Although the rhythm section are key to the track’s sound, providing its heartbeat, it’s Jerome Smith’s guitar that’s a show-stealer. It’s flamboyance personified, although nit to be outdone, Harry adds a few flourishes of keyboards for good measure. This proves important to the driving, uptempo arrangement, which has Harry and Wayne’s signature sound. For his part, George’s vocal is tender, soft and soulful. 

You Treat Me Good has a similar Miami hustle sound to many of the tracks on Rock Your Baby. Percussion. A pounding rhythm section and keyboards combine to create a pulsating, sultry arrangement. When George’s vocal enters, it’s heartfelt and sensual. Richard slaps and pounds his bass, which is at the heart of the pulsating, dance-floor friendly arrangement. So too are joyous harmonies which accompany George’s impassioned vocal.

It’s no surprise I Ain’t Lyin’ gave George a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. From it’s opening bars you’re smitten. A thunderous, funky rhythm section, growling horns and percussion combine before George makes his entrance. His vocal is a combination of power and passion mixed with joy. Soon, George and his tight, talented band take you on a journey that’s funky and soulful, but also sensuous and joyous. George unleashes whoops and hollers, strutting his way through one of the real highlights of George McCrae.

You Got To Know has a quite different sound. It’s almost a trip back in time to the sixties and shows another side to Harry and Wayne’s songwriting and production skills. An organ sound whose roots are the church, gives way to searing, sizzling guitars and a driving rhythm section. Soul, R&B and rock combine with gospel, which influences George’s delivery. Here, we hear another side to George McCrae, one far removed from Rock Your Baby. This is a side of George I’d like to hear much more of. In many ways, it’s a fleeting glimpse of what might have been.

It’s Been So Long sees George revisit a more sixties sound. Harry and Wayne’s band combine a dramatic rhythm section, growling horns and keyboards to create a fitting backdrop for George’s heartfelt, emotive vocal. Having built up the drama, George doesn’t let them down. He delivers a vocal that’s filled with emotion, longing and need. As the song progresses, George unleashes a vocal that’s power, emotion and power personified. Backing vocals accompany him, providing the finishing touch to the heartfelt, soulful highlight of George McCrae.

Honey I (I’ll Live My Life For You) was the most successful single released from George McCrae in the US. Waves and washes of Hammond organ join a pounding, funky rhythm section, percussion and chiming guitars. Instantly, you realize something special is unfolding. The waves of mesmeric Hammond are a huge clue. Backing vocals and handclaps accompany George’s emotive vocal. It’s classic call and response, riding the wave of this Miami hustle arrangement. Waves of funky, dance-floor friendly music unfold, and George and his backing vocalists Fire, feed off each other. Like the tight, talented and funky Miami band, they prove the perfect foil for George, on a track where funk, soul, gospel and disco unite seamlessly.

Take This Love of Mine is a track that combines elements of fifties and sixties music. The mainstay of the driving arrangement is sixties soul, although Jerome’s guitars are fifties rock ‘n’ roll. So too are the flamboyant flourishes of Jerry Lee Lewis style keyboards. Having set things up for George, he delivers a punchy, sassy vocal, as soul and rock and roll combine. They provide a vintage sounding and hugely memorable backdrop to this hook-laden slice of yesteryear.

When I First Saw You sees percussion, Hammond organ and a pounding rhythm section accompany George’s deliberate vocal. By leaving space between the lyrics, the dramatic pauses mean you pay attention, wondering what George is about to say. The gist of it is he’s in love, smitten. This is love at first sight. His delivery is effective, mixing joy and hope. Harry and Wayne’s band provide a driving arrangement, with half-spoken lyrics added to George’s joyous vamp through the track. 

Sing A Happy Song closes George McCrae and sees soul, rock, gospel, pop and funk combine. From the get-go, when Southern rock guitars, rasping horns, keyboards, percussion and the rhythm section combine to create a genre-sprawling arrangement that’s catchy and memorable. When George’s vocal enters, you realize this is good-time, joyous music. George becomes the preacher, trying to covert you, with this slice poppy, slice of sunshine soul. Try as you may, you can’t help but succumb. Soon you’re turned into a believer in George’s uplifting, good-time sunshine sound.

While George McCrae’s sophomore album George McCrae failed to match the success of Rock Your Baby, that wasn’t because of the quality of music. Rock Your Baby is a track that if you’re really, really lucky comes along once in your career. It’s a classic track and it’s almost impossible to replicate this. For George McCrae, following up such a successful single and album, was nearly impossible. In many ways, any album would’ve come up short. So Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch took George’s music in a different direction on George McCrae. Disco, funk, soul, including sixties soul, plus a twist of Latin and rock all feature on George McCrae. Add to that a plentiful supply of poppy hooks courtesy of Harry and Richard. With a tight, talented band providing a backdrop for George’s vocal, George McCrae failed to match the success of Rock Your Baby. Still it was a success, and showed that there was much more to George McCrae than Rock Your Baby. On George McCrae, George, with Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch’s help, George produced an album which showcased a versatile vocalist, one capable of seamlessly delivering a variety of genres of music.

Now that George had released the followup to Rock Your Baby, he could get on with the rest of his career. In many ways, George was in a no-win situation when he released George McCrae which will be rereleased by BBR Records on 26th November 2012. Anything less than a replication of the success of Rock Your Baby would wrongly be perceived as a failure. That was the wrong way of looking at the commercial success of George McCrae. Rock Your Baby was a one-off, never to be repeated. George McCrae was the next step in the rest of his career and one which demonstrated just how versatile and talented a singer George McCrae really was. Standout Tracks: I Ain’t Lyin,’ You Got To Know, It’s Been So Long and Take This Love of Mine.

GEORGE McCRAE-GEORGE McCRAE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9N8PCWzLYQ&feature=fvst