DISCO RECHARGE-CHANGE-GLOW OF LOVE AND MIRACLES-SPECIAL EDITION.
DISCO RECHARGE-CHANGE-GLOW OF LOVE AND MIRACLES-SPECIAL EDITION.
It’s quite a feat for any artist to release one critically acclaimed and commercially successful album, never mind two. What makes this even more remarkable is that both albums were released in the disco era. Not many artists managed this, but Change did. Change released their debut album the Glow of Love in 1980, to critical acclaim and commercial success. A year later in 1981, came Change’s sophomore album Miracles. It matched the critical acclaim and commercial of Glow of Love, and both albums have become seminal albums in the history of dance music. Now just over thirty-years later, the Disco Recharge label will rerelease Disco Recharge-Change-Glow of Love and Miracles-Special Edition on 22nd October 2012. This is a double-album featuring both Change and Glow of Love, plus another disco of remixes. For anyone who is interested in dance music, then this is an opportunity to rediscover or discover for the first time the music of Change, masterminded by the Italian dream-team of Mauro Malavsi and David Romani plus executive producer Jacques Fred Petrus. Featuring legendary vocalists Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown, it really is no surprise that Change and Glow of Love were so critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. Before I tell you about the many highlights of Disco Recharge-Change-Glow of Love and Miracles-Special Edition, I’ll tell you about the background to both albums.
By the time Change set about recording their debut album in 1979, the personnel behind the band were on something of a hot streak. Guadeloupe-born businessman and executive producer Jacques Fred Petrus and Italian producer Mauro Malavsi, had been producing music since 1978, for their production company Goody Goody Productions. They were on something of a roll, having had hits with Mahco’s I’m A Man, The Peter Jacques Band’s Fire Night Band and Revanche’s Music Man. The third member of the team who masterminded Change’s commercial success was David Romani. He was a self-taught bass player, who’d first come across Goody Music Productions in 1977. These three men would play their part in Change releasing two critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums.
Change were formed in 1979 and were one of many studio bands formed in the disco and post-disco era. Rather than have a fixed lineup, different musicians and vocalists would play their part in Change’s Italo-American sound. All the songs were written and recorded in Italy, at the Fontopront Studios in Bologna. Once the backing tracks were finished, they were delivered to Goody Music Productions’ New York offices. Then vocalists including Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown recorded their vocals at New York’s Media Sound studios. The tracks were then mixed at Power Station by Michael Brauer. For two albums and two years, Glow of Love and Miracles, Change could do no wrong. The start of this success came in 1980, when Change released their debut album Glow of Love.
Glow of Love was released by Change in 1980 and featured Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown, under her married name Shaw. Their vocals and the production team of Jacques Fred Petrus, Mauro Malavsi and David Romani had just released one of the first classic dance albums of the post-disco era. On the release of Glow of Love, it reached number twenty-nine in the US Billboard 200 and number ten in the US R&B Charts. Three singles were released from Glow of Love. A Lover’s Holiday reached number forty in the US Billboard 100 and number five in the US R&B Charts. Searching then reached number twenty-three in the US R&B Charts, before The Glow of Love reached number forty-nine in the US R&B Charts. Each of these three singles reached number one in the US Dance Music/Club Play Charts. Having released a critically acclaimed and commercially successful album in Glow of Love, few people believed Change could repeat the feat a year later.
When Change released Miracles in 1981, they achieved what many people believed was impossible, releasing two critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums in a row. The only difference was that Luther Vandross didn’t feature on Miracles. On Miracles’ release, it reached number forty-six in the US Billboard 200 and number nine in the US R&B Charts. Hold Tight reached number eighty-nine in the US Billboard 100 and number forty in the US R&B Charts. Paradise then reached number eighty in the US Billboard 100 and number seven in the US R&B Charts. Again, both singles reached number one in the US Dance Music/Club Play Charts. Change had achieved what seemed impossible during the height of the disco era, releasing back-to-back critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. I’ll now pick the highlights of Glow of Love and Miracles, before I tell you why both albums were so successful.
GLOW OF LOVE.
My first choice from Glow of Love is A Lover’s Holiday which opens the album. It’s a track where funk and Italo Disco combine as keyboards, handclaps and a pounding, funky rhythm section combine. They build the drama before Jocelyn Brown’s powerful, diva-esque vocal enters. Sweeping, swirling strings usher in Luther’s vocal tour de force. Soon, the track takes on an uplifting, joyous sound. Sometimes, space is left in the arrangement, as if allowing you to savor the track’s irresistibly, catchy sound. Later, bursts of blazing horns replace the vocal, before the funky rhythm section, keyboards and percussion take charge. After that, the rest of this Italo Disco track takes shape, with Jocelyn’s vocal crucial to its joyous, multilayered, innovative post-disco sound.
As Angel In My Pocket opens, synths, percussion and the rhythm section create a real Italo Disco sound. It’s quite different from the mid-seventies disco sound, relying more on synths. Having said that, Patrick Adams, Greg Carmichael and Leroy Burgess had been moving disco in this direction. Here, Change take it further. There’s even a Chic sound to the bass and chiming guitars. Dancing strings, a funky rhythm section and synths combine before Jocelyn’s tender vocal enters. Quickly, her vocal grows in power and confidence. Backing vocalists add to the emotion and drama. Soon, Jocelyn mixes power, passion and emotion, as a pulsating beat, percussion, synths and swirling strings accompany her. When Jocelyn’s vocal and the arrangement are combined, the result is a dramatic, emotive and infectiously catchy dance track. Maybe this should’ve been single number four released from Glow of Love?
The Glow Of Love is a track that reminds me of Chic at their very best. It’s the combination of the rhythm section and guitars providing a funky backdrop for the lush strings. They’re joined by an impassioned, heartfelt vocal from Luther. The strings seems to envelop his vocal. Later, heartfelt harmonies accompany and compliment his tender vocal. Unlike other tracks, synths play less of a role, although flourishes of keyboards feature in the arrangement. Mostly, it’s just the lush strings, harmonies and rhythm section that accompany Luther, on this very beautiful dance track that’s the best track on Glow of Love.
The last track from Glow of Love I’ve chosen is Searching, another of the three singles released from the album. As the track opens, Change tease you with subtle bursts of synths, keyboards and percussion. Then washes of keyboards, a pounding beat, chiming guitars and bursts of blazing horns are joined by Luther’s vocal. His vocal is impassioned and powerful, with punchy harmonies and flourishes of strings accompanying him. Quickly, you realize just why this was such a successful track. Not only is it hugely catchy and dance-floor friendly, but it features a vocal from Luther Vandross that’s full of passion and emotion.
Choosing just four tracks from Change’s debut album Glow of Love isn’t easy, given how consistently high the quality of music is. Glow of Love isn’t just a timeless, classic in the history of dance music, but an important album in the post-disco landscape. Change took up the baton from the disco stars of the seventies and set about reinventing dance music. What they came up with was a fusion of European and American dance music. They combined elements of disco with Euro Disco, soul, funk and the electronic sound of synths and drum machines. This became known as Italo Disco, and Change were at the vanguard of this new musical genre. They helped create this sound, allowing later producers to refine this sound. So, Glow of Love is an innovative album, that showcased the vocal prowess of Jocelyn Brown and Luther Vandross. It also showcased the production talents of Mauro Malavsi and David Romani and Jacques Fred Petrus. Having created one classic album in Glow of Love, Change did the seemingly impossible, by releasing their second critically acclaimed and commercially successful album in Miracles.
MIRACLES.
Paradise is the track that opens Miracles, and sees Change pick up where they left off on Glow of Love. The track has a heavy funky sound thanks to the rhythm section, guitars and keyboards. This is combined with vocals that sounds as if they belong on a Chic album. Indeed, the longer the track goes on, the more the similarities with Chic’s vocal style is noticeable. Like Chic, Change are capable of creating some of the best dance music you’ll hear. Their vocals cascade beautifully, sweeping in and out of the arrangement, combining elegance and beauty. They’re contrasted by the heavy funk sound when the vocal drops out. When they combine, the result is exquisite and results in a classic, timeless dance track.
Hold Tight was the other single released from Miracles. Unlike Paradise, this track doesn’t have such a heavy funk sound. It’s still funky, but much more subtle, with stabs of keyboards and percussion accompanying the chiming guitars and rhythm section. What really makes this such a great song is the vocal. Jocelyn’s vocal veers between tender and heartfelt to powerful and sassy, while punchy, dramatic harmonies and handclaps accompany her. Although very different from Paradise, this is just as good a track, one that’s very beautiful and irresistible catchy.
Stop For Love sees the tempo drop and allows Change to show that there’s much more to their music than the dance-floor. The drama builds as keyboards and the rhythm section combine. Then when the vocal enters, it’s tender and full of emotion. Harmonies delivered in a dramatic, urgent style reply to it and the interplay between the two is full of power, passion and emotion. Just as quickly, a sultry horn replaces the vocal and the rhythm section build up the drama. WIth quivering, shivering strings, the vocal and harmonies combine, with one driving the other to greater hearts of emotion and passion.
Miracles closes with the-title track Miracles. It’s almost as if they’ve kept one of the best tracks for last. Percussion, a pounding, funky rhythm section and chiming guitars are joined by synths before a heartfelt, soulful vocal enters. Tight, tender harmonies accompany the vocal, while chiming guitars, percussion, synths and a pounding beat add contrasts. Another contrast is the lushest of strings that sweep above the vocal. Not only do they ad to the beauty of the arrangement, but compliment the heartfelt, soulful vocal as soul, funk and dance music are combined seamlessly by Change.
Just a year after releasing Glow of Love, Change released Miracles, an album that picked up where they’d left off. Again, Miracles was another critically acclaimed and commercially successful classic album. This was something that had seemed impossible for previous disco producers and artists. Many had released one outstanding album, but few had released two back-to-back. Change managed that, and since then, both Glow of Love and Miracles have been perceived as classic albums. Change had set the bar high with Glow of Love, but on Miracles combined a compelling combination of disco with Euro Disco, soul and funk. Since then, this has become known as Italo Disco. One of the founding fathers of Italo Disco were Change. They were one of the most innovative, creative and imaginative groups of the post-disco era. The seven tracks on Miracles weren’t just dance-floor friendly, but soulful, funky, laden with hooks and irresistibly catchy. Both albums are just as good over thirty years after their release. Truly, they’re timeless albums, that have gone down in the history of dance music as hugely important and indeed, classic albums. Now, both albums will be released by the Disco Recharge label as a double-album on 22nd October 2012 as Disco Recharge-Change-Glow of Love and Miracles-Special Edition. On this double album were Glow of Love and Miracles, plus a second disc of remixed versions of singles. After being unavailable for far too long, these two albums will soon be available for everyone to either rediscover or discover. So, believe me, a Change is gonna come, and that will be on 22nd October 2012 when Disco Recharge-Change-Glow of Love and Miracles-Special Edition will be released. Standout Tracks: The Glow Of Love, Searching, Paradise and Hold Tight.
DISCO RECHARGE-CHANGE-GLOW OF LOVE AND MIRACLES-SPECIAL EDITION.
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OFFERING RECORDINGS ADE SAMPLER 2012.
OFFERING RECORDINGS ADE SAMPLER 2012.
In an a constantly changing musical landscape, it’s becoming difficult for smaller record companies to discover new talent. All too often, artists with even a modicum of potential are signed by major labels, usually on a 360 deal. They hope they’ve just unearthed the next million-selling artist and Christmas has indeed come early. At the other end of the spectrum, many artists are using and exploiting the infinite possibilities thrown up by the internet to release their own music. After all, they can record, produce and release their own music via the internet. Not only that, but they can even build a following via the internet, using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to create a buzz about their music. It seems the only time they need leave their house is to tour or cash their royalty checks. However, what alternatives are there for an artist not wanting to sign for a major or release their own music? That’s where smaller, independent labels come in. One smaller, independent label is Offering Recordings, who’ve recently released an eight-track sampler Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012. For anyone new to Offering Recordings, then this is the perfect introduction to an innovative label who searches the world for new talent.
For smaller, independent record labels, finding new and talented artists isn’t easy. Spotting artists with potential isn’t easy. Indeed, you got to kiss a few musical frogs before finding your musical Prince. One record company that spent more time and effort searching for new artists is Offering Recordings. Since Boddhi Satva founded Offering Recordings in 2008, the label has constantly sought out the best in future soul, and has given new and talented artists a platform to have their music heard. Offering Recordings’ search for new artists has taken them far and wide. Indeed, this search has seen Offering Recordings head to the four corners of the globe.
During 2012, it seemed Offering Recordings were determined to search further and wider than ever before. One of the places they headed to was Mail. In Mali, they met Idrissa Sissoko, who after playing Boddhi Satva just a few songs, was signed on the spot. Then there’s Ade Alafia Adio, who was born in America to Nigerian parents, but moved to Nigeria when he was studying architecture and civil engineering. In Nigeria, Ade decided to follow his heart and become a singer, poet and musician. When Boddhi Satva heard of Ade, he tracked him down to the Netherlands, where he now lived. Like Idrissa, Ade was signed to Offering Recordings, and released his three-track E.P. O.R.G.A.S.M. recently. There are other stories where Offering Recordings have searched far and wide, but these two stories demonstrate Offering’s determination when seeking, signing and releasing music. This year has been particularly busy for Offering Recordings.
Apart from Idrissa Sissoko and Ade Alafia Adio, Offering Recordings have released albums like Sage Monk’s beautiful and spiritual Heartache Allegory, plus music by Mammy Wata, Punk, Delany Duval, Sons of Arhat and Paul Randolph. Tracks by each of these artists feature on Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012. Truly, 2012 has been something of a vintage year for Offering Recordings. While other labels talk the talk, Offering Recordings really have walked the walk. For newcomers to Offering Recordings’ music, Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012 will give you a flavor of their music. So for newcomers to Offering Recordings’ music, I’ll tell you about the music on Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012.
Opening Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012 is Paul Randolph’s Soldier. Just a lone acoustic guitar opens the track, before drums and percussion enter, giving the track an African Roots sound. Then Paul throws a curveball. His tender vocal is accompanied by pounding drums. Now the track head in the direction of the dance-floor. Synths, keyboards and backing vocalists join the percussion and acoustic guitar as African Roots meets deep house. Paul teases and tantalizes the listener, dropping the tempo before building the track back up. This results in a track that’s compelling, catchy and beautiful oh and very dance-floor friendly.
Sons of Arhat’s Situation is a track that instantly, grabs your attention. It’s a fusion of styles and sounds, where drama and passion omnipresent. Synths join percussion and drums giving the track an African Roots feel. Soon, thunderous drums drive the track along, while moody synths, percussion and a vocal that’s impassioned and heartfelt combine. This is another dance track, but one where African and Western music unite as one. Synths create a broody, dramatic backdrop, while drums create the track’s pulsating heartbeat. Percussion and a vocal that’s full of emotion give the track an authentic African sound. For nearly eight minutes, two continents unite through music, resulting in a track that’s dramatic, spiritual and thanks to the vocal, totally heartfelt.
Thunderous drums test the tolerance of your speakers as Delany Duval’s Mukulie begins. Drums drive the track along, while synths, keyboards and drum machines join percussion in teasing you. You’re wondering where the track is heading. Still Delany teases and toys with you. Keyboards repeat the same part, as if building up the drama. Then, against a pounding beat, punchy, joyous vocals sweep in and out. As they drop out, the keyboards take charge, as drums crack and pound. When the vocals return, they’re breathy, celebratory and joyful. They set the tone for the track, and with a myriad of drums and keyboards, for company, create a track that’s not only full of drama and contrasts, but celebratory.
I Can’t Wait is a track from Punk, which features Magic Soul’s vocal talents. It’s a track with a real contemporary sound. If you think house with a healthy sprinkling of percussion, a twist of African Roots and plenty of drama you’re getting close. Here, drums equal drama, while the stabs of keyboards give the track a warmth. When the drums, percussion and keyboards unite with the joyous and heartfelt vocals, the track heads in the direction of house. Percussion gives the track a jazzy or Latin house feel. What makes this one of the highlights of Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012 are they vocals. They’re joyous and heartfelt cascading above the percussive heavy arrangement and are crucial to the track’s sound and success.
Pounding drums reverberate dramatically as Sage Monk’s Would You Walk Away begins. Keyboards and percussion are added, providing a contrast. Then comes the moody, broody vocal. It’s full of anguish and hurt, as it asks “Would You Walk Away?” When the vocal drops out, the keyboards take over, but you await the anguished, probing vocal. You feel and share the pain, you worry about the answer and the effects of that answer. You’re caught up in the drama, anguish and hurt. That’s how powerful the music is, that it can move and change your emotions.
When Mamy Wata’s Regardez Moi begins, you realize that this is a vocal that’s sung with feeling and sincerity. Saying it’s sung with passion and emotion is almost an understatement. This isn’t just soul music, it’s music for your heart and mind. Just an acoustic guitar that accompanies Mamy, as she delivers a vocal that’s heartfelt and full of emotion. Although percussion and drums accompany Mamy, it’s her vocal that you focus on. You can’t help it. You’re drawn to it. That mixture of power and passion, comes from the heart and is deeply moving, beautiful and uplifting.
Earlier this year, Idrissa Sissoko released his debut album Lopilopilo. It’s a deeply moving, beautiful and spiritual album. Yiri is a track from Lopilopilo, and as the track unfolds, Idrissa Sissoko, plays with a power and intensity. It’s as if he has so much to say and share, and so little time to do so. He’s so keen to get his message across that this comes out in his playing. His vocal is wholehearted and fervid, with the lyrics delivered, quickly with an urgency and intensity. This is what makes this track such a compelling and powerful one, one that’s heartfelt and soulful.
Closing Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012 is Fulfillment, one of the three tracks on Ade Alafia Adio’s E.P. O.R.G.A.S.M. It was arranged and produced by Thane Wright, who cowrote the track with Bob Mabaje. Drums, percussion and keyboards combine with Ade’s impassioned vocal. His vocal is heartfelt, full of emotion, as if every word he sings means something. It’s as if he’s undergone a voyage of discovery and enlightenment. Percussion and drums accompany him, creating a dramatic backdrop for his vocal. Adding to the drama and emotion is a spoken vocal, which weaves its way through the arrangement. The focus of you’re attention is firmly on Ade’s emotive, heartfelt and his intelligent, meaningful lyrics.
The eight tracks on Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012 are the perfect introduction to the music of Offering Recordings. This is just a flavor of the music released by Offering Recordings during 2012. Over the past ten months, they’ve surpassed themselves, releasing so much great music. From Sage Monk’s Heartache Allegory, to Idrissa Sissoko’s Lopilopilo and more recently Ade Alafia Adio’s E.P. O.R.G.A.S.M. Offering Recordings it seems they can do know wrong. Much of their success is down to hard work and determination. It’s Offering Recordings’ A&R Department, who are responsible for discovering all this new talent. It seems Boddhi Satva and everyone at Offering Recordings will travel further afield than most labels, on the of chance that they’ll discover another talented artist. These artists are nurtured and given the opportunity to have their music heard by a much wider audience.
Much of the music Offering Recordings releases might not be commercial enough for major labels. Nowadays, major labels only want to release really commercial music. They don’t want to take any chances or nurture artists for the long-term. So instead of innovative, imaginative music, major labels release throwaway, populist music, which quite fittingly, is sold in supermarkets next to other equally throwaway, disposable items. Instead, releasing innovative, imaginative music is left to smaller, independent labels, labels like Offering Recordings. Indeed, the eight tracks that feature on Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012 aren’t just innovative and imaginative, but uplifting, joyous, emotive, heartfelt and deeply soulful. It seems, where the majors fear to tread, Offering Recordings walk bravely, in pursuit of soul music and everyone who loves music should be grateful for that. Standout Tracks: Paul Randolph Soldier, I Can’t Wait Punk featuring Magic Soul, Sage Monk Would You Walk Away and Ade Alafia Adio Fulfillment.
OFFERING RECORDINGS ADE SAMPLER 2012.
BOBBY WOMACK-PIECES.
BOBBY WOMACK-PIECES.
By 1977, when Bobby Womack entered the recording studio to record his twelfth studio album Pieces, his career had hit the buffers. Bobby’s music was no longer as successful as it had been in late-sixties and early-seventies. His two previous albums, BW Goes C&W and Home Is Where the Heart Is showed that Bobby was lacking in musical direction. Like many soul singers, his music wasn’t as popular in the disco era. With disco flavor of the month, soul singers like Bobby were even struggling to get a record contract. As if that wasn’t bad enough Bobby’s personal life wasn’t in a good place. He felt that his life was falling to pieces, and that he was struggling to keep his life together. So it was almost ironic that Bobby’s twelfth studio album was called Pieces. In many ways, Pieces was a good description of the album, as different songs were recorded at different times, with different personnel and guest artists. Eventually, and just like a jigsaw, all the pieces fell into place and Pieces was ready for release in 1977. Would Pieces which was recently rereleased and remastered by Purpose Music Vaults, and featured guest appearances from David Ruffin and Candi Staton see a return to form from Bobby Womack? That’s what I’ll tell you, after I’ve told you the background to Pieces.
With Bobby ready to record what became Pieces in 1977, he headed to Detroit, and Don Davis’ studio. In Detroit eight songs would be recorded. This included three tracks that Bobby cowrote. Bobby and Leon Ware, who’d produced Marvin Gaye’s seminal album Here My Dear, cowrote two tracks. They were Trust Your Heart with producer Don Davis and Wind It Up With Bobby’s brother Cecil. Cecil also cowrote Never Let Nothing Get the Best of You. Don Davis would cowrite two other track. These were the album opener It’s Party Time with Willie Schofield, and Caught Up In the Middle with Jerry Stephens and Ronnie McNeir. Other tracks included the Jimmy George and John Hammond composition Is This the Thanks I Get and the Allee Willis’ penned When Love Begins Friendship Ends. Stop Before We Start, which Arenita Walker and Cynthia Girty cowrote, was one of two tracks that featured longtime friends of Bobby.
When Bobby headed to Don Davis’ Detroit studio, he hooked up with two of his longtime friends, Candi Staton and David Ruffin. The three of them had grownup together and stayed close since then. By 1977, Candi had just enjoyed one of her most successful songs, the disco classic Young Hearts Run Free in 1976. Candi would duet with Bobby on Stop Before We Start. Given Candi’s success, this would surely help sales of Pieces. David Ruffin was still a successful artist, having released Everything’s Coming Up Love in 1976 and would release In My Stride in June 1977. Bobby had long respected David Ruffin as a singer, and wanted to have him feature on one of his albums. So for Pieces, David added backing vocals on Trust Your Heart. Accompanying David, Candi and Bobby Womack would be some of the best session musicians of the time.
Among the musicians joining Bobby Womack and his guest artists were a rhythm section of drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist Anthony Willis and rhythm guitarist Jimmy Johnson. Charles Fullove played lead guitar, Barry Beckett keyboards and percussion was played by Laurence Fratangelo and Barbara Huby. Horns were provided by The Detroit Horns and The Horny Horns. Adding backing vocals were Friendly, Curtis, Cecil and Bobby Womack, along with Peggy Young, Cassetta George and Josephine Howard. Once the eight songs that comprise Pieces were recorded, the album was set for release later in 1977.
On the release of Pieces in 1977, it wasn’t a huge commercial success, reaching a lowly 205 in the US Billboard 200. This wasn’t surprising. Many other soul singers were releasing quality albums but they weren’t selling. Disco it seemed, had overtaken soul in terms of popularity. One singer who’d crossed over from soul to disco was Candi Staton, who duetted with Bobby on Stop Before We Start. Trust Your Heart was chosen as the lead single from Pieces, but only managed to reach number forty-seven in the US R&B Charts. Maybe the problem was that Pieces was the wrong album at the wrong time?After all, disco was King, whereas soul was no longer as popular. Was that the case? That’s what I’ll tell you, after I’ve told you about the music on Pieces.
Opening Pieces is It’s Party Time, a track that more than tips its hat to disco. Bobby vamps his way through the introduction with the rhythm section, testifying backing vocalists and blazing horns creating an uptempo, dance-floor friendly arrangement. From the opening bars, Bobby grabs the song by the scruff of its neck, delivering his vocal with a powerful, sassy, swagger. Although not quite Bobby does disco, it’s quite different to previous Bobby Womack albums. One thing doesn’t change, the quality of Bobby’s vocal. It’s just as good. Especially with the cooing, soaring backing vocals, rasping horns and pounding rhythm section that accompany Bobby. They play their part in the track’s irresistibly catchy, dance-floor friendly, good-time sound.
Trust Your Heart was the lead single from Pieces, but it only gave Bobby a minor US R&B hit. Bobby’s vocal is a sassy rasp, before he delivers a heartfelt, impassioned vocal. He’s accompanied by a slow, moody backdrop, where the rhythm section and piano add to the drama. His vocal is soulful, soaring and cascading above the arrangement, as swathes of strings sweep and swirl. The drama builds and builds, and Bobby’s vocal matures as the song progresses. Soon, he unleashes a vocal tour de force, where power, passion and drama unite as one.
Stop Before We Start is a much slower song, and features Bobby duetting with Candi Staton. Keyboards and synths show the changing sound of soul and R&B in 1977, while lushest of strings add to the song’s emotion and beauty. They might seem strange bedfellows, but they work, giving the track an innovative sound for 1977. With wistful horns and Bobby’s heartfelt, emotive vocal added, this a potent partnership. Proving the perfect accompaniment to Bobby’s vocal is Candi’s impassioned pleas. Her vocal is needy and full of feeling, matching Bobby each step of the way.Their vocals are a perfect match, the soulful equivalent of ying and yang, playing their part in making this one of the highlights of Pieces.
Allee Willis wrote the philosophical When Love Begins Friendship Ends. It’s a track that quickly grows in drama and emotion, as if designed to grab your attention. Soon, you’re glad you are. Just searing guitars, wistful strings and bursts of a dramatic rhythm section give way to Bobby’s impassioned vocal. He unleashes a vocal that’s full of sadness and regret, accompanied by bursts of growling horns and drums. Quickly, the drama grows. Bobby’s vocal grows in power, as he breathes life and meaning into the track. So good is is vocal, you can sense his hurt and heartache. Sometimes, the arrangement takes on an understated sound, but then, just as quickly changes, matching Bobby’s vocal for power, drama and emotion.
As Wind It Up begins, you realize that something is about to unfold. You’re certainly not disappointed. Bobby powerfully vamps his way through the track fusing funk, soul and jazz. The arrangement is full of blazing horns, driving rhythm section, percussion and a jazzy piano, that’s key to the track’s sound and success. It’s a real stomping track, that allows Bobby to kick loose. His vocal is fiery and feisty as he vamps his way through a track he cowrote with his brother Cecil and Leon Ware. Truly, this is vintage Bobby Womack. He he rolls back the years, delivering one of his best vocals on Pieces accompanied by one of the best arrangements.
Jimmy George and Johnny Hammond were a successful songwriting partnership, writing songs for George Benson and O.C. Smith. Is This The Thanks I Get is another of their compositions. It has a much more understated, laid-back sound, which grows in power and drama. It veers between the two styles throughout the track. Just rasping horns, backing vocalists and a meandering bass combine with Bobby’s vocal. His vocal is a mixture of sadness and hope, his voice growing in power like the arrangement. Crucal to this are blazing horns, guitars and bass. Then as the hope leaves Bobby’s voice, the arrangement is stripped bare, taking on an understated sound. This is perfect for Bobby’s melancholy, wistful vocal and is hugely effective.
Caught Up In The Middle is one of two songs producer Don Davis cowrote. Don cowrote the track with Ronnie McNeir and Jerry Stephens. Bobby scats, before he sings about being caught up in a love-triangle. Just woodwind, piano and a wandering bass combine with Bobby. He seems to have reserved one of his best vocals, throwing himself into the track, singing it with feeling and sass. It’s almost as if the lyrics are personal for Bobby. Rasping jazz-tinged horns, piano and harmonies, are joined by a wandering bass and lush strings. Together, they add to the drama and emotion of this jazz-tinged track.
Bookending Pieces is Never Let Nothing Get The Best Of You, written by Bobby and Cecil Womack. It’s another uptempo, dance-floor friendly track, where Bobby vamps and testifies his way through the track. Backing vocalists accompany Bobby, responding to his call, while growling horns, piano, percussion and the rhythm section drive the arrangement along at breakneck speed. For nearly five-minutes, Bobby unleashes a powerful vamp, as his band and backing vocalists fuse funk, soul and a touch of disco. Like the opening track, it’s an irresistibly catchy, dance track, where Bobby unleashes one of his trademark vamps with the power, passion and panache you’d expect of him.
Like so many other soul albums released during the disco era, Bobby Womack’s twelfth album Pieces, was one of these albums that passed almost unnoticed. This was because of disco’s popularity. Disco had surpassed soul as the most popular genre of the second half of the seventies. That meant music fans missed out on what was one of Bobby Womack’s best album of the late-seventies. Pieces followed BW Goes C&W and Home Is Where the Heart Is, which weren’t Bobby’s finest hours. Thankfully, Pieces was a welcome return to form from the veteran soul man. He combined soul, funk and even elements of disco during the eight tracks on Pieces.
Helping Bobby on Pieces were some of the best session musicians of the seventies, plus guest artists Candi Staton and David Ruffin. They all played their part in Pieces’ sound and success. After Pieces, Bobby Womack didn’t release another great album until 1981s The Poet. During this four year period, Bobby only released one album, Roads of Life, which like Pieces, wasn’t a commercial success.
Sadly, after Roads of Life, Bobby like so many other soul singers, found himself without a recording contract. This was a long way from the height of Bobby’s success during the late-sixties and early-seventies. However, Bobby Womack’s last great album of the seventies was Pieces, which was recently rereleased and remastered by Purpose Music Vaults, complete with four bonus tracks. This allows anyone who back in 1977, when Pieces was released, was caught in disco’s spell and as a result missed out on each of soulful secrets and delights of Pieces, to discover what they missed out on first time round. Standout Tracks: It’s Party Time, Stop Before We Start, Wind It Up and Never Let Nothing Get The Best Of You.
BOBBY WOMACK-PIECES.
DISCO RECHARGE-ULTIMATE-ULTIMATE AND ULTIMATE II.
DISCO RECHARGE-ULTIMATE-ULTIMATE AND ULTIMATE II.
All too often, history repeats itself in music. This is as true in music as life. There are many examples of this, but a good example of this is the story of Bruce Weedon. Bruce who was one of the most innovative and creative disco producers of the late-seventies. No wonder. He’d learnt from one of the founding father’s of Euro Disco, Boris Midney. Before Boris taught him everything there was to know about producing and engineering, Bruce was a session guitarist. Indeed, his guitar playing graces USA-European Connection’s Come Into My Heart. To repay Boris, Bruce helped build him build Alpha International Studios in Philly. Then after deciding to become a producer in his own right, Bruce headed to the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. Back in 1979, Philly had been producing some of the best music of the seventies. This was the perfect place for a new, hungry producer to launch his nascent career. One of Bruce’s collaborations was Ultimate. They released two albums, Ultimate and Ultimate II in 1979, which will be released as Disco Recharge-Ultimate-Ultimate and Ultimate II on 15th October 2012, by the Disco Recharge label. The story behind Ultimate has similarities with two other Bruce Weedon collaborations, Tangerué and Strange Affair. However, before I tell you about the music on Ultimate and Ultimate II, I’ll tell you how the story of Ultimate is similar to other Bruce Weedon’s collaborations.
Back in 1979, Bruce Weedon and Ed Strauman, two proteges of Boris Midney headed out on their own as producers. Their first collaboration was in Philadelphia, where they put together a studio band, Tangerué. They released just one album, Tangerué, on Unidisc in 1979. It was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. Instantly, it became a disco classic. By the time Bruce Weedon returned to the studio, this time with a new collaborator, disco’s bubble had burst.
Bruce and his new collaborator Giuliani Salerni decided to create another studio band Strange Affair. Again, they only released one album, their eponymous album Strange Affair. It was released on South Philly Productions in 1979, but sadly, Strange Affair wasn’t a commercial success. It suffered from a lack of promotion in the post-disco landscape. Obviously, disco’s waning popularity was a factor, but the lack of promotion made success even harder. As a result, Strange Affair remains a hidden gem in disco’s back-catalogue. Tangerué wasn’t Bruce Weedon’s only collaboration and sadly, it would be a case of history repeating itself.
The story of Ultimate has parallels with the story of Tangerué and Strange Affair. Before Tangerué came Ultimate, a collaboration between Bruce and Philly-based producer Giuliani Salerni, who’d founded Ultimate. For Ultimate’s debut album Ultimate, Giuliani wrote the six tracks on Ultimate. It was then recorded at Boris Midney’s Philly studios Alpha International Studios. With Bruce playing guitar, Giuliani added keyboards and synths. Strings came courtesy of The Ultimate Players, keyboards Ed Strauman and percussion by Miguel Fuentes. With Ultimate’s debut album Ultimate set for release in 1979 and Bruce’s career was about to get of to a great start.
On the release of Ultimate, it reached number 157 in the US Billboard 200 and number six in the US Dance Music/Club Play Charts. Touch Me Baby was released as a single in the US Billboard 100 and reached number eighty-two. So popular was Ultimate, that each of the four tracks were regular features of the US Dance Music/Club Play Charts for over four months. It seemed Bruce Weedon was set to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Boris Midney given the success of Ultimate. However, history would repeat itself by the time Ultimate released their sophomore album Ultimate II.
On the release of Ultimate II by Casablanca Records in March 1980, there are further parallels with Strange Affair’s album. Casablanca didn’t promote Ultimate II sufficiently, and with disco no longer as popular, Ultimate II failed commercially. Bruce Weedon was musical proof that lightning could really strike twice in the same place. Two albums, Strange Affair and Ultimate II are proof of this. Since then, Ultimate II has remained a hidden secret among disco fans….until now. Now like Disco Recharge did with Tangerué/Strange Affair, they’ll be releasing Ultimate and Ultimate II as part of the Disco Recharge series. They’ll be released as Disco Recharge-Ultimate-Ultimate and Ultimate II and I’ll now tell you about each album.
ULTIMATE.
Opening Ultimate’s debut album Ultimate is Love Is The Ultimate Medley. This is a medley of Love Is The Ultimate, Dancing In The Night and Touch Me Baby which lasts an epic fifteen minutes. It’s a musical journey with surprises and subtleties aplenty in-store. Thunderous drums grab your attention, while stabs and flourishes of synths and keyboards add a space-age sound. Quickly, the drama builds. Suddenly, it’s all change. The arrangement takes on a different sound, when the funky rhythm section, keyboards and guitars unite. Think a Euro Disco beat. elements of funk and classic US disco. When strings float in accompanied by growling horns and heartfelt harmonies that all have Philly Sound written all over them. There’s even a nod to the Sweethearts of Sigma and Salsoul, albeit the beat is stronger. By now the harmonies take charge, teasing and tantalising, helped no end by the strings and horns. Then the medley changes, with the second part when the arrangement is stripped bare. Just percussion and pounding beat remain. Gradually, cinematic strings and horns add to the drama as funk and disco combine. As the harmonies return, their sassy, tender sound and the interplay between the strings, horns and harmonies is key to the track’s sound and success. This continues during the final part of the medley. Dramatic, swirling strings, growling horns and Ultimate’s harmonies play their part in making this a true fifteen-minute feast of the finest disco.
Ritmo De Brazil is quite a different track, one with a Latin influence as percussion and a samba beat combine to build up the drama. Still the pounding beat is present. Keyboards and strings give the arrangement a wistful sound before punchy harmonies enter. The harmonies become heartfelt, accompanied by rasping horns, a myriad of percussion and wah-wah guitars. Meanwhile, strings wistfully float in and out. As pounding drums create the arrangement’s heartbeat, strings, horns and percussion create a genre-sprawling track. This sees Ultimate fuse Latin, funk, Euro Disco and soul flawlessly.
Music In My Heart is a track where influences are everywhere. Pounding Euro Disco beats are combined with Chic styled guitar licks and funky bass. Growling horns, cascading strings and choppy harmonies enter, while keyboards and synths add to the Euro Disco influence. Suddenly, the arrangement loses its drama and takes on an elegant sound. From there, Ultimate tease and tantalize. They veer between flourishes of drama from blazing horns, keyboards and frantically swirling strings to bursts of elegance. This elegance is provided by sweeping harmonies and swathes of strings. Whether delivering dramatic or elegance, Ultimate do it their way, which means with style and panache.
Closing Ultimate is Take Me To Chinatown another musical journey with Ultimate as your tour-guide. Using a myriad of percussion, keyboards and emotive strings they add an authentic oriental sound. Meanwhile, thunderous drums, guitars and soaring harmonies provide the track’s disco sound. It’s a compelling, dramatic combination. As the track progresses, the drama builds and builds. Growling horns, keyboards and thunderous beats are key to this, while strings and percussion are responsible for the track’s Eastern influence. This track reminds me of Voyage’s album Let’s Fly Away, where Voyage sampled each continent of the world’s music. Like the music on Let’s Fly Away, this has a similar innovative and imaginative sound. This seems a satisfying way to close Ultimate, an album produced by two innovators of disco Bruce Weedon and Giuliani Salerni .
Although there are only four tracks on Ultimate, they’re four of the finest disco tracks you’ll find. They were produced by two innovative, creative and imaginative producers, Bruce Weedon and Giuliani Salerni. What makes this even more remarkable is that Ultimate was Bruce Weedon’s first outing as a producer, since heading out on his own. Bruce had found the ying to his yang in Giuliani. They were both innovators, looking to get onboard the disco bandwagon. Not only did the climb onboard, but brought a new twist to disco. Together, they fused elements of numerous musical genres, including disco, Euro Disco, funk, Latin and Philly Soul. When this was combined, the result was one of last critically acclaimed commercially successful disco albums before disco’s bubble burst. Ultimate spent four months in the US Dance Charts, and got Bruce’s nascent career of to a successful and critically acclaimed start. By the time Ultimate released their second album Ultimate II, things had changed, both in terms of music and personnel.
Feel So Fine has a much more understated sound. Gone is the rocky sound, with a much more soulful vocal accompanied by an arrangement where the rhythm section, lush strings and keyboards combine to give the track a quite beautiful sound. Three part harmonies are accompanied by a disco beat, which doesn’t overpower the vocal. Instead, this results in something First Choice might have recorded. Not is it soulful and dance-floor friendly, but it’s a very beautiful song and one of the highlights of Ultimate II.
Get To The Top is a much quicker track, featuring a much louder, stronger disco beat. It accompanies the harmonies while strings cascade as the rhythm section drives the arrangement along in the direction of Euro Disco. Percussion and rasping horns punctuate the arrangement, and with a funky bass and dancing strings replace the vocal and then accompany it. Later, rocky guitars are added as Ultimate fuse musical genres aplenty in creating an irresistible catchy dance track.
Secret Agent Man is another fusion of genres, with R&B, soul, funk and disco combining. Here, the rhythm section combine funk and elements of Chic before a sassy vocal enters. Blazing horns add drama, while cinematic strings are like something out of the soundtrack to a spy thriller. All the time, harmonies weave in and out the track, adding to the drama and energy. Chiming guitars, percussion and rasping horns add a funky sound, and sometimes, jazz-funk influence. The vocals are soulful, and sometimes have an R&B influence. Other times they sweep elegantly in and out, with string, horns, percussion and rhythm section for company. Regardless of which style they are, they play a huge part in the success of this dramatic, catchy and soulful song.
Back Together sees the tempo increase and the Euro Disco influence return. A pounding Euro Disco beat accompanies keyboards before flourishes of dramatic strings enter. They give way to tight, punchy, impassioned harmonies. Joining them are some of the best guitar licks on Ultimate. Soon, some of the harmonies that played such a vital part in previous songs take centre-stage. They prove the perfect accompaniment for the vocal. Later, the arrangement takes on a Latin twist, thanks to the percussion. A vibes solo is unleashed before the tight, deliberate harmonies return, and the rhythm section drives this hugely catchy slice of Euro Disco to its close.
Now And Forever closes Ultimate II and is very different sounding track. Parts of this track could only be made in one place…Philly. Keyboards, woodwind and strings create a wistful sounding arrangement. This is perfect for the heartfelt vocal and the soaring harmonies that accompany it. By now the thunderous Euro Disco beat is augmented by growling horns, lush strings and chiming guitars as Philly meets Euro Disco. The Philly Soul sound comes courtesy of the vocal, which is the best on Ultimate II. There’s even a slight Three Degrees’ style to the vocal and harmonies. Later, the wistful woodwind returns, adding to the emotion and beauty of an arrangement which is one of the best on Ultimate II, and indeed, a perfect way to close this post-disco album.
When you compare Ultimate II to Ultimate, it’s a very different album. That’s no surprise, given the musical landscape was very different. By the time Ultimate II was released, it was the post-disco era. So, rather than release an album that was similar to Ultimate, what Bruce Weedon and Michael Forte created was a real fusion of genres, sounds and influences. There was everything from disco, Euro Disco, funk, Latin, Philly Soul and rock on Ultimate II. Having said that, there’s still a Euro Disco sound. On Ultimate II it’s combined with many other styles. They’re mixed together in one musical melting pot. Of these influences, one stands out on several tracks… and that’s the Philly Soul influence. Key to this was the harmonies of Barbara Hernandez, Deborah McGriff and Riti Saunders. Their vocals and harmonies bring Ultimate II To life, adding drama, beauty and emotion. Along with the lush strings and rasping horns, they give the track a real Philly Sound. Some tracks have a First Choice influence and sound, while Now And Forever sounds similar to The Three Degrees. When these vocals are added to the Bruce and Michael’s arrangements, the result is just the finishing touch to this post-disco hidden gem. While Ultimate II wasn’t released to critical acclaim and commercial success, it has two things in common with Ultimate, its quality and innovative sound. Sadly, the Ultimate story has many similarities with other Bruce Weedon projects, Tangerué and Strange Affair.
Like Tangerué, Ultimate was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. A year later, Ultimate II and Strange Affair both failed commercially in the post-disco era. Both weren’t helped by a lack of promotion. Yet another similarity is that Tangerué and Strange Affair were rereleased by the Disco Recharge label as Disco Recharge-Tangerué/Strange Affair. Now just a few months later, Ultimate and Ultimate II will be rereleased by Disco Recharge on 15th October 2012 as Disco Recharge-Ultimate-Ultimate and Ultimate II. This gives everyone the perfect opportunity to either rediscover, or discover for the first time some more of Bruce Weedon’s innovative and imaginative music, this time from Ultimate who like Tangerué and Strange Affair, released some of best music of the disco and post-disco era. Standout Tracks: Love Is The Ultimate Medley, Music of My Heart, Feel So Fine and Now and Forever.
DISCO RECHARGE-ULTIMATE-ULTIMATE AND ULTIMATE II.
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RONNIE DYSON-ONE MAN BAND.
RONNIE DYSON-ONE MAN BAND.
Three years after the release of his debut album (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You in 1970, Ronnie Dyson released his sophomore album One Man Band on Columbia Records. This would be the second of five albums Ronnie would release for Columbia between 1970 and 1979. Sadly, Ronnie Dyson’s career was cut tragically short, when he died in 1990, aged just aged just forty. Ronnie had first come to the public’s attention when he appeared in Hair, along with future stars like Diane Keaton, Melba Moore and Paul Jabara who wrote Last Dance and It’s Raining Men. It was with the single (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You that launched Ronnie Dyson’s career. Four of the tracks on Ronnie’s debut album had been produced by legendary Philadelphia producer Thom Bell, while Billy Jackson and Stan Vincent produced the other tracks. Three years later, the same production team would join Ronnie for the recording of One Man Band, which has been rereleased and remastered by Purpose Music Vaults, along with five bonus tracks. Would One Man Band replicate the success of Ronnie’s debut album? That’s what I’ll tell you, after I’ve told you about Ronnie Dyson.
Ronnie Dyson was born in 1950, in Washington D.C, but was brought up in Brooklyn, New York. Like so many soul singers, Ronnie’s singing career started in church. Indeed, it was as a teenager in Washington Temple Church where Ronnie’s voice was first heard. However, it was the result of Ronnie’s mother overhearing a telephone conversation that he got his first break.
While Ronnie was a teenager, his mother worked for a telephone answering service. One day, she was fortunate enough to hear a customer saying how young people were being cast for a production a musical. Quickly, Ronnie’s mother decided to put his name forward. Ronnie auditioned and joined the cast of Hair, where he joined future stars like Melba Moore, Paul Jarbara and Diane Keaton. This was just the break Ronnie needed. So good was Ronnie, that Jerome Ragni and John McDermott wrote Aquarius especially for Ronnie. Soon Ronnie’s performance, that he came to the attention of record companies and one in particular, Columbia.
Billy Jackson at Columbia spotted Ronnie’s potential and signed him in 1969. His debut single was God Bless the Children, which was released as Ron Dyson. Although it wasn’t a commercial success, his second single (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You was. This gave Ronnie a hit in the US Billboard 100 and US R&B Charts and so did his debut album (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You. While the album was a moderate success, the third single I Don’t Want To Cry made the US R&B top ten. After recording three more songs, Ronnie’s nascent career was over, temporarily, when he was dropped by Columbia.
By 1971, Ronnie was on his way back to Columbia. Clive Davis had asked Stan Vincent to work with Ronnie as his producer. Their first collaboration was a cover of The Delfonics’ When You Get Right Down To It. It reached the top forty in the US R&B Charts. Chosen as the followup was A Wednesday In Your Garden, which was followed by a cover of The Stylistics’ A Point Of No Return. That was the track that set Columbia’s executives thinking. Even though the sessions went well, still, something was lacking. So using a some lateral thinking, they came up with the name of Thom Bell. After all, he’d produced The Delfonics and The Stylistics, whose songs Ronnie had covered.
It just so happened Thom Bell was at CBS on business, so the subject of Thom producing Ronnie was broached. Ronnie was all for it. To him, Thom Bell was a star-maker. Everything Thom touched turned to gold or even, platinum. So with Thom onboard and set to produced what would become One Man Band. In Philly, work began on what would eventually become Ronnie Dyson’s sophomore album One Man Band.
Thom Bell and his songwriting partner Linda Creed composed three songs, One Man Band (Plays All Alone), I Think I’ll Tell Her and Give In To Love. Through Thom, Ronnie had access to the Bobby “Electronic” Eli, Vinnie Barrett and Joe Freeman songwriting team. They penned Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely, eventually. Every time Vinnie thought the song was complete, Thom Bell turned it down. Many rewrites later, the song was ready. At last, Thom loved the song, and he told Ronnie this was his hit single. These four tracks would become part of One Man Band. They were combined with the three cuts from the sessions with Stan Vincent, plus the three tracks Ronnie recorded during his first time at Columbia. One Man Band was set for release in 1973.
On the release of One Man Band in 1973, it reached number 142 in the US Billboard 200 and number thirty-four in the US R&B Charts. Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely did indeed give Ronnie the hit single Thom Bell promised, reaching number sixty in the US Billboard 100 and number twenty-nine in the US R&B Charts. The Thom Bell and Linda Creed penned One Man Band (Plays All Alone) was the most successful single from One Man Band. It reached number twenty-eight in the US Billboard 100 and number fifteen in the US R&B Charts. While One Man Band hadn’t been a huge commercial success, it had charted and produced two hit singles. What must be considered is that three producers worked on One Man Band. How did that affect One Man Band? That’s what I’ll tell you, when I tell you about the music on One Man Band.
Opening One Man Band is One Man Band (Plays All Alone) penned by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. Searing guitars, stabs of keyboards and the rhythm section combine before the lushest of strings sweep in. They usher in Ronnie’s wistful vocal, which has an air of vulnerability. Tight, heartfelt harmonies accompany Ronnie as the arrangement builds the drama, interspersing hope and beauty throughout. Bursts of rasping horns and swathes of cascading strings add to the drama, while Ronnie produces a vocal that’s full of emotion and passion. Thom Bell produces one of his trademark tight, arrangements with its drama, hope and beauty complimenting Ronnie’s vocal and proving the perfect accompaniment.
I Think I’ll Tell Her is the second of four Thom Ball produced tracks. Like the previous track, Thom and Linda Creed cowrote it. There’s a slow, sultry sound to the arrangement. Just percussion, rhythm section and bursts of melancholy horns give way to Ronnie’s vocal. He’s about to break his partner’s heart, by telling her, there’s someone else. Strings sweep in, their lush sound proving a contrast to the growling horns and complimenting the percussion. They also add to the emotion and sadness of the track. It has a real Thom Bell “sound,” especially the horns and strings. Ronnie brings the lyrics to life, his delivery full of pain and hurt, while the arrangement’s jazz-tinged sound has a melancholy, wistful sound that works so well. Not only is this one of the best vocals from Ronnie, but one of the best arrangements, and demonstrates why Thom Bell was such a successful producer.
Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely was the track Thom Bell told Ronnie was his next hit single. He was right. Written by Bobby “Electronic” Eli, Vinnie Barrett and Joe Freeman songwriting team, you realize something special from the song’s opening bars. Horns blaze dramatically, before become more subtle, and combining with the rhythm section and percussion. Another burst of growling horns is almost a signal to pay attention. When you do it’s worth it. Ronnie’s tender, heartfelt vocal is perfect for the song, bringing out its subtleties and nuances. Equally heartfelt harmonies accompany him, while strings add to the beauty and emotion. Horns rasp gently, while the arrangement meanders along beautifully, it’s somewhat understated sound allowing Ronnie’s vocal to take centre-stage. Considering this is one of his best vocals on One Man Band that’s where it deserves to be, helped no end by Thom Bell’s considerable skills.
Give In To Love is the last Thom Bell produced track. Again, it has an understated and emotive sound. Just piano, wistful horns and percussion combining. Ronnie’s vocal is emotive and needy, almost pleading. Strings and keyboards are joined by tender harmonies as Ronnie’s vocal grows in emotion and passion. Still the arrangement is understated, allowing Ronnie’s vocal to grow in power, emotion and sincerity. Adding to the emotion and beauty are the harmonies, while the slow drums add to the drama and beauty of this very beautiful, moving track.
Barry Mann wrote When You Get Right Down To It , which was produced Stan Vincent. Straight away, you can hear the difference in production style. Strings sweep in, joining keyboards, a pounding bass and the dramatic bursts of drums that accompany Ronnie’s vocal. His vocal is a combination of power and passion, while the arrangement is bolder and much more dramatic. Horns blaze, flourishes of strings and keyboards and drums all play their part in the arrangement as Ronnie delivers a powerful vocal tour de force. While it’s different from Thom Bell’s style, the drama and power suits the song and Ronnie delivery. It also brings out another side of Ronnie Dyson.
A Wednesday In Your Garden is another of the songs recorded by Stan Vincent. Written by Randy Bachman, it sees another change in style. Think along the lines of Rex Harrison’s Windmills of Your Mind and you’re getting there. Harpsichord, woodwind and subtle rasping horns combine to take the song away from its soulful sound. This is much more of a seventies singer-songwriter style of track. Ronnie’s delivery is melodramatic, which suits the song. He accentuates words and notes, highlighting subtleties and nuances, while flourishes of strings and woodwind add a tender, understated sound. Then when Ronnie’s vocal grows, the rhythm and horn sections combine powerfully, adding to the drama. Although very different from previous tracks, Ronnie rises to the challenge, demonstrating his versatility as he combines raw emotion and power.
Ronnie recorded his cover of George Harrison’s Something just before he left Columbia the first time. From the get-go Ronnie decides not to try to reinvent the song. The arrangement has a sixties sound, with bursts of braying horns and string drifting in and out the track, while the piano and rhythm section combine. Later, the track speeds up, taking on a punchy, choppy style. This adds drama to Ronnie’s powerful, impassioned delivery. After hearing so many versions of Something, this one worked because it didn’t stray far from the original and wasn’t transformed into an overblown ballad.
Girl Don’t Come was another of the songs from Ronnie’s first time at Columbia. Produced by Billy Jackson, the production is different again. It has a much more late-sixties, early-seventies style. Think Bacharach and David with Dusty Springfield. It has a similar style, with bursts of drama throughout the track. Flourishes of strings, rhythm section, Thom Bell style rasping horns and piano combine before Ronnie’s heartfelt, punchy vocal enters. The arrangement veers between a punchy and flowing style. Impassioned harmonies enter, while the strings are harsher than on the Thom Bell produced tracks. This works though, as sixties pop and soul are combined, giving us a snapshot of Ronnie’s early work.
Point Of No Return was a track written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed that was recorded by The Stylistics. A wah-wah guitar is joined by the rhythm section and guitars as Ronnie delivers a vocal that’s full of raw emotion. The punchy, choppy arrangement would make this popular with Northern Soul fans. Especially, when the rasping horns and strings join the rhythm section. While quite different from The Stylistics’ version Ronnie’s version breathes new life into a familiar song.
Closing One Man Band is The Love Of A Woman which Neil Sedaka cowrote with Howard Greenfield. It’s the best of the three tracks produced by Billy Jackson. Braying horns, the rhythm section and woodwind combine as Ronnie unleashes a powerful, passionate vocal. Lush strings and blazing horns combine as the rhythm section drive the track along. Ronnie seems to have reserved an outstanding vocal for last, as if determined to close One Man Band on a high. This he does, with a dramatic, powerful and joyous flourish.
Of the seven albums Ronnie Dyson recorded during his tragically short career, One Man Band is without doubt, his finest. It gets off to an outstanding start, with the four Thom Bell produced tracks. Thom seems to be able to bring the very best out of Ronnie. He seems able to wring every last ounce of effort and talent out of him. His production seems to compliment Ronnie’s vocal prowess. Sometimes this means using an understated arrangement, other times he uses drama to compliment Ronnie’s deliver. These four sings feature some of the best arrangements on One Man Band and it would’ve been fascinating to see what difference Thom producing the whole album would’ve made? Having said that, Stan Vincent and Billy Jackson’s production styles both have their merits and result in some compelling, emotive and impassioned performances from Ronnie.
When You Get Right Down To It and Point Of No Return are the best of the Stan Vincent produced tracks, where drama and power of the arrangement matches Ronnie’s delivery. A Wednesday In Your Garden sees Stan bring out another side of Ronnie Dyson, allowing Ronnie to show just how versatile a singer he really was. Of the Billy Jackson produced tracks, The Love of A Woman is the standout track, with Ronnie saving one of his best performances for it.
The ten tracks on One Man Band feature Ronnie Dyson at his best. One Man Band was Ronnie Dyson’s best album. What makes it and it’s compelling and indeed, fascinating album is the differences in production styles. These three styles are very different. So too are the production styles of the five bonus tracks that feature on Purpose Music Vaults’ recent release of One Man Band. It contains tracks two tracks produced by Henry Cosby and two by John Florez. The best of the bonus tracks is the Norman Harris and Alan Felder produced Lady In Red. It’s a stunning track, and the perfect way to close this lovingly remastered rerelease of One Man Band, which was the finest hour of Ronnie Dyson’s tragically short career. Standout Tracks: One Man Band (Plays All Alone), I Think I’ll Tell Her, Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely and Give In To Love.
RONNIE DYSON-ONE MAN BAND.
DISCO RECHARGE-COME INTO MY HEART AND USA-EUROPEAN CONNECTION-SPECIAL EDITION.
DISCO RECHARGE-COME INTO MY HEART AND USA-EUROPEAN CONNECTION-SPECIAL EDITION.
For far too long, Boris Midney’s role in the development of Euro Disco has been overlooked. That is until now. Recently, the Disco Recharge label released a double-album of two of of Boris’ albums. This was Disco Recharge-Boris Midney Volume 1-Beautiful Blend and Caress. However, two of the albums that launched Boris Midney’s career as one of the founding fathers of Euro Disco were his two USA-European Connection albums Come Into My Heart and USA-European Connection. After being unavailable for far too long, Disco Recharge are rereleasing both albums, complete with bonus tracks on 15th October 2012 as Disco Recharge Come Into My Heart and USA-European Connection-Special Edition. This is another of Mr. Pinks lovingly compiled retrospectives that takes us back in time to 1978 and 1979, when disco provided the soundtrack to our lives. Before I tell you about the music on Disco Recharge Come Into My Heart and USA-European Connection-Special Edition, I’ll tell you the background to both Come Into My Heart and USA-European Conection.
Having defected to America and become part of the Russian Jazz Quartet. Gradually, each of the members of the Russian Jazz Quartet started working within the music industry. Boris Midney was a talented musician, a true multi-instrumentalist who could read and write music. By had 1976, Boris decided that the time was right for him to strike out on his own. Rather than work for anyone else, Boris decided to work for himself.
When Boris Midney decided to start a career in music, disco was at the peak of its popularity. Boris decided to fuse genres and influences to create a disco sound. He’d built a studio in Princeton, New Jersey, and using session musicians, started combining funk with lush string and a disco sound. Although his unique sound was conceived in New York, it would be less than one-hundred miles away where it was born.
It was at Philadelphia’s Alpha International Studios that Boris Midney’s trademark sound was born. With session musicians accompanying Boris, he married Euro Disco with classic US disco, R&B and funk. What he came up with was one long track. People said that it was too long, it needed to be separated or else people would lose interest. Luckily, Boris had the conviction of his beliefs. Sticking with his initial idea, he created his debut album. When, his debut album was born, it contained just two tracks, nearly fifteen and thirteen minutes. When the album was finished, Boris needed a title for it. Then fate intervened. On his journey’s between his New York home and the studio in Philly, he noticed a sign with the words “ Connection to 95.” It was a eureka moment and USA-European Connection was born.
With USA-European Connection’s debut album Come Into My Heart completed, Boris started playing people the album. People didn’t understand the music. What they didn’t understand was that a new sound had been born. Then when one of New York’s most influential DJs played USA-European Connection, it was a game changer.
Boris took Come Into My Heart to David Mancuo at The Loft. When David played the album gradually, it cleared the dance-floor. People just wanted to listen to Come Into My Heart. When Boris didn’t get the reaction he wanted, he drove back to Philly and remixed Come Into My Heart. Then the next day, Boris received a phone call saying David played Come Into My Heart several times. Quickly, things moved fast. Promoters started calling Boris and then he was introduced to Henry Stone at T.K. Records. Henry decided to release USA-European Connection’s Come Into My Heart on his Marlin label. Soon, Boris had the first hit of his career.
Success came Boris’ way almost immediately. His debut album USA-European Connection’s Come Into My Heart, launched Boris career in 1978. It seemed a disco legend had been born when Come Into My Heart reached number one in the US Dance Charts. DJs everywhere loved USA-European Connection’s Come Into My Heart. For twenty-one weeks, it was a stalwart of DJ playlists. After the success of Come Into My Heart Henry Stone started asking Boris for a followup album. That would become USA-European Connection.
A year after the release of USA-European Connection’s debut album Come Into My Heart, USA-European Connection was released in 1979. It had been recorded at Boris new studio, which he’d christened Eras, as this was the dawn of a new era of music. By the time USA-European Connection was released, disco’s popularity was waning. Still the singles I’d Like To Get Closer and There’s A Way To My Heart proved popular. Sadly, USA-European Connection wasn’t as big a commercial success, but showed just innovative and creative a producer Boris Midney was. You’ll realize that when I tell you about Come Into My Heart and USA-European Connection.
USA-EUROPEAN CONNECTION-COME INTO MY HEART.
Opening USA-European Connection’s debut album Come Into My Heart are the song sthat took up Side One of the album Come Into My Heart and Good Loving. Thunderous drums drive the arrangement while strings, flourishes of piano and guitar before tight, soulful cascading harmonies from Leza Holmes, Renna Johnson and Sharon Williams combine. They provide a contrast to the thunderous drums and dramatic bursts of cinematic strings. Joining them are Celtic fiddles, slapped bass and chiming guitars. Soon there’s a real Euro Disco sound. It’s disco, but with drama. Everything is thrown into the mix, stirred by Boris and the incredibly it works. There’s everything you could think of, from space-age synths, percussion aplenty and sultry saxophones. Jazz, funk, Latin, disco and soulful harmonies are combined as a near fifteen journey unfolds. Throughout the track, Boris mixes a compelling combination of drama with a dance-floor friendly beat. It’s a glorious combination, with Boris relentlessly teasing and toying with the listener. Rather than let the track flow, he takes it on dramatic twists and turns. Then he unleashes dancing strings, soulful, soaring harmonies, rocky guitars and the ever-present pulsating beat as this epic journey closes, but what a glorious journey it’s been.
Side Two of Come Into My Heart featured a medley of Love’s Coming and Baby Love. From the get-go, Boris creates a dramatic, cinematic soundscape. Pounding beats, sassy harmonies, washes of synths and swirling strings. Gradually, with stabs of piano and percussion joining the strings the arrangement reveals its secrets and beauty. Impassioned harmonies are key to the track’s irresistible Euro Disco sound. There’s a funky side to the track, with a wah-wah guitar weaving its way across the arrangement. Strings dance joyously as the harmonies and warm, melodic combine. Then Boris adds a breakdown, he gradually strips the track down to just percussion and drums. He then rebuilds the track. From there on, it’s Euro Disco all the way, albeit with funk, Euro Pop and even classic music drifting in and out of the track. Again Boris teases and toys with the listener, creating a musical melting pop where innovations, idea and influences are fused. This results in a hook-laden, genre-sprawling and timeless dance track.
Although Come Into My Heart features only two two-track medleys, it’s an innovative, creative and imaginative take on Euro Disco, with Boris Midney rewriting the rules. He takes Euro Disco, adds elements of jazz, funk, Latin, rock, classic American disco and adds some of the most soulful harmonies you’ll hear in a long time. Thinks the Birds of Paradise meets the Sweethearts of Sigma and you’re getting the idea. This was accompanied by a pounding, pulsating beat. Alas, the musical journey is over in less than twenty-nine minutes, but Mr. Pinks has dug out four remixes, including the original single and twelve-inch versions. They allow you to hear Boris two medleys in different ways, that breath new life and meaning into the tracks. By the next time Boris Midney entered a recording studio, it was with a different sound, one that’s variously elegant, graceful, beautiful, soulful and still dance-floor friendly.
USA-EUROPEAN CONNECTION-USA-EUROPEAN CONNECTION.
USA-European Connection was the followup to Come Into My Heart, which was released a year later in 1979. It opens with I’d Like To Get Closer, where rolls of drums are combined with dramatic, flourishes of strings, jazzy piano and a pulsating beat. This is typical Boris Midney, fusing genres and influences. A slapped bass, percussion and quivering strings drive the arrangement along. Straight away, funk, US disco and Euro Disco are fused. The Euro Disco influence is added to by the breathy harmonies. There’s an elegance to the music, with bursts of cascading strings key to the sound. Rocky guitar licks add a new dimension, while a healthy sprinkling of percussion is also key to this gorgeous, elegant track. Adding the finishing touch is a rasping horn that makes a brief and welcome appearance. Although quite different from the music on Come Into My Heart, it seems that in the post-disco landscape, Boris was reinventing disco and taking it in a new, innovative direction like only he could.
Latin percussion joins a funky rhythm section and quivering strings as Boris continues to take his music in a different direction with Do Me Good. Granted there’s still elements of Come Into My Heart present, but this is different. The drums aren’t as prominent, with the lush strings and funk-drenched rhythm section continuing to give the arrangement an elegant, almost classical influence. Strings float along, while chiming guitars, keyboards, percussion and the funky rhythm section provide the mainstay of the arrangement. Then at just the right moment Boris drops in understated, tender harmonies. By now you realize just how different this is from Come Into My Heart. Gone is the drama and twists and turns. Here, the music flows, although genres are fused. Wistful horns give the track a jazzy sound as one of the most beautiful tracks Boris ever produced reveals its secrets and subtleties as rock, funk, Latin, classical music and soulful harmonies are combined.
Like the previous track, Join the Dance sees Boris fuse a combination of rock, funk, Latin, classical music and soulful harmonies. Percussion and a funky rhythm section are joined by dramatic flourishes of keyboards and rock guitar rifts. It’s as if Boris grabbing your attention. Having done so, he combines tender harmonies with graceful strings. The beat is more prominent, but not as much as on Come Into My Heart. This is a much more subtle beat. Bursts of rocky guitars reverberate, producing a contrast to the elegance of the strings, harmonies and thoughtful piano. You’re swept along atop the lushest of strings with harmonies whispering seductively in your ear. Truly, it’s another inventive, imaginative soundscape, sculpted by the Godfather of Euro Disco. By combining genres and influences he manages to produce his own unique brand of Euro Disco, one that’s both elegant and dramatic, and bold and beautiful.
Closing USA-European Connection is There’s A Way Into My Heart, a twelve-minute musical adventure. A combination of funky rhythm section, sweeping, swirling strings and tender, heartfelt harmonies sweep you along. It’s a really beautiful combination, with jazz-tinged piano and chiming guitars joining the mix. Again, it’s a much more subtle, elegant sound than many Euro Disco albums. Really, Boris has taken the best of US disco and Euro Disco, sprinkled some funk and jazz. That jazz influence manifests itself throughout the track. Rasping horns and piano are key to this jazzy sound. This is one of these tracks that you just loose yourself in. Much of that is down to the elegant, beautiful sound. Floaty shimmering, shivering strings, tender harmonies and the funk supplied by the rhythm section take you on a twelve-minutes graceful, elegant journey where Boris Midney ever the innovator, rewrites the ground rules to Euro Disco in the post-disco musical landscape.
USA-European Connection was a very different album to Come Into My Heart. It has a much more understated, subtle sound. The sound is elegant, graceful and beautiful, and you’re swept away atop the lushest of shimmering, shivering strings and the most soulful of harmonies. Giving USA-European Connection it’s much more understated sound is a much understated beat. Gone is the pounding, pulsating beat of Come Into My Heart, replaced by a beat that compliments the rest of the arrangement. This is unlike many other Euro Disco albums, where the beat constantly pulsates. Ironically, when USA-European Connection was released, disco was on its last legs. Its popularity was waning and USA-European Connection became another casualty of the Disco Sucks backlash. Thankfully, Harmless Records have rereleased USA-European Connection, complete with two bonus tracks and it’ll be released as Disco Recharge Come Into My Heart and USA-European Connection-Special Edition on 15th October 2012. This gives everyone the opportunity to reevaluate and rediscover the innovative, imaginative and creative side of Boris Midney who rewrote the rules of Euro Disco on Come Into My Heart and USA-European Connection. Standout Tracks: Come Into My Heart and Good Loving, Join the Dance, Do Me Good and There’s A Way Into My Heart.
DISCO RECHARGE-COME INTO MY HEART AND USA-EUROPEAN CONNECTION-SPECIAL EDITION.
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DAN HARTMAN-RELIGHT MY FIRE.
DAN HARTMAN-RELIGHT MY FIRE.
During his career, Dan Hartman wrote almost 250 songs and appeared on over one-hundred albums and worked with everyone from Loleatta Holloway, Dusty Springfield, Little Richard, Diana Ross, James Brown, Tina Turner and the Average White Band. Dan also released eight solo albums between his 1976 debut album Images and his final album Keep the Fire Burning in 1994. Despite such a prolific career, many people will forever remember Dan Hartman for one song, Relight My Fire. Ironically, when Relight My Fire was released back in 1979, it wasn’t a huge commercial success. Many people think that because the song was so popular and became a timeless, dance classic that it was one of Dan’s biggest hits. Sadly, that wasn’t the case, not by a long chalk. Indeed, it wasn’t even one of Dan Hartman’s top ten biggest hits. Featuring the unmistakable voice of the Queen of Disco Loleatta Holloway and with strings and horns arranged by the legendary Norman Harris formerly of M.F.S.B. and in 1979, a member of The Salsoul Orchestra, Relight My Fire should’ve been a huge hit. The only small crumb of comfort for Dan and everyone involved was it reached number one in the US Dance Charts and lighting up dance floors worldwide and continues to do so. Relight My Fire was also the title of Dan’s 1979 album, which for far too long, has been unavailable on CD. Now it’s been lovingly remastered and rereleased by Purpose Music Vaults, complete with six bonus tracks. Before I tell you about the music on Relight My Fire, I’ll tell you about Dan Hartman and his career.
Dan Hartman was born in 1950 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and before long, it became obvious that he was something of a musical prodigy. By aged thirteen, Dan was a classically trained pianist and managed to persuade his brother to let him join his band The Legends. Soon, Dan was writing most of the songs, which ranged from soul to rock and everything in-between. The Legends couldn’t attract the interest of record labels until Blue Sky Records, a subsidiary of Epic Records heard their demos. Steve Paul at Blue Sky Records’ previous group White Trash had recently split. He was in the process of putting together a new group, The Edgar Winter Group. Success was just round the corner for Dan.
Soon, Dan was auditioned and joined the group, playing bass, guitar and keyboards as well as co-writing half of the songs on The Edgar Winter Group’s 1972 debut album They Only Come Out At Night. It was a huge commercial success, resulting in it being certified double-platinum. Two further albums followed, 1974s Shock Treatment and 1975s The Edgar Winter Group With Rick Derringer. Three years later, The Edgar Winter Group spilt and Dan was offered a solo deal by Blue Sky Records.
A year after The Edgar Winter Group split, Dan Hartman released his 1976 debut album Images. Images was quite different from Dan’s music with The Edgar Winter Group, given its much more poppy sound. By the time he released his sophomore album Instant Replay in 1978, Dan Hartman had dived headfirst into disco, which resulted in top twenty singles in the UK with Instant Replay and This Is It. In the US, both Instant Replay the single and album were both commercial success. The album reached number eighty in the US Billboard 200, while the single reached number twenty-nine in the US Billboard 100 and gave Dan his first number one in the US Dance Charts. Having established what was his sound and style, Dan Hartman decided that his third album Relight My Fire would feature more of the same.
For Relight My Fire , Dan wrote six tracks, with poppy hooks aplenty and a dance-floor friendly sound. He enlisted a few special guests for the recording of Relight My Fire, with one track reserved for one of his favorite vocalists Loleatta Holloway. This was the title-track, Relight My Fire. Having spoked to Loleatta’s husband Floyd Smith and Ken Cayre one of the co-owners of Salsoul Records an agreement was reached. Loleatta would sing Relight My Fire and Dan would produce Love Sensation in 1980. To arrange the song Norman Harris of the legendary Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section and a member of M.F.S.B. and in 1979, a member of The Salsoul Orchestra would arrange the track. Norman would bring in many members of M.F.S.B. for the recording of Relight My Fire. With M.F.S.B. accompanying Loleatta, including the percussive skills of Larry Washington an eight-minute Magnus Opus took shape. However, Loleatta Holloway wasn’t the only big-name to feature on Relight My Fire.
Among the other big-names to feature on Relight My Fire. Stevie Wonder, who plays harmonica on Hands Down, which opens Relight My Fire. Edgar Winter an old colleague of Dan’s from The Edgar Winter Band plays alto saxophone. The other personnel that appear on Relight My Fire include drummer Brian Blake, Craig Peyton on electric vibes, conga player Jimmy Maelens and guitarists G.E. Smith and Phil Houghton. Dan a true multi-instrumentalist plays keyboards, bass, guitar, drums and sings lead and backing vocals. Once Relight My Fire was recorded the whole album was remixed was remixed by John Luongo and Michael Barbiero. Their Progressive Mix of Relight My Fire, which features on this rerelease is perceived as the classic mix. This was after all, the era of the DJ-remixer and they were now remixing not just single tracks, but whole albums. Now that Relight My Fire was recorded and remixed, it was ready for release. Before that, this hugely innovative single Relight My Fire had to be promoted.
With Relight My Fire recorded and the title-track remixed, the single was heavily promoted in clubs. DJs like Larry Levan and Frankie Crocker instantly, saw that this was an innovative track and one that could be huge. Suddenly, DJs wanted to remix the track. So did John Luongo who’d mixed Relight My Fire with Michael Barbiero. He decided he’d like to remix Relight My Fire and came up with another classic mix that features on the rerelease the Historical 1979 remix. Like the original version of Relight My Fire it would prove to be huge, but sadly, not the huge commercial success that people thought. Lady Luck decided to intervene and suddenly disco sucked.
By the time Relight My Fire was ready for release, disco’s popularity was waning. The backlash of the Disco Sucks’ movement was being felt. Disco was no longer flavor of the month, with many record companies not even releasing disco music, and disco artists’ releases selling badly. It seemed Relight My Fire was the wrong album at the wrong time. What didn’t help was that many radio DJs had loved Dan’s work with The Edgar Winter Group and felt he’d sold out by releasing disco music. Relight My Fire didn’t get the airplay it deserved. On the release of Relight My Fire as a single, it failed to chart in both the UK and US. Its only success was in the US Dance Charts, where the original and John Luongo’s Historical 1979 remix both reached number one on the US Dance Charts. The only single from Relight My Fire to chart was Hands Down, which reached number twenty-six in the US Dance Charts. On the release of the album in 1979, Relight My Fire only reached number 189 in the US Billboard 200 and number sixty-seven in the US R&B Charts. For everyone concerned, this must have been a crushing blow. After all, here was Dan Hartman’s disco epic, derailed by the Disco Sucks backlash. Despite that, Relight My Fire has since become a true, timeless disco classic. Similarly, Dan Hartman has quite rightly become a legend of disco, as you’ll realize when I tell you about the music on Relight My Fire.
Opening Relight My Fire is Hands Down, which features none other than Stevie Wonder on harmonica and Edgar Winter on alto saxophone. From the opening bars, this is joyous, good-time party music, with poppy hooks in plentiful supply. Pounding drums, percussion and a blazing saxophone usher in Dan’s joyful vocal as this hook-laden track gets underway. Dan’s accompanied by joyous harmonies and handclaps accompanying him. This punchy arrangement is musical perection. Chiming guitars help the pounding rhythm section drive the arrangement along, as they provide the track’s heartbeat. They’re helped by dramatic bursts of keyboards, percussion, harmonies and handclaps that help create the track’s good-time party sound. It’s just an irresistible explosion of happiness. Stevie’s harmonica and Edgar’s saxophone trade musical blows towards the end of this track. They help add the icing to this delicious musical cake, which has poppy hooks aplenty.
As Love Strong opens, it’s to applause, as if Dan’s still basking in the acclaim of the opening track. The track is made to sound as if it’s recorded live. Dan becomes a preacher, the audience his believers. His voice is higher, sounding not unlike Michael Jackson. Indeed, the whole song sounds like something Michael Jackson should’ve recorded. With a thunderous beat, rock tinged guitars, soaring harmonies and banks of keyboards accompanying him, Dan fuses rock, disco and drama. It’s one of these tracks where you’re swept along by the arrangement. Gradually, it reveals its charms and subtleties, the drama growing and the song getting better over the four minutes. That pounding beat is omnipresent, while harmonies sweep in, rocky guitars, keyboards and Dan’s vocal add to the theatre and spectacle of this musical soundscape, where genres and influences are seamlessly fused.
Quite simply, Relight My Fire is Dan’s Magnus Opus. This is a near ten-minute innovative masterpiece arranged by Norman Harris and featuring Loleatta Holloway’s vocal prowess. From the opening bars, the tension builds. Philly’s finest musicians do what they’re so good at, making great music. With a meandering piano opening the track, you’ve no idea what’s about to unfold. The pulsating beat joins the mix. Soon, an explosion of synths, percussion, vibes, dancing strings and rasping horns unite. They build and build the drama for over three minutes, becoming like an unstoppable, melodic, musical juggernaut. Guitars and a pounding rhythm signal the arrival of Dan’s powerful vocal. As it reaches a crescendo, he’s joined by lush, shivering strings, harmonies and growling horns. Soon, it’s like riding a joyous, dramatic, musical roller-coaster. All you can do is sit back and enjoy the ride. The only problem is keeping still. It’s impossible. You can’t. You’re swept away amidst the shivering strings, pounding beat, cascading harmonies and rasping horns. Then there’s Loleattta’s sassy, vampish vocal that accompanies Dan. Does disco get any better or more dramatic? That’s just the finishing touch to this timeless, multi-layered disco classic, that’s been lighting up dance-floors since 1979 and will continue to do so.
After a true epic track like Relight My Fire, it’s almost as if anything else will be an anticlimax. Dan doesn’t disappoint though. He unleashes Just For You, another slice of good-time, party music and becomes like a one-man band, playing every instrument except the congas. Like other tracks, a pounding rhythm section and piano are at the heart of the action, while congas, harmonies and Dan’s powerful, uplifting vocal drives the arrangement along at breakneck. Backing vocalists answer his call, while flourishes of piano add to the track’s uplifting, good-time party sound. This is definitely the album you want as the soundtrack for your next party. Making a good thing even better, is Dan’s virtuoso, jazzy performance on the piano, with punchy harmonies accompanying him. Again, poppy hooks are in plentiful supply, while Dan’s joyous, good-time, party music is guaranteed to make put a smile on your face and make your party swing.
I Love Makin’ Music could be Dan Hartman’s theme tune, given how prolific an artist he was. The tempo drops slightly, but Phil Houghton’s wah-wah guitar, Larry Washington’s congas and Craig Peyton’s electric vibes ensure this is another slice of joyful, good-time music. Dan’s vocal is sultry and sassy, with the constant pounding beat and growling horns accompanying him. Phil adds the unmistakable sound of his wah-wah guitar, while soulful harmonies interject. Later, Larry Washington’s congas and Craig’s vibes punctuate the arrangement as disco, funk and soulful harmonies are fused. This results in another hook-laden slice irresistibly catchy music from Dan Hartman.
Closing Relight My Fire is Free Ride a track that instantly grabs your attention. Guitars licks that sound as if they belong on a Chic album are joined by dramatic bursts of drums and with that, the track bursts into life. Dan’s lead vocal is accompanied by backing vocals while a driving, dance-floor arrangement unfolds. Searing, sizzling guitar, percussion and congas accompany his vocal, while electric vibes add to the drama. Rocky guitars and piano both play their part in the dramatic, pounding arrangement as soaring harmonies join the fray. It’s another breathtaking musical roller-coaster ride, one that lasts seven-minutes, with twists and turns aplenty in-store. During that journey, Dan fuses rock, funk, soul and of course disco, adding in plenty of poppy hooks and powerful, joyous vocals.
Although Dan Hartman’s third album Relight My Fire only lasts six songs, they’re six slices of pop perfection set to a pulsating disco beat. It’s uptempo, uplifting and joyous music, designed to put a smile on your face and get you up on your feet dancing. Sadly, Dan was just a year too late in releasing Relight My Fire. If he’d released Relight My Fire in 1978, not 1979, then we’d be talking about Relight My Fire as one of disco’s Magnus Opus’. Unfortunately, disco’s bubble had burst by the time Relight My Fire was released. By then, disco had lost its popularity and disco was something of a musical pariah. So, when Relight My Fire was released, it wasn’t to critical acclaim and commercial success, it was into a very different musical landscape. Now thirty-three years later, we’ve the opportunity to reassess Relight My Fire and give it the critical acclaim it quite rightly deserves.
Each of the six tracks are packed full of poppy hooks and designed to stick in your memory. Opening with Hands Down, Relight My Fire continues on its journey through good-time, party music. Love Strong sees Dan the preacher basking in deserved applause, before the album’s centerpiece and masterpiece Relight My Fire. It’s a complex, multilayered track which is like a musical roller-coaster featuring Loleatta Holloway and Dan vamping their way through the ten-minute track. After that comes three more hook-laden slices of good-time, party music, Just For You, I Love Makin’ Music and Free Ride. That closes Relight My Fire, but not Purpose Music Vaults’s recent rerelease, which features six bonus tracks. This includes the Historical 1979 remix and the Progressive Remix of Relight My Fire. These six tracks and Relight My Fire have been remastered and the sound quality is absolutely stunning. It brings to life Dan Hartman’s disco Magnus Opus, and its timeless, joyous good-time music, which is full of poppy hooks aplenty. Thirty-three years after its original release in 1979, Dan Hartman’s Relight My Fire is back and sounds better than ever and is perfect music for your next party. Just remember to clear your floor beforehand, as Dan Hartman’s Relight My Fire will get your party started and make sure it goes with a swing. Standout Tracks: Hands Down, Relight My Fire, Just For You and Free Ride.
DAN HARTMAN-RELIGHT MY FIRE.
INFERNAL DEVICES-LIFE IN STEREO.
INFERNAL DEVICES-LIFE IN STEREO.
Having recently reviewed the debut release from New York’s newest label SpinSpinNYC, Nutritious Presents Duke Williams and The Extremes, they’ve since released their second release. This is Infernal Devices’ Life In Stereo, the debut E.P. from the Brooklyn based dance duo. Infernal Devices are Mark Allen and Andy Miccolis, and having spent the last few days immersed in the six tracks on Life In Stereo, it sounds as if they’ve a big future ahead of them. Mark and Andy describe their music as “retro futurism for the post disco landscape.” Their music is a fusion of pulsating beats, melodic hooks with a twist of eighties synth pop and a sprinkling of sci-fi. Not only do they set about creating a sound that will light up any dance-floor from New York to North Carolina, and everywhere in between, but they like to put on a breathtaking spectacle of a live show. Although Infernal Devices create music, this is taking dance music to the next level, both sonically and as a spectacle. Truly, this is the complete package, something befitting of the 21st Century. So, for anyone whose yet to hear Infernal Devices music, I’ll tell you about their six-track E.P. Life In Stereo.
Opening Life In Stereo is the title-track Life in Stereo, a track where Kraftwerk, eighties synth pop, dance-floor beats and poppy hooks combine. It’s a track that takes you across five decades, from the seventies onwards. As the track opens, the synths immediately make you think of Kraftwerk. So does the wistful vocal, which has a Euro Pop flavor that’s combined with Bowie’s Berlin period. Meanwhile the pulsating dance-floor friendly beat and synths fuse synth pop with deep house. There’s even a New Wave sound to the vocal and synths. The track is a combination of influences and genres. This is all put into Infernal Devices musical melting pot and give a stir by Mark and Andy. What comes out is contemporary, innovative sounding track, where old becomes new, with a little help from Infernal Devices.
Passengers combines pounding beats with subtle, distant keyboards before confident flourish of synths enter. The beats sound as if they belong on a house track, while the synths range from synth pop, new wave and techno.They’re joined by a vocal delivered in an impassioned style. Stabs of marauding synths, thunderous beats and bursts of rocky guitars combine. By then the vocal is delivered in an earnest, whispery style. As the track progresses, the arrangement grows. Now the track references everything from techno, synth pop, New Wave, house and sometimes, thanks to the keyboards, prog rock. Still Infernal Devices continue to drive the arrangement along. In doing so, they create a genre-straddling, dance-floor friendly track.
We Are Alone is a track that sounds like a lost gem of a New Order track from the nineties. When the synths and thunderous beats combine with a vocal that sounds like Barney from New Order. You’re almost checking that this isn’t Manchester’s finest you’re listening to. The similarities are uncanny. That’s how good the track is. This must be released as a single and given a promotional push. As the track moves on, it’s like New Order given a makeover. Filters and delay are added, as the bouncy arrangement reveals its poppy brilliance. Quite simply this is Infernal Devices at their best. It’s melodic, full of poppy hooks, pounding beats and given a futuristic makeover. Truly you’ve got to hear this track, it’s unmissable.
Move On is the last of the four original tracks on Life In Stereo. The other two tracks are remixes of Life In Stereo. Edgy, buzzing synths and pounding beats combine before Infernal Devices pick up where they left off on We Are Alone. Again, there’s a New Order influence, but not as obvious. Mostly, it’s the vocal that makes me draw this comparison. There’s a vulnerability to the tender vocal, while the synths and drums envelop it. It’s indie-rock meets the dance-floor with a 21st Century twist. Like the previous track, it has the same melodic quality, where retro meets a futuristic sci-fi sound. With a vocal that’s both filled with hope and vulnerability, this is just the finishing touch to a track where old meets new and results in something fresh and really exciting.
So, Infernal Devices are just the latest dance-floor duo from Brooklyn, New York. They pick up the baton from JohNick and are left to carry the torch as Brooklyn’s finest purveyors of dance music. Like JohNick before them, Infernal Devices are innovators. They take a melting of influences and genres and transforming them into something fresh, new and exciting. Listen carefully, and you’ll hear everything from Kraftwerk, techno, synth pop, New Wave, house and even briefly, prog rock. Then there’s the New Order influence on both We Are Alone and Move On. Of the two tracks, We Are Alone is like a lost gem of a New Order track, one that sounds like something New Order would’ve recorded in their prime. Since I first heard the track I’ve been smitten. So good is the track, it must be released as a single. It’s a glorious track, one which is the best track on Life In Stereo.
Apart from the four tracks I’ve mentioned on Life In Stereo, there are also two remixes of the title-track. These remixes of Life In Stereo are by Savoir Adore and the Nutritious Remix featuring Chuck Love. Both bring something new and different to the original version and transform it. Indeed, it’s interesting comparing the original with remixes. All too often remixes don’t bring anything new to the party, but these two remixes do.
Overall, Infernal Devices E.P. Life In Stereo is an innovative, exciting and genre-crossing collection of tracks from the Brooklyn dance duo, who I believe, have a great future ahead of them. I’m sure that after you’ve heard Life In Stereo, that you too, will be as excited by Infernal Devices’ E.P. Life In Stereo as I am. It’ll only take one listen, and you too will be smitten, by Infernal Devices’ genre-sprawling six track debut E.P. Life In Stereo, which is out now, on SpinSpinNYC.
INFERNAL DEVICES-LIFE IN STEREO.
LOVING ON THE FLIPSIDE.
LOVING ON THE FLIPSIDE.
In my never-ending quest to bring you new and exciting compilations, recently, I’ve recently been digging even deeper than usual. This has seen me reviewing from labels far and wide, including Japan, Europe and America, plus some of my favorite British labels. One of the reasons I’ve been digging so deep is that although many compilations are released on a weekly basis, they’re very much a mixed big. I’ve previously described them as the good, the bad and the ugly. That’s very definitely the case. It seems that the best compilations are released by smaller, independent labels, while the majors continue to churn out compilations of populist “product.” These are aimed firmly at the mass-market, with the target audience occasional record buyers, either DINKYs or families who buy their music in supermarkets. For both groups, music is just background noise to their everyday lives, whether that’s listening on iPods while commuting, soccer moms doing the school run or DINKY dinner parties. So given how dire the quality of music on many of these compilations are, you’ll realize just why I’m digging so deep. Indeed if I dig any deeper, I’ll be spending the winter in Sydney. In my quest to discover new and innovative compilations, I came across Loving On the Flipside, released by Los Angeles’ based Now Again Records, a subsidiary of Stones Throw Records. However, I referred to Loving On the Flipside as new and innovative, but why is that? That’s what I’ll now tell you.
One of two reasons I’ve described Loving On the Flipside as new and innovative concerns what are usually referred to as sleeve-notes. Loving On the Flipside doesn’t have sleeve-notes. Instead, it has a lovingly compiled eighty-page book. This is great news for crate-diggers and music reviewers everywhere. Often when I receive compilations, and I discover a track I want to tell you about, it’s impossible to find information about it. This can be really frustrating, especially when you’ve discovered a real hidden gem of a track. Even tracking down what label it was released on and when it was released can be the musical equivalent of climbing Everest. Never mind trying to find who produced, or arranged or cowrote the track. For someone like myself this is frustrating. My worst experience recently, were two CDs where the only details about the tracks were the artists and titles. Even then the, title of one of the tracks was wrong. That was it. No details of who wrote the tracks or what label the tracks were released on. They were quite simply two of the worst presented compilations I’ve come across in over thirty-five years. From a complete lack of information we go to the other extreme with Loving On the Flipside, which has an eighty-page book which tells you everything you could ever want to know and more about the twenty-one tracks.
In the eighty-page book that accompanies Loving On the Flipside, there’s everything you could ever want to know about the twenty-one tracks on the compilation. It’s almost doing the compiler a disservice to say that it’s a lovingly compiled book. You get the idea that great care and attention to every detail has gone into putting together this book. There’s everything from facsimile copies of the original vinyl singles, photos of the groups and artists plus the backstory to each of the twenty-one tracks. These backstories tell about the people behind each song, including how the Disciples of Soul covered Gamble and Huff’s Together three years after The Inruders. There’s so much detail about the artists lives away from music. For example it tells the tragic story of how Ed Nelson’s career was derailed by drugs and how a member of Blue Velvet’s Is It Me You Really Love was never released after one of the members was shot in the back breaking up a fight. Each of these stories show how but for a stroke of fate, musical history could’ve been very different. Truly, it seems no detail is too small to be overlooked. For crate-diggers everywhere, information like this is like gold-dust. Having told you why Loving On the Flipside is such an innovative and impressive release from the point of view of the eighty-page book, is the music as good?
Unlike previous releases from Now Again Records which focused on funk music, Loving On the Flipside features twenty-one soulful songs. They’re the polar opposite of the aggression and machismo of Now Again’s previous funk fueled releases and contain more than a few real hidden gems. The first of these is Eddie Finley and The Cincinatti Show Band 1972 release Treat Me Right Or Leave Me Alone, released on Rapturea Records. Describing this track as soulful, doesn’t come close to doing it justice. It features Eddie’s impassioned pleas. He’s accompanied by Complete with dramatic stabs of brassy horns and drums, it’s a track that can’t fail to move you, given the emotion and pain in Eddie’s voice.
I was really pleased to discover Hot Chocolate’s We Had True Love, which was released in 1970 and arranged and produced by lead singer Lou Ragland. Many years ago, I bought a copy of a CD reissue of Hot Chocolate’s album, but the sound quality really let it down. Here, the quality is much better, allowing you to hear the song’s beauty and the sadness and hurt in Lou’s voice. The arrangement is understated, with just subtle, chiming guitars accompanying Lou’s heartfelt vocal. It’s a very beautiful song, one tinged with sadness and a melancholy sound.
Black Conspirators’ Love, which was released back in 1971 and released on Get Down Records, features one of the best arrangements on Loving On the Flipside. Written by lead singer Joe Cooley, arranged by Lelon WIndham and produced by Black Conspirators, the arrangement features dramatic bursts of blazing horns and heartfelt harmonies accompanying Joe’s fervent vocal. It’s the harmonies and horns that make this such a great track and harmonies were what the Black Conspirators were famed for in the Indianapolis are. They were influenced by Al Green, plus groups like The Detroit Spinners and The Temptations. Sadly, they never enjoyed even a fraction of the success these giants of soul enjoyed.
Then there’s Rhythm Machine’s horn lead and hugely dramatic Whatcha Gonna Do, which features some of the most tender, beautiful harmonies. Released in 1972, on Rodan Records and featuring Kevin Ferrell’s impassioned lead vocals. It really is one of the best tracks on Loving On the Flipside. It’s such a good track that you wonder why this track wasn’t a commercial success. Not only that, but you want to hear more from Rhythm Machine and want to know more about the band. That’s where Loving On the Flipside’s eighty-page book comes in handy, telling you everything you want to know about Rhythm Machine but were afraid to ask.
Only one group Darling Dears have two tracks on Loving On the Flipside. Given the quality of I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Love Another and And I Love You, that’s understandable. Of the two tracks, my favorite is And I Love You, released in September 1972 on Flower City Records. Flourishes of keyboards accompany Kim McFadden’s emotive vocal, while soaring harmonies, piano and the rhythm section play their part in the track’s success. What follows is three minutes of raw emotion, heartache and pain. So good is this track that you wonder how you’ve lived without it. It’s one of these tracks that’s lain unloved for forty years and at last has seen the light of day. I for one am grateful for this.
The Black Exotics’ What Am I Waiting For was released in 1975 on United World of Music Records. It was written by Ron Tyson and Bunny Sigler, just before they became part of the Salsoul success story. With Sonny Thomas producing the track, you’d expect something special. You aren’t disappointed. With a Hammond organ, slow, moody rhythm section and stabs of horns accompanied by backing vocalists a vocal full of sadness and despair enters. Heartbroken, the vocal is accompanied by an arrangement that grows in drama, matching the despair and pain in the vocal. This results in three and a half minutes of really emotive, moving music that believe me, can’t help but move you.
Primitive’s You Are Everything To Me is another slow and soulful tracks, which is full of emotion. As you hear the opening bars, you find yourself reaching for Loving On the Flipside’s trusty eighty-page book. You’ll discover the single was released in 1977, on Love Records and written by lead singer James Sharp. The track was produced by Primitive and has a slow, horn lead introduction, with the rhythm section and chiming guitars creating a pensive backdrop. When James Sharp’s vocal enters, it’s deliberate as he gives thanks for the love he has. Harmonies dramatically accompany his vocal, as the track reveals its soulful secrets. With an understated, spacious arrangement, this combination results in one of the most beautiful tracks on Loving On the Flipside.
My final choice is Symphonic Four’s Who Do You Think You’re Fooling (Part II). It was released in 1970 on Zudan Records. Featuring Christopher “Classic” Williams lead vocal, the introduction is similar to Darling Dears’ And I Love You. The arrangement is dramatic, with a jangly piano playing an important role in the arrangement. It accompanies a vocal where delay is used to add to the track’s drama and emotion. What really makes the track are some tight, soulful and heartfelt harmonies. When they’re combined with Christopher’s vocal and the edgy arrangement the result is another glittering gem that deserved to be unearthed after too long hidden in the musical wilderness.
Having only mentioned nine of the tracks on Loving On the Flipside I feel as if I’ve only scratched the surface of the compilation. There are so many other tracks I could’ve mentioned. Indeed, I could just as easily have included tracks from Little Janice, Jazzie Cazzie And The Eight Sounds, Ed. Nelson, Conspiracy, Eunice Collins and Disciples Of Soul. That shows the quality of music on Loving On the Flipside. Many of these tracks will be new to most people and given how good they are, will be welcomed by anyone who loves their music soulful. Earlier, I wondered whether the quality of music matched the quality of the eighty-page book that accompanies it. Quite simply, the answer to that is yes. Loving On the Flipside comes across as a lovingly compiled collection of tracks, just like the book. There’s only one little thing that lets the whole package down, and thats the somewhat cheap and flimsy paper booklet that the CD is contained in. That might seem like a small thing, but surely, it would’ve easy to attach the CD to the inside of the book. Apart from that, Loving On the Flipside is an innovative approach to what is an overcrowded compilation market. I just hope that Loving On the Flipside isn’t the last compilation like this Now Again Records releases, as there are many people who want to know more about the music and the people that recorded it. Hopefully, Now Again Records will release further instalments of Loving On the Flipside, which is a loving-compiled collection of music that will appeal to everyone who loves their music soulful. Standout Tracks: Hot Chocolate We Had True Love, Black Conspirators Love, The Black Exotics What Am I Waiting For and Primitive You Are Everything To Me.
LOVING ON THE FLIPSIDE.
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ADE ALAFIA ADIO-O.R.G.A.S.M.
ADE ALAFIA ADIO-O.R.G.A.S.M.
One of the most important parts of any record company is the A&R Department, which discovers new talent. For smaller labels, this is even more important as sometime, they can pick up some really talented artists early in their career, and nurture them. Often, new talented artists can be found in the most unlikeliest places. An example is Idrissa Sissoko, who Boddhi Satva discovered in Mali. Once Boddhi had heard just a few songs from Idrissa Sissoko, he signed him to Offering Recordings. Idrissa Sissoko then released his debut album Lopilopilo earlier this summer. Sometimes, an artist’s life takes a few twists and turns before they get the opportunity to even release an album. For Ade Alafia Adio, whose three-track sampler O.R.G.A.S.M. was recently released by Offering Recordings, his journey to becoming a singer, songwriter, musician and poet took a few twists and turns along the way. It’s Ade’s journey from Salisbury, Maryland via Minna In Nigeria and ultimately to the Netherlands that I’ll now tell you about. After that, I’ll tell you about his three-track sampler O.R.G.A.S.M.
Ade Alafia Adio was born in Salisbury, Maryland in 1978 to Nigerian parents. When Ade was studying for a degree in architecture and civil engineering Ade returned to Minna In Nigeria. A couple of years later, Ade decided that architecture and civil engineering wasn’t for him. Instead, he decided to do what he loved and was passionate about, singing, writing songs and poetry and playing percussion. Having made this life-changing decision, he decided to use his music as a means of communicating.
For Ade music was essentially a way of expressing his individuality and his way of communicating to society. Communication he believes is a way for the misunderstood to make themselves understood. This he understands. He’d spent much of his life misunderstanding people. Through music, Ade could make himself understood. He could also get across not just his message, but that of a collective view. Music allows Ade to make sense of people’s actions, and to voice his thoughts and views about their actions. It’s a way of communicating and a way of voicing his fears, and common fears held and giving them a voice. These fears Ade has replaced them with a sense of faith and a vision, a vision which he shares with others.
Now living in the Netherlands, Ade has formed an alliance with Offering Recordings and has established his own lifestyle workshop the Tree of Alafia. This is Ade’s vision and creation. He’s a self-taught teacher, whose mission is to foster a sense of universal unity, a feeling of togetherness. His method of teaching is interactive, focusing on the individual’s experiences. The title of his three-track sampler O.R.G.A.S.M. is also an anachronism for Open Release Going Across Spiritual Movement. This is a taster of his visionary message of “Re-Claymation In Triumph,” where people who are “lost” are guided back into a “legacy of love, life and solidarity.” So there’s much more to Ade Alafia Adio than singer, songwriter, musician and poet, he’s teacher and thinker too. Having told you about Ade Alafia Adio journey to becoming Offering Recording’s latest signing, I’ll now tell you about the three tracks on O.R.G.A.S.M.
O.R.G.A.S.M. opens with Fulfillment, arranged and produced by Thane Wright, who cowrote the track with Bob Mabaje. Drums, percussion and keyboards combine with Ade’s impassioned vocal. His vocal is heartfelt, full of emotion, as if every word he sings means something. It’s as if he’s undergone a voyage of discovery and enlightenment. Percussion and drums accompany him, creating a dramatic backdrop for his vocal. Adding to the drama and emotion is a spoken vocal, which weaves its way through the arrangement. The focus of you’re attention is firmly on Ade’s emotive, heartfelt and his intelligent, meaningful lyrics.
At Most Here has a jazz-tinged introduction with just a chiming guitar and subtle keyboards accompany Ade’s scatted vocal. The track was arranged and produced by W. Ellington Felton, who cowrote the track Bob Mabaje. Soon, things change and the arrangement heads in the direction of Nu-Soul. Crispy drums accompany Ade’s powerful, passionate vocal, as washes of Hammond organ sweep in. Like the previous track, this has a similar heartfelt, emotive quality. It doesn’t take long to realize just how talented a vocalist Ade is. He’s almost pleading, his vocal needy, almost desperate, as he brings the lyrics to life, injecting meaning to them. As if that isn’t enough, there’s a real warmth and soulful quality to Ade’s vocal. Without doubt, Ade has a great future ahead of him.
It’s almost with a sense of sadness that I come to Kindred Spirit, as that’s the final track on O.R.G.A.S.M. It was arranged and produced by Boddhi Satva, who cowrote the track with Bob Mabaje. Synths, percussion and pounding drums accompany Ade’s vocal which can only be described as spiritual and impassioned. Slikk Tim plays lays down a pounding bass line that snakes its way across the arrangement. His bass joins the drums in creating some glorious rhythms. The heartfelt harmonies that accompany Ade’s vocal, add to the spiritual sound of a track that’s celebratory, joyous and quite beautiful. That seems the perfect way to close the three-track sampler O.R.G.A.S.M.
The three tracks on O.R.G.A.S.M. are a tantalizing taste of a hugely talented new artist, Ade Alafia Adio. Quite clearly, he has a big future ahead of him, given who talented a singer, songwriter and musician he is. Ade doesn’t sound like a new artist. Quite the opposite. His vocal has a maturity and a richness. It’s one of those voices that you’re drawn to. Even after just three songs you realize that Ade is someone to watch. It seems architecture and civil engineering’s loss is very much music’s gain. His decision to turn his back on his previous career has been vindicated. This you’ll realize once you’ve Ade Alafia Adio’s three-track sampler O.R.G.A.S.M. Once you’ve heard O.R.G.A.S.M. you, like me, will be hungrily awaiting the release of Ade Alafia Adio’s debut album. If it’s as good as O.R.G.A.S.M. then it’ll be a joy to behold. Until then, enjoy Ade Alafia Adio’s three-track sampler O.R.G.A.S.M., the latest release from Offering Recordings, who seem to have an uncanny knack of unearthing some hugely talented artists. This includes Sage Monk who released Heartache Allegory and Idrissa Sissoko who released Lopilopilo. Now a new name joins Offering Recordings roster, Ade Alafia Adio, and he’s one to watch in the future, as the three songs on O.R.G.A.S.M prove.
ADE ALAFIA ADIO-O.R.G.A.S.M.
DISCO RECHARGE-VOYAGE 3-SPECIAL EDITION.
DISCO RECHARGE-VOYAGE 3-SPECIAL EDITION.
Since Harmless Records launched their Disco Recharge label in June 2012, they’ve revisited the first two of Voyage’s four albums, Let’s Fly Away and Voyage. For anyone who loves disco, these two albums were a very welcome rerelease and became part of their collection. Now for the latest instalment of the Disco Recharge series, compiler Mr. Pinks has made another welcome return to Voyage’s back-catalogue to bring you Voyage 3, which was released in 1980 on Able Records. However, there’s much more to Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition than just Voyage 3. Like the other releases in the Disco Recharge series, Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition is a double-album, which was released on 1st October 2012. Disc One of Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition also features Special Instrumentals Volume 3. On Disc Two, there are five different versions of the two singles from Voyage 3, I Love You Dancer and Discotch. As if that’s not enough, there’s Sylvia Mason’s 1980 eponymous album Sylvia Mason and a trio of Voyage bonus tracks. Considering you’re getting essentially getting three albums and eight bonus tracks and this will only cost you less the £8, $12 or €10, this sounds like a real bargain. Is that the case, that’s what I’ll now tell you, when I tell you all you need to know about Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition.
By 1980, Voyage were on something of a roll. Both of Voyage’s 1978 albums Let’s Fly Away had topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Charts. It’s no exaggeration to say that Voyage for Kings of Euro Disco not just in America, but in Europe. By 1980, the musical landscape had changed, after disco’s popularity had waned. Indeed, disco was something of a dirty word in some quarters, with record labels avoiding disco artists and both disco artists and disco labels not exactly popular. This had been caused by the Disco Sucks backlash, which came to a head on 12th July 1979 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. After that, disco nearly died. While that didn’t quite happen, it meant disco had to reinvent itself. So, Voyage would’ve a challenge when they set about recording what would become Voyage 3.
For Voyage 3, the lineup of guitarist Slim Pezin, keyboardist Marc Chantereau, drummer Pierre-Alain Dahan, bassist Saveur Mallia and lead singer Sylvia Mason wanted a new challenge. Voyage’s personnel were some of the best and most accomplished musicians of that time and as a result, weren’t content to stand still. It wasn’t for them to continue releasing album after album of similar music. This new challenge saw subtle changes to Voyage’s music. The six songs on Voyage 3 took on a funkier sound, with the bass and drums playing a more prominent role in Voyage’s sound. Recording of Voyage 3 took place in London, at the Trident Studios. This was familiar territory, as the two previous Voyage albums had been recorded at Trident. Another constant was producer Roger Takarz, producer of Let’s Fly Away and Voyage. On the release of Voyage 3, it was critically acclaimed, with I Love You Dancer, Do It Again and Music, Music all entering the top twenty in the US Billboard Disco Charts. While Voyage were still the same successful group, one thing was about to change, with Voyage about to lose one of its most important members.
Lead singer Sylvia Mason was about to sign a recording contract with Stiff Records to front their eighties take on the Motown sound, Sylvia and The Sapphires. Given how important a part Sylvia played in Voyage, this must have worried the other members of Voyage. Sylvia had been discovered in 1977 by Roger Takarz, when she was just eighteen. Soon, Sylvia became a Euro Disco star. She was a member of the legendary Birds of Paradise backing singers, along with Madeline Bell, Kay Garner, Sue Glover, Stephanie De Sykes and Vicki Brown. Some of the Birds of Paradise had also sung on albums by Cerrone and Don Ray, so they were experienced and in-demand. However, before Sylvia would release even a single with Sylvia and The Sapphires, she’d have released her debut solo album.
Sylvia Mason’s debut solo album Sylvia Mason came about purely by chance. Voyage had written too many songs for the first two Voyage albums Let’s Fly Away and Voyage. Seven of these songs became Sylvia Mason and Sylvia believes was Voyage’s way of thanking her. They were recorded at Trident Studios in London, with the members of Voyage accompanying her. Slim Pezin, Marc Chantereau, Pierre-Alain Dahan and Roger Takarz produced Sylvia Mason. Sadly, Sylvia Mason wasn’t a huge commercial success in the post-disco era. Since then, Sylvia Mason has never been rereleased on CD and is a rare and sought-after album among record collectors. Now for the very first time, Sylvia Mason’s debut album Sylvia Mason finds its way onto CD, as part of Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition. Before I tell you about some of the highlights of Sylvia Mason, I’ll tell you about the highlights of Voyage 3.
VOYAGE 3.
My first choice from Voyage 3 is I Love You Dancer one of the singles from Voyage 3. It’s an uptempo track, with a real joyous, good-time sound. Voyage’s funkier rhythm section are key to the track, with guitars, keyboards and percussion accompanying Pierre Alain Dahan’s lead vocal. Listening to the track, it’s hard to believe it’s over thirty years old. There’s a freshness to the track, and it’s quite different from the Euro Disco sound of 1980. Instead there’s more of a funk influence, courtesy of the rhythm section. Granted there’s still a Euro Disco sound, especially with the keyboards and and synths, but very different from the Beautiful Blend and Boris Midney albums I recently reviewed. Gone is the pounding Euro Disco beat, replaced by a fusion of funk, Euro Disco, Euro Pop and even rock-tinged guitars. This combination is deliciously catchy, funk and timeless.
I’m Only Human has much more of a Euro Disco sound from the get-go. Moody, broody synths open the track and soon, Voyage’s pounding rhythm section create the track’s heartbeat. A sprinkling of percussion, chiming guitars and futuristic keyboards join the fray as the arrangement heads firmly in the direction of Euro Disco, albeit with a rocky twist. Pierre’s deliberate vocal has a Euro Disco style, while the arrangement mixes elements of Euro Pop and rock. You can date the track just by listening to it and referencing its influences. This has 1980 written all over it. Sometimes, there are similarities with The Stranglers. Later, the Euro Disco beat becomes more prominent, and is augmented by space-age synths, an edgy vocal, percussion and driving rhythm section. Voyage’s determination to change their music has certainly worked here, with the track a melting pot of genres and influences that demonstrates Voyage’s innovative, creative and inventive side.
Do It Again is my favorite track on Voyage 3 and sometimes, makes me think of K.C. and The Sunshine Band’s Give It Up. Like K.C. and The Sunshine Band’ it’s certainly a slice of funky, good-time music with more than its fair share of poppy hooks. Straight away, you realize just how good a track this is. It has simply catchy lyrics delivered in a near falsetto style, while the arrangement features a funky rhythm section, flourishes of guitars, squelchy synths and punchy harmonies. Rolls of drums and chiming guitars seem to only highlight just how catchy and joyous a track this is. Again, it’s a track that’s stood the test of time really well and sounds incredibly fresh thirty-two years later.
The last track I’ve chosen from Voyage 3 is I Don’t Want To Fall In Love Again. As the song opens, you hear brief similarities with Foreigner’s Cold As Ice, as a rocky track unfolds. A punchy, rock-tinged driving rhythm section and stabs of keyboards accompany a vocal delivered in a choppy, dramatic style. Searing guitars accompany the punchy rhythm section as the arrangement fuses Euro Pop and rock with a pounding beat. Although there isn’t the same Euro Disco sound as the two previous Voyage albums, this shows a very different side to Voyage’s music, especially later, when the guitars are more like something from a rock album. Not only is this very different in style, but it shows how versatile and multi-talented Voyage really were.
These four tracks are just my favorite tracks from Voyage 3 and are also a good indication of how Voyage’s music was evolving. They weren’t content to stand still, continuing to release similar albums to Let’s Fly Away and Voyage. That wasn’t an option, given how music had changed. It was more a case of adapt or die. Voyage adapted and in doing so, showed that they weren’t one trick ponies. Far from it. Listening to Voyage 3, it seems that Voyage were able to flit seamlessly between musical genres and influences, and sometimes, incorporate them all into the one song. That’s what makes Voyage 3 such a compelling collection of tracks, where Voyage set about reinventing themselves and in the process, come up with their third successful album, that saw them retain their crown as Kings of Euro Disco.
SPECIAL INSTRUMENTALS VOLUME 3.
Special Instrumentals Volume 3 was released by Voyage in very limited quantities. Since then, it’s become a prized album for collectors and extremely rare and expensive. It’s a seven track album, which sees Voyage journey through musical genres and influences. Listening to Special Instrumentals Volume 3, I wonder why the album was released in such small quantities, given it’s such a good album. No wonder it’s so highly prized. Again, part of the charm and success of Special Instrumentals Volume 3 is how Voyage incorporate influences and genres. There’s everything from funk, jazz, Euro Disco, rock and classic disco. Sometimes, all these genres are thrown into the melting pot, like on Let’s Get Started. Follow the Brightest Star has a rock-tinged, dramatic Euro Disco sound, with a twist of funk added for good measure A trio of tracks from Voyage 3 feature on Special Instrumentals Volume 3, including the dramatic, space-age Music, Music, complete with synths and rocky guitars. So too do I Love You Dancer and Do It Again which are very welcome additions and two of Special Instrumentals Volume 3 highlights. After thirty-two years of being unavailable, at long last Special Instrumentals Volume 3, is available once again and I for one, am really pleased about that and so will you, when you hear it for the first time.
SYLVIA MASON-SYLVIA MASON.
Sylvia Mason released her debut album Sylvia Mason in 1980. Since then, it has never before been released on CD until now. It’s on Disc Two of Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition. The seven tracks that makeup Sylvia Mason were actually tracks that had been written for Voyage’s first two albums Let’s Fly Away and Voyage. When these tracks weren’t used, Voyage gave them to Sylvia Mason as a thank you and they became Sylvia Mason, which I’ll now pick the highlights of.
We’ve Gotta Dance was the single released from Sylvia Mason, and it almost explodes into life. A funky rhythm section and chiming guitars drive the arrangement along, before a piano and the Sylvia’s vocal joins. Her vocal is delivered with a sense of urgency and is powerful and joyous. Stabs of blazing horns and backing vocalists sweep in and out, as old school synths join the mix. Dramatic thunderous drums and Latin percussion give way to Sylvia’s vocal and the pounding, jumpy arrangement as funk, Euro Pop and Euro Disco is combined. Together, they create a hugely catchy, hook-laden hidden gem that even thirty-two years later, will light up any dance-floor.
Shadow In the Sun is one of the best tracks on Sylvia Mason. It has a really understated sound when the track begins, with just keyboards, a subtle rhythm section and chiming guitars accompanying Sylvia’s heartfelt vocal. This is a very different track, more of a ballad, with a sultry saxophone adding a beautiful jazzy sound. The saxophone drifts in and out, providing a perfect foil and contrast to Sylvia’s vocal on this beautiful track, that demonstrates a very different side to Sylvia and her music.
You’re Like A Silent Movie sees Sylvia demonstrate her vocal versatility. Her vocal is much higher, and you wonder will Sylvia manage to deliver the vocal. She manages to do so and must have a wide vocal range. The higher scale suits the song, adding to its wistful, melancholy sound and is accompanied by an arrangement that veers between understated with just the rhythm section, percussion and keyboards providing the backdrop. When the arrangement grows slightly, backing vocals join Sylvia, with their vocals providing a contrast to Sylvia’s vocal. This is quite different from the other two tracks I’ve mentioned, but like Shadow In the Sun isn’t a dance-floor track. Instead, it’s a track with a poppy sound, where some melancholy, wistful lyrics allow Sylvia’s vocal versatility to shine.
I Love You Dancer is the last track from Sylvia Mason I’ve chosen. When the track opens, the arrangement almost gallops along. Synths, Voyage’s rhythm section and guitars drive the track along, with the tempo slowing when Sylvia’s vocal enters. Throughout the arrangement the tempo slows and quickens, allowing Sylvia’s vocal to shine. As the arrangement speeds up, you realize that this track isn’t short of poppy hooks. Given Voyage’s track record this is no surprise. They fuse Euro Disco, pop and synth pop with drama and hooks, as Sylvia delivers one of her best vocals on Sylvia Mason, combining power, drama and emotion.
Although Sylvia Mason featured seven tracks that didn’t make it onto Let’s Fly Away or Voyage, they’re far from second-rate tracks. Indeed, why Voyage didn’t include them on Voyage 3 or keep them for their fourth album seems strange. Voyage almost gave these seven tracks away. They must have thought a lot of Sylvia Mason to give her tracks as good as this. While Sylvia Mason was just twenty-one when she recorded Sylvia Mason, it’s an accomplished album, that showcases her not inconsiderable talents. She combines dance-floor friendly tracks with ballads and poppy tracks. After this Sylvia Mason would join Sylvia and The Sapphires, Stiff Records Motown revival band. Later, Sylvia would go on to sing backing vocals with artists like Roger Waters and Robbie Williams. During that period, Sylvia Mason has been unavailable on CD. Thankfully, it’s now available after thirty-two long years, with Sylvia Mason plus three bonus tracks as part of Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition, which was released on 1st October 2012. Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition is quite simply a double-album crammed full of quality music, including two albums from Voyage, Voyage 3 and Special Instrumentals Volume 3, plus Sylvia Mason’s debut album Sylvia Mason. That’s why at less than £8, $12 or €10 Disco Recharge-Voyage 3 Special Edition is one of the biggest bargains you’ll find this year, or indeed any year. Standout Tracks: I Love You Dancer, Do It Again, We’ve Gotta Dance and Shadow In the Sun.
DISCO RECHARGE-VOYAGE 3-SPECIAL EDITION.
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DISCO RECHARGE-BORIS MIDNEY VOLUME 1: BEAUTIFUL BLEND-MAKE THAT FEELING COME AGAIN AND BORIS MIDNEY-CARESS.
DISCO RECHARGE-BORIS MIDNEY VOLUME 1: BEAUTIFUL BLEND-MAKE THAT FEELING COME AGAIN AND BORIS MIDNEY-CARESS.
As usual, Mr. Pinks has been the hardest working man in disco, compiling not one, not two, but five instalments of Harmless Records’ Disco Recharge series. His hard work has certainly paid off, with him rediscovering some glittering disco gems. The first of these five release sees Mr. Pinks look at one of Euro Disco’s greatest producers, Boris Midney and two albums he released in 1978 and 1979. They are Beautiful Blend’s Make That Feeling Come Again and Boris Midney’s Caress. This is the first of two double-albums release looking at Boris Midney’s music with Disco Recharge-Boris Midney Volume 1-Beautiful Blend and Caress released by Harmless Records’ subsidiary label Disco Recharge on 1st October 2012. For me, this is a very welcome release, not just because of how important Boris Midney’s music was during disco’s heyday, and how important a part he played in creating the Euro Disco sound, but because of Boris Midney’s life story. Truly, Boris Midney’s story is a fascinating one and one that deserves to be told. I’ll tell you that story and then tell you about Beautiful Blend’s Make That Feeling Come Again and Boris Midney’s Caress.
Boris Midney was born in Moscow, Russia, in the shadow of the Kremlin. Growing up, the Kremlin parks became Boris’ playground. Both his parents were musicians, his mother an opera singer, his father an orchestra conductor. So it’s no surprise that from an early age, Boris was fascinated with music, how it worked and how it moved you. It was rhythm that interested him, even obsessed him. How and why did it move you like it did? Soon, Boris was training at the respected Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. This would stand Boris in good stead, as he’d become a multi-instrumentalist, who’d later, play keyboards, synths, drums, saxophone, clarinet and percussion on his albums. All this came from his classical training. At home, although jazz music was forbidden in the Soviet era, Boris immersed himself in jazz music. While it looked as if Boris was destined to become a musicians, his career took a twist, when he was invited to study the Moscow House of Photography. Even this helped his future career in disco, as it allowed him to design his own album covers. Then when Boris wrote an award-winning soundtrack, and wasn’t allowed to collect his award, his life changed forever.
Having written the soundtrack to the film Staircase, which won an award at the Monte Carlo Film Festival, Boris wasn’t allowed to collect his award. By then he was a teenager and growing restless. Unlike other teenagers, he’d learnt about the idea of being a “winner” and liked and believed in the idea. He was wasn’t content to stay put in Russia, accepting the status quo as handed down by the state. So, having joined an ensemble that was going to tour Japan, Boris decided to defect. In Tokyo, Boris headed for the American Embassy and a new life.
Now living in America, he settled in to his new life. He was met by Helen Keane, the manager of jazz pianist Bill Evans at the airport. Helen had heard about Boris and with her help, was signed to ABC/Impulse Records. The result of this was the Russian Quartet jazz group. Soon, people were looking Boris up, having heard his story. Quickly job offers came his way and the Russian Quartet’s Kellaway was nominated for the best adaptation at the Oscars in 1976. Gradually, the Russian Quartet started working within the music industry. Rather than working for other people, Boris would work for himself.
Success came Boris’ way almost immediately. His debut album was USA-European Connection’s Come Into My Heart, which launched Boris career. It seemed a disco legend had been born when Come Into My Heart reached number one in the US Dance Charts. Proving lightning can strike twice in the same place, Boris second album, Beautiful Blend’s Here Come That Feeling Again, released in 1978, reached number one in the US Dance Charts and number fourteen in the US Billboard R&B Charts. After the success of Beautiful Blend’s Here Come That Feeling Again, Boris decided to move studios to 226 East 54th Street in Manhattan. However, before he could record any music he’d have to build his new studio from scratch.
In Manhattan, Boris Midney started building his own studios from scratch. This was no ordinary studio though, this was America’s very first forty-eight track studio, which he christened Eras, after the new dawn of a new era in dance music. Eventually, Boris would have studios in New York and Philadelphia. The first album recorded in Eras was Boris Midney’s 1979 album Caress, which was released on a subsidiary of Warner Bros, RFC Records. Caress was every bit as innovative and inventive as Beautiful Blend’s Here Come That Feeling Again had been. Although by 1979 disco’s popularity was waning, this was disco taken to the next level as you’ll discover when I tell you about Beautiful Blend’s Here Come That Feeling Again and Boris Midney’s Caress.
BEAUTIFUL BLEND MAKE THAT FEELING COME AGAIN.
Opening Beautiful Blend’s Make That Feeling Come Again is That’s the Meaning. Boris teases the listener as the track opens, using his full musical palette. Distant hissing hi-hats, flourishes of harpsichord, rasping horns and stabs keyboards create a moody backdrop, before pulsating drums and swathes dancing strings and growling horns take you on a dramatic eight minute musical journey. Soon it’s all change, when strings cascade, horns rasp and joyous, soaring harmonies enter. These harmonies are swept above the strings while Boris creates an innovative, complex, multilayered arrangement. It’s impossible to second guess him, as fuses disco, drama, Latin percussion and soulful harmonies. In doing so, he becomes a one-man disco orchestra, playing most of the instruments. The only thing that you can say with any doubt is that pulsating beat will be omnipresent. Apart from that, the only other thing you can say with any certainty is if the rest of Make That Feeling Come Again is as good, this will definitely be a disco classic.
Boogie Motion sees the same pounding at the heart of the arrangement, while melodic keyboards and flourishes of strings joined by harmonies which give the track a real Euro Disco sound. This is no surprise, given Boris’ role as one of Euro Disco’s architects. Bursts of guitars and harp are joined by percussion from Larry Washington, as growling horns drift in and out, while the Euro Disco harmonies become breathy and sensual. Soon, they’re delivered in a punchy style. When they drop out the swirling strings and rasping horns take charge, as keyboards and pounding drums play a vital role in the arrangement’s sound and success. Although more Euro Disco than the opening track, Boogie Motion is a prime example of why Boris Midney played such an important part in the creation of Euro Disco. If anyone asks why, just play this track.
Larry Washington’s percussion joins the drums that provide Make That Feeling Come Again’s heartbeat. Keyboards provide a sense of urgency, as if the arrangement is desperate to reveal its secrets and subtleties. Boris continues to tease and tantalize, before revealing bold, impressive disco soundscape. With flourishes of strings and harp, braying horns, a thunderous rhythm section it sounds like the soundtrack to a yet unmade movie. Moody, broody, bold and dramatic are ways of describing this eleven-minute epic. Elegant harmonies provide a contrast before a sultry saxophone and lush strings signal that the track’s about to reveal its delights. Not quite yet, it’s as if Boris isn’t quite ready. Relentlessly, Boris toys with you, creating a dramatic disco soundscape. Gradually, Boris reveals the track’s drama, delights and not inconsiderable beauty, and in doing so, references everything from disco right through movie soundtracks, jazz and classical music. Describing a track this good as a Magnus Opus is almost a disservice, it’s even better than that.
Closing Make That Feeling Come Again is the sensual, dramatic Ah-Do It. From the opening bars Boris sets the mood, and again it’s dramatic. The pounding drums are augmented by keyboards, guitars and moody, needy harmonies. They create a Euro Disco backdrop that isn’t just dramatic but moody, and somewhat sensual. Strings sweep in, bursts of funky wah-way guitars and growling horns all provide the backdrop for the sensuous harmonies, before a short percussive break adds to what is an already uber moody, dramatic arrangement and one that you always expect will change and reveal another side. This doesn’t happen and shows you should never second guess Boris Midney, Euro Disco’s very own master of suspense and sensuality, as this track shows.
Make That Feeling Come Again might only be four tracks long, but is twice as good as albums with triple the amount of tracks. Back in 1978, Make That Feeling Come Again was spread over two sides of vinyl and was one of the most successful disco albums of 1978, giving Boris Midney another number one in the US Dance Charts. It also reached number fourteen in the US R&B Charts. This is no surprise, given how innovative and cutting-edge an album it was. Truly, Make That Feeling Come Again was an inventive four track soundscape from one of the founding father’s of Euro Disco, one that showcased his creativity, imagination and his many musical talents. Boris a true multi-instrumentalist, playing most of the instruments on Make That Feeling Come Again and wrote, arranged and produced the four tracks. Now thirty-five years after its original release, Make That Feeling Come Again is available again, along with two bonus tracks on Disco Recharge-Boris Midney Volume 1-Beautiful Blend and Caress. By the time Boris Midney released his next album Caress, he’d have built a new studio from scratch in Manhattan.
BORIS MIDNEY CARESS.
Although Caress was the followup album to Make That Feeling Come Again, it was released as a Boris Midney album. It an even more innovative, inventive and creative side of Boris come to the fore. This is disco draped in Gucci and Armani, opening with Catch the Rhythm with its breathy vocal accompanied by Boris’ pounding disco beat, sinuous, funky rhythms, flourishes of the lushest strings and keyboards from Boris. It’s a glorious track, breathtaking in its elegance and beauty. With percussion and piano joining the breathy, sensual vocals elegantly glide in. A Euro Disco beat meets classic American Disco and jazz. Lush strings are classic American disco, while the jazz influence comes courtesy of the lone rasping saxophone and guitar. Later, the guitars become rockier, as Boris digs deeper into his musical palette as this compelling, beautiful and elegant seven-minute mixture of musical genres reveals its many secrets and influences.
Charmed By You features more of the jazz influence of the opening track. Like that track the arrangement has an understated sound, with instruments drifting in and out of the arrangement. The only thing that isn’t subtle is the pulsating disco beat. Everything else is understated and indeed elegant. Lush strings cascade, while a pounding, slap bass is joined by bursts of rasping horns and tender, heartfelt harmonies. Handclaps help provide the track’s heartbeat, while strings canter along as percussion, keyboards and guitars add a jazzy sound. Later, horns woodwind and guitar take the arrangement further in the direction of jazz, sometimes, referencing a real old school jazzy sound. Meanwhile, the bass provides the track’s funky side and drums are disco through and through. This fusion of influences and genres is quite simply the sophisticated side of disco, very different from much of what back in 1979, was being referred to as disco. If more disco music had been like this, then disco might not have nearly died.
When You Got It Too Uptight opens you realize straight away, how catchy the track is. Describing the track as hook-laden, is almost an understatement. The drums are punchier and louder joined and are joined by piano, flourishes of strings, keyboards and breathy harmonies. They play their part in creating a hugely catchy arrangement that sweeps you along in its midst. Strings cascade, with flourishes adding elegance and beauty, while the rhythm section are responsible for the Euro Disco heartbeat. Key to the arrangement are beautiful, tender and breathy harmonies plus a myriad of percussion and keyboards. Together, they’re responsible for not only the catchiest track on Caress, but the best. It certainly won’t leave you feeling uptight.
Love Spell closes Caress and is another track where Boris decides to tease you. Stabs of jazzy keyboards, percussion and a pulsating Latin-flavored beat combine as an eight minute jittery, jumpy journey unfolds. Soon the innovative side of Boris comes to the fore, with the track having a sound that would influence a whole new generation of producers. This is down to his arrangement and the way he uses the percussion, keyboards and synths in combination with the drums. Punchy Euro Disco harmonies are added, while synths that have an Acid House sound are joined by disco strings, funky bass, jazzy keyboards and Latin percussion. Although this is firmly a Euro Disco track, it’s one influenced by a whole melting pot of styles and influences. However, it takes someone with the vision and creativity of Boris Midney to stir the pot and create a dish as good and tasty as this.
Caress has been described as “designer disco” and this is a fitting description. If music wore clothes, then Caress would be draped in the finest clothes from Versace, Armani and Gucci. During the four tracks on Caress, Boris sets about reinventing Euro Disco, adding jazz, Latin music, funk and soulful harmonies. Boris uses every color in his musical palette, blending genres and influences in his musical melting pot. The result is the tastiest of musical treats, one that’s a compelling, timeless and hook-laden Euro Disco classic, like Make That Feeling Come Again. As if these four tracks aren’t enough, Mr. Pinks has added two bonus tracks, including the original promo only twelve inche of Catch the Rhythm. Together Make That Feeling Come Again and Caress feature on the first of Disco Recharge’s Boris Midney retrospectives, Disco Recharge-Boris Midney Volume 1-Beautiful Blend and Caress, which will be released by Harmless Records’ subsidiary label Disco Recharge on 1st October 2012. This is a very welcome look back at Boris Midney’s career, given he was one of the founding father’s of Euro Disco, and one whose music was inventive, imaginative and took disco in a new direction. For anyone whose yet to discover the disco delights of Boris Midney, then Disco Recharge-Boris Midney Volume 1-Beautiful Blend and Caress is a good-starting point in discovering this musical visionary’s music. Standout Tracks: That’s the Meaning, Boogie Motion, You Got It Too Uptight and Catch the Rhythm.
DISCO RECHARGE-BORIS MIDNEY VOLUME 1: BEAUTIFUL BLEND-MAKE THAT FEELING COME AGAIN AND BORIS MIDNEY-CARESS.
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FIRST CHOICE-BREAKAWAY.
FIRST CHOICE-BREAKAWAY.
After becoming one of Norman Harris’ first signing to his new record label Gold Mind Records in 1976, First Choice released Delusions in 1978 and Hold Your Horses in 1979. Soon, Double Choice became one of Gold Mind Records and indeed, Salsoul’s biggest commercial successes. This lead to First Choice touring worldwide and by the end of the seventies, were at the height of their fame. For what would be First Choice’s sixth and final album, they returned to their Philly roots, after excursions into Euro Disco on Hold Your Horses. The Euro Disco influence had come courtesy of Munich-based Thor Baldurrson, who had become one of the Cayre’s favoured producers. Hold Your Horses was very much an album of two separate styles, four Euro Disco tracks and two Philly Soul tracks. Of the two styles, the Philly Soul won out and were the highlights of Hold Your Horses. So, when First Choice recorded their sixth album Breakaway, gone was the Euro Disco and in came Philly Soul. This welcome return to the Philly roots also saw the return of Norman Harris, First Choice’s longtime mentor. Norman produced four of the tracks on Breakaway, while T.G. Conway, Alan Felder and Cary “Hippy” Gilbert produced two other tracks. However, as had been the case at Salsoul, things were still changing, with new personnel, including songwriters and producers joining the post-disco Salsoul. How would this affect First Choice and their sixth album Breakaway?
Ever since Vince Montana Jr, had left Salsoul in 1978, things had been changing. Personnel came and went, with musicians, producers and remixers seemingly becoming flavor of the month. Now that disco was no longer as popular, after the events of Disco Demolition Night, organized by the Disco Sucks movement. It took place on 12th July 1979, at Comiskey Park, Chicago. After that, disco labels and artists were no longer popular, so Salsoul as a label had to change. So too did groups like First Choice, after the Euro Disco of Hold Your Horses. Among the changes at Salsoul were the introduction of new songwriters and producers. These changes didn’t please First Choice, but they changed their minds after meeting the new arrivals, who included included Melvin and Mervin Steals and McKinley Jackson. They’d write and produce songs for Breakaway. Another change concerned First Choice’s mentor Norman Harris.
Norman Harris was going through a difficult time by the time First Choice were about to record Breakaway. He was having contractual problems with Salsoul and Gold Mind Records was experiencing financial problems. Eventually, later in 1979 Gold Mind Records’ financial problems got so bad that the label became part of Salsoul. However, Norman assured First Choice that these problems wouldn’t affect the recording of Breakaway. He also told First Choice about the new personnel that would be joining Salsoul. A combination of this new personnel and some Salsoul legends would play their part in recording Breakaway.
For Breakaway the new songwriting teams got to work, Melvin and Mervin Steals cowrote Sittin’ Pretty and cowrote Can’t Talke It With You and House For Sale with McKinley Jackson and Bobby Ledbetter. The Rober Strothers, Frank Alstin Jr and Matt Farrow cowrote I’m the One and Pressure Point. The Philly songwriters played their part too, with T.G. Conway, Alan Felder and Cary “Hippy” Gilbert penning A Happy Love Affair and I Can Show You (Better Than I Can Tell You), while Norman Harris and Ron Tyson cowrote the title-track Breakaway. So, with First Choice returning to their Philly roots, recording got underway at three studios.
Recording took place at Philly’s Sigma Sound Studios, Alpha International and Eras Recording Studio, with a band that included many of The Salsoul Orchestra. This included a rhythm section of bassist Jimmy Williams, drummer Keith Benson and and guitarist Norman Harris. They were joined by guitarist Bobby Eli, T.J. Tindall, Dennis Harris Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey and Cotton Kent played keyboards, Larry Washington and Ron Tyson congas plus Don Renaldo’s Swinging Strings and Horns. Other musicians playing on the sessions recorded away from Sigma Sound in Philly. They included Richard Adderley on guitar, vibes and percussion, pianist Eric C. Butler, saxophonist George Bussey and Melvin and Mervin Steal on percussion. These musicians accompanied the three members of First Choice, Rochelle Fleming, Annette Guest and Debbie Martin for recording of Breakaway. Once Breakaway was recorded, First Choice would release their sixth album as a new decade dawned.
Breakaway was released in March 1980, but wasn’t a commercial success. It failed to chart and the only single to chart was the title-track Breakaway, which reached number eighty in the UK. Part of the problem was the lack of airplay on radio, but a bigger factor was that during this time First Choice were leaving Salsoul. So just as First Choice got back to their Philly roots, after an excursion into Euro Disco, their was indeed a Breakaway. First Choice broke away from Salsoul and sadly, Breakaway proved to be their final album. Was Breakaway a return to form from First Choice?
Opening Breakaway is I’m The One arranged and produced by Norman Harris. It’s the first of four Norman Harris productions. Strings sweep in dramatically, while wistful horns and harmonies combine. Then comes Rochelle’s heartfelt vocal, full of hurt and sorrow. Harmonies match the emotion in her vocal, while the rhythm section join the strings in building the drama. This is a much better track from many of the Euro Disco tracks on Hold Your Horses, and much more suitable to First Choice. Woodwind add to the flourishes of strings and powerful drums in providing a dramatic backdrop for First Choice’s impassioned, heartfelt vocals and harmonies. In doing so, they get Breakaway off to an emotive and quite beautiful start.
Breakaway was penned and produced by Norman Harris and Ron Tyson. It’s very different from the opening track, with a much more uptempo, dance-floor friendly sound. It could be described as a disco track released post-disco. Searing guitars riff before keyboards, a pounding rhythm section, dancing strings and growling horns combine. They’re joined by Rochelle’s powerful, emotive vocal. Her delivery and the quality vocal is almost reminiscent of tracks like Doctor Love and Let No Man Put Asunder. Similarly, the track has the same catchy, hook-laden, dance-floor friendly sound. Everything you’d expect on a Salsoul track is here. Swirling strings, growling horns and a rhythm section that produces the track’s pounding, dance-floor friendly heartbeat. Add to that Rochelle’s powerful, feisty vocal and those sweeping, soulful harmonies. Together, this results in a glorious track from the First Choice.
Melvin and Mervin Steals and McKinley Jackson’s first contribution to Breakaway is Sittin’ Pretty. Straight away, you realize that something special is about to unfold. Lush strings cascade, while the rhythm section and guitars help create a dance-floor friendly arrangement. Annette Guest takes charge of the lead vocal, unleashing a powerful, feisty vocal, as Rochelle and Debbie add cooing, sweeping harmonies. Bursts of rasping horns and flourishes of keyboards are added as your swept away amidst the lushest of dancing strings, pulsating beat and Annette’s vocal tour de force, where power and passion are combined. Ironically, if this track had been released a couple of years earlier, at the high of disco’s popularity, it would’ve fared much better. Sadly, by the time it and Breakaway were released music had changed. However, despite that, it’s still a great dance track, one that’s stood the test and one that showcases the skills of the new songwriting and production team.
Side One of Breakaway closed with A Happy Love Affair penned and produced by T.G. Conway, Alan Felder and Cary “Hippy” Gilbert. It was the first of their two tracks on Breakaway. The combination of rhythm section and blazing horns tease you before flourishes of strings usher in Rochelle’s powerful, impassioned vocal. She’s accompanied by tender harmonies, while vibes, dancing strings and rasping horns accompany her. Rochelle delivers one of her best vocals, sounding confident and happy. As her vocal drops out, the myriad of horns, strings and rhythm section takes charge, before tender, then punchy harmonies accompany Rochelle’s feisty, sassy vocal.
Pressure Point opens Side Two of Breakaway and is arranged by Leon Mitchell and produced by Norman Harris. Flourishes of grand, dramatic strings cascade before a powerful, dramatic rhythm section are joined by equally dramatic harmonies. The interplay between Rochelle and the harmonies sees the drama grow. Similarly, blazing horns, woodwind and the thunderous rhythm section play their part in this dramatic, but soulful track. Here First Choice make a welcome return to their Philly Soul roots, aided and abetted by The Salsoul Orchestra who, like First Choice, are responsible for one of their best and most dramatic performances on Breakaway.
I Can Show You (Better Than I Can Tell You) is the second track from the T.G. Conway, Alan Felder and Cary “Hippy” Gilbert songwriting and production team and is arranged by Jack Faith. Just pounding drums create the track’s pulse before guitars enter. Then a flourish of keyboards, the track reveals its secrets. Punchy harmonies are accompanied by bursts of blazing horns and drums, before Rochelle unleashes a feisty, sassy vocal, that’s part vamp. Don Renaldo’s Swinging Strings and Horns join the rhythm section in creating the track’s joyous, catchy arrangement. Norman Harris adds a brief, but effective bursts of jazzy guitar, before Rochelle, Annette and Debbie kick-loose. Together with The Salsoul Orchestra they go on to deliver one of their best, most joyous and catchy performances on Breakaway.
Can’t Take It With You was the second contribution from Melvin and Mervin Steals and McKinley Jackson. It has a more understated sound than other tracks when it opens. Just keyboards, guitar and rhythm section combine as First Choice add heartfelt harmonies. Bursts of rasping horns stabs of keyboards are joined by Rochelle’s powerful, impassioned vocal. Her power and passion is complimented by the tender harmonies. By now the arrangement has grown, with the rhythm section, bursts of rasping horns and elegant strings combining. It’s beautiful combination, especially given some poignant lyrics and a vocal that’s soulful and full of emotion from Rochelle.
Closing Breakaway is House For Sale arranged by Leon Mitchell and produced by Norman Harris. Rasping horns that sound as if the belong on an old jazz album are joined by pounding drums, woodwind and the lushest of strings. First Choice turn back the clock, adding tight, impassioned harmonies. They sound as if they belong on an old big band album. Rochelle’s vocal is heartfelt and soulful, while The Salsoul Orchestra are transformed into a jazz band. Norman Harris’ guitar playing is perfectly suited to this, and so are Don Renaldo’s Swinging Strings and Horns. Together they play their part in helping First Choice create very different, but very beautiful song that not only closes Breakaway, their career at Salsoul.
It seems almost ironic that Breakaway, First Choice’s final for Salsoul Records was a real return to form. Breakaway was a far better album that its predecessor Hold Your Horses and its Euro Disco sound. On Breakaway, First Choice sensibly returned to their Philly Soul roots, with the eight tracks a combination of soulful and dance-floor friendly tracks. With Norman Harris playing a bigger part than he had on Hold Your Horses, plus the Philly songwriting and production team of T.G. Conway, Alan Felder and Cary “Hippy” Gilbert penning and producing two tracks it’s no wonder Breakaway was a much better album. Such a multi-talented combination of songwriter, producers, arrangers and musicians were joined by some new faces. These were Melvin and Mervin Steals and McKinley Jackson. Their contributions played their part in making First Choice’s best album since Delusions. Sadly, by the time Breakaway was released, First Choice had left Salsoul. As a result, Breakaway was neither promoted like it deserved to be, nor did it receive the airplay it needed. Listening to Breakaway thirty-two years later, it’s a shame that it didn’t receive the promotion and airplay it needed and deserved. Given it was such a return to form from First Choice, it could’ve been a much bigger commercial success if it had received the promotion and airplay it needed and so richly deserved. That wasn’t to be and since then, First Choice’s Breakaway has remained a hidden gem, that’s awaiting discovery.
Worse was to come when First Choice had left Salsoul. Having made a clean break from Salsoul and manager Stan Watson, they became embroiled in a dispute with Stan Watson over who owned the name. Stan believed he owned the name, while First Choice believed they owned the name. Annette and Rochelle were ready to fight this all the way. Then after Salsoul released Let No Man Put Asunder as a single, Rochelle decided that was it. She decided that it was time for First Choice to call it a day. Their lives were changing, with Rochelle and Annette having recently married. So after releasing six albums, between 1973 and 1980, First Choice’s final album was Breakaway, an album which saw them return to their Philly roots, reunite with their mentor Norman Harris and release an album that’s a true hidden gem, awaiting discovery and one that’s I’d throughly recommend. Standout Tracks: I’m The One, Breakaway, Pressure Point and House For Sale.
FIRST CHOICE-BREAKAWAY.
SADAR BAHAR PRESENTS SOUL IN THE HOLE.
SADAR BAHAR PRESENTS SOUL IN THE HOLE.
Sometimes, record labels go through something of hot spells, where they release one great album after another. This has certainly been the case for BBE Music in 2012. It’s been one winner after another. BBE Music started 2012 with a bang, releasing Al Kent’s five disc disco Magnus Opus The Best of Disco Demands, with Johnny D Presents Disco Jamms following hard on its heels, then Boddhi Satva’s Invocation and Invocation Instrumentals, Mathias Stubo’s Mathias Stubo and more recently, Private Wax, You Know How We Dew and DJ Vadim’s Don’t Be Scared. Soon to join this list of illustrious releases will be Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole, which BBE Music will release on 12th November 2012. Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole was compiled by giants of DJ-ing and Sadar Bahar and Lee Collins. Both Sadar and Lee have what can only be described as having impeccable taste when it comes to music. The thirteen tracks on Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole are a lovingly compiled collection of soul, funk, disco and boogie, which I’ll tell you about, after I’ve told you about Sadar Bahar and Lee Collins.
Sadar Bahar was born in the late sixties, in Newark, New Jersey and as a child, his family moved to the Windy City of Chicago. His interest in DJ-ing started at an early age when his mother bought him a set of Technics turntables. Soon, he knew that he’d earn a living as a DJ. He knew that music was what he loved playing and making. Later, he started hanging around with an older group, who played what Sadar describes as old school house music. This sparked Sadar interest and would influence his style of music. Ironically, later, when Sadar started playing around Chicago’s clubs, the same people thought his music was “too deep.”
By the early eighties, Sadar was a stalwart of Chicago’s club scene, spinning house, deep house and disco. Back then, there were many other DJs playing similar music. However, Sadar decided to go down a different route and have what would now be described as a USP. Sadar started to play rare records, something that made him stand out from other DJs. Quickly, Sadar established a reputation as a someone who was a serious collector of deep house music. This seemed to inspire Sadar to become the King of Chicago’s crate diggers and he spent all his time seeking out rare deep house records.While Sadar sought out those elusive cuts of vinyl, the music changed. DJs spun only what Sadar describes as “beat tracks.” Still these tracks were described as house music. So Sadar’s search for original house music continued and with his friends he helped launch a new scene.
The new scene was called Soul In The Hole, and saw Sadar and his friends seek out the choicest, deepest cuts. Discovering there was this huge supply of rare music that lay undiscovered, this search for the vinyl holy grail continued and nearly took over their lives. It paid off, as soon, Sadar and his friends had an inenviable and totally unique collection of music. Avoiding techno and electronics, and staying true to their principles of only spinning vinyl on the wheels of steel paid off. It allowed Sadar to become a globe-trotting DJ, spinning his own unique sounds worldwide. Still, Sadar Badar is known as Chicago’s best kept secret, but hopefully not for much longer. One of Sadar’s closest friends helped him compile Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole, Lee Collins.
Like Sadar, Lee Collins is something of a veteran of Chicago’s music scene, learning his DJ-ing trade under the wings of legends like Frankie Knuckles, Farley Keith, Robert Owens, Andre Hatchett and Ron Hardy. Quickly, Lee developed his own unique style, which has been described as a progressive funky, soul sound. Lee started a college radio show Disco Madness on WHPK in Chicago in 1983. It was named after an album which featured his favorite song, First Choice’s Let No Man Put Asunder. After this, Lee Collins would go on to DJ at two some of Chicago’s biggest clubs.
In 1986, Lee was asked to play at Chicago’s legendary clubs the Music Box by owner Robert Williams. The night was called Disco Madness and Lee played a number of nights. Three years later in 1989, Lee became a guest DJ at Chicago club Bad Boys. Soon he was asked to be the resident DJ and played twelve hour sets from 10pm to 10am. This lasted for a year, until the club closed. A year later, Lee would collaborate on his first production.
1991 saw Lee and Anthony Nicholson, a long-time friend team up to produce their first single Thill Me, which they released as Rhythm Section. It was after that Lee and Sadar Bahar decided to form their own production company Soul In The Hole. SInce then, Lee and Sadar have worked on numerous reedits, remixes and their own original production. Like Sadar, Lee Collins has since then, DJ-ed worldwide, playing everywhere from Japan to Germany and everywhere in between. Somehow, two of the hardest working and most far-travelled DJs have found time to compile Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole and I’ll now pick some of its many highlights and hidden gems.
Opening Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole is Johnny Harris’ Odyssey, which was released in1980 on the Sunshine Sound Disco label. Guitars riff as the rhythm section produce a pulsating beat as the arrangement fuses elements of disco, boogie and funk. A pounding bass and guitars play crucial parts in the track, as handclaps and dramatic washes of synths drive this hidden gem along. Sometimes guitars and synths give the track a rocky sound, as this glorious fusion of music styles unfolds. This combination of driving, dance dance-floor friendly music gets Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole to a storming start and are the perfect opening track, leaving you hungrily wanting more.
Poetiquette’s Soul Melody (Yam Who Remix) is the track that drew me to Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole. This is a track from Poetiquette’s Lyrically Speaking Part 1 album, released on Artizan Music in 2008. It’s one of the newer tracks on the compilation. Pounding drums and washes of space-age synths combine before the track reveals its secrets. A sample enters lamenting the state of “modern day America.” Think Dennis Leary meets Timothy Leary with a touch of Hunter Thompson and that’s the sample. Soon stabs of pads and thunderous drums combine deep house with a twist Nu-Jazz keyboards. Then when the heartfelt female vocal things get even better as a hugely dance-floor friendly house track unfolds. Just synths, thunderous drums and a sprinkling of Latin percussion is all it takes. The result is a hugely melodic track, with hooks aplenty that’s quite simply one of the real highlights of Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole.
It doesn’t take more than a couple of bars to realize just how good Moses’ Striving For Tomorrow is. This is one of these tracks that you wonder has been all your life. Wah-wah guitars, a Hammond and the rhythm section combine to create the funkiest of introductions. Soon, the lushest of strings and then woodwind enter. They’re joined by an impassioned vocal, with tight, heartfelt harmonies accompanying it. The funky rhythm section is ever-present, while the strings sweep in and out and the Hammond organ helps adds to the funk factor. One minute the track sounds as if it belongs on a seventies Blaxploitation soundtrack, the next is hugely soulful and then later, a jazzy piano joins the fray. While funky and soulful are two words to describe this track, two others are outstanding and brilliant.
Sabar and Lee must have dug deep to discover a copy of Sparkles’ Trying To Get Over It and for that, we should be eternally grateful. Think a combination of a vocal and harmonies from an early seventies soul record, add some synths and lush strings and you’re getting the idea. Truly, it’s a five minute hidden gem. Stabs of keyboards and a dramatic, pulsating, funky beat are accompanied by eighties synths before an impassioned, soulful vocal enters. It’s accompanied by tight, elegant sweeping harmonies, while the dramatic rhythm section is omnipresent. It’s just one of those songs that’s irresistible. Believe me, you can’t help but succumb to its soulful, funky charms.
Saxophonist Carl Grubbs has a good pedigree, his brother is Earl Grubbs and he’s a cousin of Naima Coltrane, the first wife of jazz titan John Coltrane. He released a series of albums, starting with his debut album Neptune, released on Cobblestone. Scorcher is a fitting description of a track where Carl and his band fuse funk, jazz and Latin percussion, with synths adding a contemporary twist. Blazing horns, percussion and chiming guitars are joined by a bank of synths, while a driving rhythm section create a disco beat. Stabs of horns, a myriad of percussion and handclaps plus synths that add to the musical drama. It’s a compelling fusion, that results in a slice of dramatic dance music. Think jazz and funk with a pulsating disco beat and you’re halfway there. So good and so compelling is this track that must be heard and experienced at least once. After that, you’ll be glad Sadar and Lee introduced you to its delights.
One track I was really pleased to find on Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole was Sonny Still featuring Eddie Russ’ Tornado. Tornado was the title-track to Sonny’s album on Jazz Masters. It’s a real slow burner of a track, with a really understated sound that gradually, begins to reveal its hidden depths. Just drums take centre-stage before bursts of pounding bass are joined by drums and an uber funky combination of wah-wah guitar and Hammond organ. Adding a contrast is a flute as a near nine-minute fusion of funky and jazzy music unfolds. When Sonny’s saxophone enters, his playing is thoughtful and spacious, before unleashing a blazing solo. Soon, Sonny’s band kick loose. Not to be outdone, Eddie Russ lays down a peerless Hammond organ solo and each of the band somehow, seem to raise their game. Together with his band, Sonny fuses funk and jazz seamlessly, while showing just why he was one of the legends of US jazz.
Closing Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole is Frederic Mercier’s Spirit, that was released as a twelve-inch single in 2009, on Mellophonia. However, Frederic was been releasing albums since his 1978 debut Pacific. Since then, he’s gained a reputation as something of an innovator and pioneer. This is obvious here, where he uses his synths to create a dramatic musical soundscape. He combines banks of synths with pounding drums to create a track that unfolds in dramatic waves. Drums provide the track’s pulsating heartbeat, while unleashing stabs and washes of synths. They’re responsible for the mainstay of the arrangement which is best described as a dramatic, innovative dance-floor friendly soundscape.
The seven tracks from Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole that I’ve mentioned are just a taster of the treats in-store for the discerning listener who wisely decides to invest in this lovingly compiled compilation. However, there’s much, much more in-store, including tracks like Calender’s Comin’ On Strong, Seawind’s Free, Puzzle People’s French Fried Boogie and Chuck Higgins and The Wild Bunch’s Funkyfied. Many of the tracks on Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole will be new to many people. For me, that’s part of the enjoyment of compilations, especially compilations as good as this. They allow you discover hidden gems and meet old favorites. Some of the tracks I was really pleased to find on Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole were Johnny Harris’ Odyssey, Poetiquette’s Soul Melody (Yam Who Remix), Moses’ Striving For Tomorrow and Sparkles’ Trying To Get Over It. Truly, there isn’t a bad track on Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole, with the thirteen tracks featuring everything from funk to soul, and disco to bogie. Instead, each of the thirteen tracks are a winner. That’s to the credit of Sadar Bahar and Lee Collins, who compiled Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole. This means that BBE Music will continue their run unrivaled run of releasing some of the best compilations of 2012, when Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole is released on 12th November 2012. Standout Tracks: tracks I was really pleased to find on Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole were Johnny Harris’ Odyssey, Poetiquette’s Soul Melody (Yam Who Remix), Moses’ Striving For Tomorrow and Sparkles’ Trying To Get Over It.
SADAR BAHAR PRESENTS SOUL IN THE HOLE.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE.
Recently, I’ve been documenting the Salsoul Records rise to becoming disco’s premier label and the changes the label went through after 1978. Indeed, 1978 was a landmark year for Salsoul.Vince Montana Jr, the man who created, conducted, arranged and produced many of The Salsoul Orchestra albums between their 1975 debut The Salsoul Orchestra and 1978s Up The Yellow Brick Road. When Vince left Salsoul, after a dispute with the Cayres over royalties, it left a huge gap to be filled. The Cayres then brought in DJs not just to remix individual tracks, but whole albums. This included Tom Moulton, who produced The Salsoul Orchestra’s 1979 album Street Sense. While 1978 proved to be a landmark year for Salsoul, 1979 proved a tumultuous year for Gold Mind Records, a subsidiary of Salsoul run by Norman Harris. Gold Mind was facing financial ruin, and would eventually become part of Salsoul. Another event would prove not only disastrous for Salsoul, but many other record labels and artists. That event was the Disco Demolition Night, organized by the zealots of the Disco Sucks movement. It took place on 12th July 1979, at Comiskey Park, Chicago, where thousands of disco records were blown up, nearly taking with it the stadium and the good ole boys who packed the stadium. Tragically, that night in Chicago disco almost died. Thankfully, that never happened. Instead disco evolved and went underground. Unlike other labels, Salsoul survived and lived through the turmoil. For The Salsoul Orchestra, they’d only release two more albums after Street Sense, Christmas Jollies II and Heat It Up. In many ways, Street Sense was The Salsoul Orchestra’s last great album, as you’ll realise when I tell you about it.
Like previous Salsoul Orchestra albums, Street Sense was a combination of cover versions and new tracks. Cover versions included Zambesi written by Donny Hathaway, Grace Slick’s Somebody To Love and the Richard Evans’ penned Burning Spear. Tom Moulton and Thor Baldursson cowrote the title-track Street Sense and 212 North Street. Bebu Silvetti and Miguel Tottis contributed Sun After the Rain. These six tracks would be recorded at Sigma Sound Studios with Tom Moulton producing and mixing Street Sense.
For the recording of Street Sense at Sigma Sound Studios, it was a much more slimmed down Salsoul Orchestra that gathered. Most of the original and classic lineup don’t appear on Street Sense. It’s a far cry from 1975, when The Salsoul Orchestra recorded their eponymous debut album. The legends were gone. Norman Harris, Ron Baker, Bobby “Electronic” Eli, The Sweethearts Of Sigma and Vince Montana Jr. The only legends left are Earl Young and Larry Washington.
At Sigma Sound Studios, only drummers Earl Young and Keith Benson, bassist Jimmy Williams conga players Larry Washington, James Walker and Don Renaldo’s strings on horns had been members of the original Salsoul Orchestra. They were joined by guitarist Craig Snyder, Thor Love and the Richard Evans’ penned Burning Spear. Tom Moulton and Thor Baldursson on keyboards and synths and Shanga on congas. Even the Sweethearts of Sigma were absent and were replaced by Soulful Nature, Jon Alton, Ernestine Billingsley and Selinda Watkins. Truly, the times they were a changing and The Salsoul Orchestra was very different from its early, glory days. Would this change in lineup of The Salsoul Orchestra affect Street Sense’s commercial success?
On the release of Street Sense in 1979, the album failed to chart. When the title-track Street Sense was released as a single, it only reached number forty in the US Dance Music/Club Play Singles Charts. This was a long way from The Salsoul Orchestra’s early days, when their debut album The Salsoul Orchestra had sold sufficient copies to be certified gold. Sadly, back in 1975, Salsoul weren’t members of the RIAA and didn’t receive their gold disc. By the time Street Sense was released in 1979, it was a very different Salsoul Records, Salsoul Orchestra and indeed, musical landscape. However, what did the music on Street Sense sound like? That’s what I’ll now tell you.
Opening Street Sense is the exotic sounding Zambesi written by Donny Hathaway. The rhythm section powered by Earl Young’s drums combine with guitars and keyboards to dramatically open the track. A sinister sounding vocal sings “Zambesi” and that seems the signal for The Salsoul Orchestra to kick loose. Soon, Don Renaldo’s strings sweep and swirl, while his horns blaze and growl. They combine with the rhythm section to create The Salsoul Orchestra’s famous disco sound. By now it’s business as usual, although sometimes, the keyboards and the rhythm section take the arrangement in the direction of jazz. Punchy horns give the track a funky influence, while the introduction of synths, keyboards and bursts of hollered vocals see the jazzy sound return, Still the Don’s dancing strings create the track’s irresistible disco sound as the rest of The Salsoul Orchestra fuse jazz, funk and their usual disco sound. Although Salsoul and The Salsoul Orchestra were changing, this slimmed down, leaner lineup of The Salsoul Orchestra still create a track that irresistibly catchy, as Salsoul’s music begins to evolve.
Burning Spear was penned by Richard Evans, who had was one of the main songwriters at Cadet Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records and home to Rotary Connection, Marlena Shaw and Terry Callier. When the track opens, a pounding funky rhythm section is responsible for the track’s funky, pulsating heartbeat. Jimmy Williams bass helps power the track along, while Thor’s synths add a new and different dimension to the arrangement. The synths mark a departure from the classic sound. At least the strings are present. Later, a sultry, blazing saxophone solo from Michael Pedicine takes centre stage. After that the rhythm section combine funk and disco, while the horns add a jazzy sound. Larry Washington adds the famous Salsoul percussive sound and Don Renaldo’s strings dance with joy. Although quite different from previous albums, with its introduction of a jazzy twist and synths, one thing doesn’t change, and that’s this a track that’s The Salsoul Orchestra’s dance-floor friendly sound.
By 1979, Grace Slick who wrote Somebody To Love, had been lead singer with three groups, The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. She was also a talented songwriter. WIth Earl Young’s thunderous drums powering the arrangement along, the track reveals a funky, pulsating Euro Disco beat. The rest of The Salsoul Orchestra fuse funk, jazz and this Euro disco sound. Strings cascade, horns rasp and Soulful Nature add their tight, soulful harmonies. Although they’re crucial to the track’s sound and success, they’re nowhere near as good as The Sweethearts Of Sigma. So too are Don Renaldo’s swirling strings and rasping, plus Earl Young’s drums that provide the track’s heartbeat. A myriad of Latin percussion, rasping horns and Thor’s synths combine during a dramatic breakdown. Then the track gradually rebuild and the track reveals the rest of its secrets. For the first time on Street Sense there’s a real Euro Disco influence and this is no bad thing. Quite the opposite. It plays a part on the track’s joyous, uplifting sound.
Tom Moulton and Thor Baldursson cowrote two tracks on Street Sense. The title-track Street Sense the first of these. Again there’s a real Euro Disco influence and it’s much more obvious than the previous track. This is no surprise, given Thor was a Munich based producers, whose music had obviously been influenced by Giorgio Moroder. As Street Sense opens, there’s a brief similarity with Resorts International. Another similarity is the way the introduction is arranged. It’s similar to other tracks and is somewhat formulaic. Earl Young’s drums and Jimmy Williams bass power the arrangement along, providing the track’s pounding, disco heartbeat, while strings dance joyously and horns rasp and growl. Soulful Nature’s heartfelt harmonies sweep in and out, replaced by dramatic bursts of blazing horns. Later, during a breakdown, the arrangement is stripped way back. Just percussion and synths take centre-stage, while flourishes of strings and brief bursts of horns sit in the background. When the track rebuilds, Soulful Nature’s sassy harmonies are accompanied by a dramatic arrangement as one of the highlights of Street Sense draws to a close. So good is this track, that it’s no wonder it was a classic at New York’s legendary Loft nightclub.
Tom Moulton and Thor Baldursson cowrote two tracks on Street Sense. The title-track Street Sense the first of these. Again there’s a real Euro Disco influence and it’s much more obvious than the previous track. This is no surprise, given Thor was a Munich based producers, whose music had obviously been influenced by Giorgio Moroder. As Street Sense opens, there’s a brief similarity with Resorts International. Another similarity is the way the introduction is arranged. It’s similar to other tracks and is somewhat formulaic. Earl Young’s drums and Jimmy Williams bass power the arrangement along, providing the track’s pounding, disco heartbeat, while strings dance joyously and horns rasp and growl. Soulful Nature’s heartfelt harmonies sweep in and out, replaced by dramatic bursts of blazing horns. Later, during a breakdown, the arrangement is stripped way back. Just percussion and synths take centre-stage, while flourishes of strings and brief bursts of horns sit in the background. When the track rebuilds, Soulful Nature’s sassy harmonies are accompanied by a dramatic arrangement. This track would become a favourite at New York’s legendary Loft nightclub.
212 North 12th is the second Tom Moulton and Thor Baldursson penned tracks. Keyboards give way the familiar combination of a pulsating disco beat created by Earl Young’s drums and Jimmy Williams bass. Stabs of keyboards join the mix, before Don Renaldo’s of strings and horns play important roles in the arrangement. Strings sweep and swirl, while horns blaze. Bursts of punchy horns and percussion add drama as the the funky rhythm section provide a relentless, pulsating disco beat. By now one of the most dance-floor friendly tracks unfolds. Again, a breakdown is used to good effect, before searing, guitars, percussion and blazing horns all play their in this multilayered fusion of disco, jazz and funk.
Bebu Silvetti who cowrote Sun After the Rain with Miguel Tottis is best known for his Salsoul classic Spring Rain. This is a quite different track, one that features a more understated arrangement. Percussion, sound effects, bursts of chiming guitars and keyboards are joined by lushest of strings as a very beautiful track unfolds. Elegant is a good description of it. Tender, impassioned harmonies from Soulful Nature are enveloped by the lush strings, as the rhythm section provide a much more subtle heartbeat. Later, the arrangement grows, with swathes of strings and bursts of rasping horns proving the perfect accompaniment to Soulful Nature’s beautiful, tender harmonies. Of the six tracks on Street Sense this is very different from the other tracks. Unlike the other tracks, the arrangement doesn’t have the almost formulaic arrangement. Good as these tracks are, this is much better. Not only does it offer variety, but is imaginative and innovative, as you’d expect from an album baring the Salsoul label.
By the time The Salsoul Orchestra released Street Sense in 1979, it was a very different lineup from their debut album The Salsoul Orchestra. Most of the legends were gone, with just Earl Young, Larry Washington and Don Renaldo left. Despite this, the slimmed down lineup managed to create the impressive sound as earlier albums. Street Sense doesn’t sound like a smaller band, but does find a very different band. Without Vince Montana Jr,The Salsoul Orchestra weren’t the same. They’d released their best music with Vince at the helm. He was The Salsoul Orchestra’s founder and driving force. Vince was a musical visionary, who wrote, arranged, produced and played on The Salsoul Orchestra’s albums. With some of Philly’s greatest musicians at his side, The Salsoul Orchestra were disco’s premier orchestra. Between heir 1975 eponymous album and 1978s Up The Yellow Brick Road they could no wrong. The albums released between 1975 and 1978 includes the best music The Salsoul Orchestra released. Street Sense falls short of the standard set by Vince Montana Jr.
After his departure Tom Moulton produced Street Sense. He took a very different approach. The drums played a bigger part, they were louder, faster and had a similar sound on five of the tracks. He seemed to be concentrating on creating a sound that was dance-floor and DJ friendly. Another change was the use of synths.
Unlike other albums released at this time, the synths, which I’m not a huge fan of, worked..just. The style of music straddled musical genres. with the usual disco sound joined by a jazz funk, Euro Disco and Philly Soul. At least Tom Moulton didn’t desert Salsoul Orchestra disco sound. However, by 1979 disco was no longer as popular and Salsoul would have to adapt or die.
Although Salsoul managed to do so, other labels weren’t as fortunate. While others struggled, Salsoul Records style and sound changed. The company was transformed. New personnel, producers and musicians joined Salsoul. After Street Sense, The Salsoul Orchestra’s sound evolved. Sadly, what was the end of an era wasn’t marked by the release of a classic album. It’s a decent album. Good, but not great describes Street Sense. It’s far from a classic and doesn’t match the quality of their debut album The Salsoul Orchestra, Nice ‘N ‘ Nasty, Up the Yellow Brick Road or indeed The Salsoul Strings’ How Deep Is Your Love. By the next time The Salsoul Orchestra would enter a recording studio, disco would’ve nearly died and music was evolving. Street Sense was the last disco album The Salsoul Orchestra released, before boogie replaced disco as the favourite of discerning DJs and dancers. Standout Tracks: Zambesi, Burning Spear, Street Sense and Sun After the Rain.
Standout Tracks: Zambesi, Burning Spear, Street Sense and Sun After the Rain.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE.
NEWBAN-NEWBAN AND NEWBAN 2.
NEWBAN-NEWBAN AND NEWBAN 2.
After deciding to form a new band, sometimes one of the most difficult decisions its members make is choosing a name. After all, it has to be something original and catchy. For Albert “Duke” Jones Jr, and Peter Carroll Jr, they had what can only be best describes as one of those “eureka” moments. What better name for a new band was Newban, after all it described perfectly what they were, a “a new band.” Newban were founded by Albert “Duke” Jones Jr, and Peter Carroll Jr, while still high students in Greenburgh, New York and went on to release two albums, Newban and Newban 2. Sadly, by the time Newban and Newban 2 were released which were released by Guinness Records in 1977 Newban was no more. By then, most of Newban left the group and formed a new group Atlantic Starr, who released a string of commercially successful and critically acclaimed albums during the eighties. Since then, Newban and Newban 2 have been unavailable on CD. Thankfully, that will soon change, when on 19th October 2012, BBE Music will release Newban and Newban 2, plus previously unreleased tracks. This includes four remixes of Thunder The Sky by legendary DJ and remixer John Morales. Before I tell you about the music on Newban and Newban 2, I’ll tell you about Newban and how Albert “Duke” Jones Jr, found himself with two albums to release and no band.
Albert “Duke” Jones Jr, and Peter Carroll Jr were still high school students in Greenburgh, New York when they decided to form their own band Newban. They were joined by some of their high school classmates including Clifford Archer, Sharon Bryant, Keith Johnson, Jonathan Lewis, Mark Malksy, Mark Silfstein, Sheldon Tucker and Joey Phillips, flautist and percussionist. With Newban’s lineup established, they started writing their own songs as a group. Newban were influenced by groups who fused musical genres, including Sly and The Family Stone, The Chambers Brothers and Ballin’ Jack Santana Santana and The Flock. Quickly, Newban established a reputation as one of the hottest live acts, relentlessly touring the New York-Connecticut-New Jersey tristate area, playing a fusion of funk and R&B at venues that included Filmore East and Electric Circus.
The next logical step was recording an album, or in Newban’s case, two albums. Duke Jones was friendly with John Shearer, a photographer for Life magazine. John’s neighbor just happened to be the legendary sound-engineer Malcolm Addey. With Malcolm liking Newban’s music, Newban spent two months recording at the famous Bell Sound Recording Studios. These sessions yielded not one, but two albums, Newban and Newban 2. Sadly, before the two Newban albums were released by Guinness Records in 1977 Newban were no more, but a legendary band had been born and Duke wasn’t part of it.
Newban had been invited to perform at Atlantic Records’ twentieth anniversary party for The Spinners. So, Newban having just recorded two albums headed to Los Angeles, their destination the Beverley Hills Hotel. What should’ve been an opportunity for Newban to showcase their combined talents resulted in one of the cofounders ultimately left without a group. Peter Carroll Jr, and most of the band were offered a deal with A&M Records and Atlantic Starr were born. This meant not only was Albert “Duke” Jones not a member of the new band Atlantic Starr, but had two unreleased albums and no band.
With the newly formed Atlantic Starr staying in Los Angeles to work on the club circuit, Albert “Duke” Jones headed back to New York. He was heading back to manage Newban, a band that had lost most of its members. However what he had was two albums, Newban and Newban 2. Malcolm Addey started shopping the two Newban albums. Eventually, Malcolm discovered Guinness Records who agreed to release Newban and Newban 2 in 1977. Unfortunately for Malcolm Addey and Albert “Duke” Jones, Newban’s luck wasn’t about going to change.
Guinness Records released Newban and Newban 2 in 1977, but despite the quality of music and both albums becoming popular in clubs, the albums weren’t a commercial success. However, Albert “Duke” Jones believes that Newban got something of a raw deal. Back in the seventies, many record labels Albert says “intentionally undersold and under-promoted albums for tax write-offs to keep parent imprints in the black.” Essentially, this meant that the record companies established a paper loss, which could be set-against the profits made by other companies within a group of companies. It seemed that Newban’s luck wasn’t going to change. Newban was all but over, so Albert continued his musical career, but still, at the back of his mind, he still thought about Newban and what might have been.
After Newban, Albert continued to work as a musician. He regularly worked with Norman Connors, Pharoah Sanders, Kid Creole and The Coconuts and many others. Albert also continued to record and tour with Atlantic Starr. However, always at the back of his mind was Newban, the group he still believed in. So recently, Albert called Malcolm Addey, who thirty-five years later, still believed in Newban. The master-tapes for Newban and Newban were still stored in Malcolm’s house in Riverside Drive, Manhattan. They were just as good as the day they were recorded.
Like a true gentleman, Malcolm agreed to release the master-tapes for only a nominal charge. That’s where BBE Music come in. Thirty-five years after the original release of Newban and Newban 2, BBE Music have lovingly compiled this compilation of Newban’s two albums, plus previously unreleased bonus tracks. Hopefully, thirty-five years on, Newban and Newban 2 will find a much wider audience, an audience that will appreciate this innovative fusion of musical genres. For anyone yet to discover Newban’s music, I’ll tell you about some of the many highlights of Newban and Newban 2.
Opening Newban is Father Time which introduces Newban at their funkiest. Just the drums and Hammond organ give way to Newban’s rhythm and horn section in full flight. It’s a hugely impressive sound, with the rhythm section driving the arrangement along at breakneck speed while stabs of blazing horns, wah-wah guitars, percussion and keyboards combine funk and jazz seamlessly. Later, keyboards and percussion play a bigger part, but still the twin powerhouses of the rhythm and horn sections are at the heart of the action. Each play their part in this dramatic, funk-fueled track that gets Newban off to a glorious start. Considering Newban were a relatively new band, this makes this even more remarkable.
Central Park sees a quite different side of Newban’s music. It’s a piano lead track where dramatic bursts of horns give way to an impassioned vocal from Sharon Bryant. Her vocal is a mixture of power and raw emotion, as keyboards and growling horns provide a dramatic backdrop for her vocal. As her vocal drops out, an equally heartfelt male lead vocal takes over. Still, the backdrop is a combination of power and drama. Then it’s all change, when Newban embark on a jazzy romp as the horns, keyboards and rhythm section show their considerable talents and versatility.When the vocals rejoins, the emotion, drama and beauty increases as one of the most beautiful and emotive tracks on Newban reveals the rest of jazzy secrets.
Not only is Fatback Sally one of the funkiest tracks on Newban, but it’s also one of the most joyous and catchy. Truly, this is a slice of good time funk. With Newban’s rhythm section providing the arrangement’s funk-laden heartbeat, a punchy, joyful vocal is accompanied by handclaps, bursts of braying horn and chiming guitars. Later, as the tempo drops slightly, the track briefly reveals its soulful side. This gives you a brief glimpse of a very different side to Newban’s music. Mostly, it’s just an irresistibly catchy, slab of good-time funky music, that for far too long, thirty-five years to be precise has remained a well-kept secret.
Closing Newban is Home With You, which sees real change in direction. It’s a a mellow, wistful and very beautiful fusion of jazz and soul. Just an understated combination of guitars and rhythm section accompany a heartfelt vocal. Soon, one of the most beautiful songs Newban recorded unfolds. The subtle arrangement quite rightly allows the vocal to take centre-stage. This means you focus on some of the best lyrics on Newban. Later, when the vocal drops out, a stunning jazzy guitar solo takes over, before a rasping horn adds to the emotion and beauty of the track. As if things can’t get any better, the vocal returns, to bring this gorgeous track and indeed Newban to a close.
Whereas most bands record one album at a time, Newban recorded two at once. Interestingly, Newban 2 is quite different to Newban. Still Newban are the same tight, talented band, but the music heads more in the direction of jazz. Greenburgh, which opens Newban 2 is a fusion of funk, soul and jazz. It’s a flute lead track, with the rhythm section and percussion combining before the vocal enters. The vocal is delivered in a style that’s a mixture of soul and jazz, reminiscent of Gil Scott Heron, Andy Bey, Jon Lucien and Terry Callier. Bursts of blazing horns punctuate the arrangement, while the rhythm section, guitars and percussion provide the track’s funky heartbeat. Although very different from much of Newban, this delicious fusion of funk, soul and jazz, showed Newban’s music changing and even though it was recorded at the same time as Newban, maturing.
Rhythm and Rhyme is another track that shows how Newban’s music was changing. It has a real laid back, melancholy sound and is something of a slow-burner. Just a gentle backdrop of the rhythm section and guitars accompany the tender, heartfelt vocal. This is a beautiful combination, one that gets even better when the braying horns enter. As an impassioned trumpet solo is unleashed, you just melt into the song’s, jazz-tinged beauty. Soon the arrangement heads further in the direction of jazz as Newban’s horn and rhythm section take centre-stage. Together they play their part what’s quite simply, one of the most beautiful, jazzy tracks on Newban.
If I Could (Make You Mine) is another track on Newban 2 where there are similarities with Jon Lucien’s music. This is even more noticeable here. Sometimes, there are even similarities with Andy Bey. Stabs of punchy horns combine with a pulsating, funky beat supplied by the rhythm section as a warm, emotive and soulful vocal enters. That’s where the similarity with Jon Lucien is most noticeable. Thereafter, funk and jazz melt together, with Newban’s horn and rhythm section uniting. To that they add Latin percussion and later, searing, rocky guitars. When all this is combined with that impassioned, soulful vocal the result is an uplifting, joyous fusion of musical genres, as only Newban can.
Free Your Mind which closes Newban 2 is a spiritual jazz track that could only have been recorded in the seventies. It has that unmistakable sound. There are further similarities with the music of Jon Lucien, Andy Bey and even Gil Scott Heron. When the guitar accompanies the tender, impassioned vocal you realise that something very special is about unfold. Soon, percussion and the rhythm section join as the arrangement begins to reveal its secrets and beauty. Later, Newban’s horn section add blazing horns that could only belong on a seventies jazz album. They drift in and out, adding drama while percussion and guitars add subtle contrasts, and the rest of Newban chant “Free Your Mind.” By then the arrangement is laid-back and mellow, reminiscent of something from the late sixties. Then stabs of growling horns bring the Newban to a dramatic and compelling conclusion, with one of its many highlights.
Earlier, I said I’d tell you about some of the highlights of Newban and Newban 2. That was easier said than done. With two albums as good as this, choosing just eight tracks wasn’t easy. In truth I could just as easily have mentioned any of the tracks. That’s how good the music is and how consistently high the standard and quality of music on Newban and Newban are. Interestingly, even though Newban and Newban 2 were recorded at the same time, they’re very different albums. Newban features a funkier style of music, while Newban 2 sees Newban’s music mature, and gravitate towards jazz. Granted this jazz influence is apparent on Newban, but becomes more apparent on Newban 2. Whether its Newban playing funk or jazz the quality of music is always high. Several times I’ve compared the vocals on Newban 2 to Jon Lucien, Andy Bey and Gil Scott Heron. Ironically, much like Newban, they never enjoyed the success that their talent deserved. However, I’m sure that if like Newban, and Lady Luck or fate hadn’t transpired against them, each of these artists would’ve enjoyed the success their talent warranted. So it’s no wonder that during the past thirty-five years Albert “Duke” Jones Jr, has thought long and hard about what might have been with Newban. Having recorded two albums as good as Newban and Newban 2 he must wish he could turn back the clock. Maybe things would’ve been very different if another record company had signed Newban, especially one who believed in Newban and their music. With the necessary promotion behind Newban and Newban 2, maybe it wouldn’t have been Atlantic Starr releasing the gold and platinum albums. Indeed, if Newban had a recording contract before that night in Los Angeles when Albert lost most of his band, how different things could’ve been. After all, Newban had recorded two albums and with the right label and promotion behind them, could’ve gone on to be a huge success. Sadly that wasn’t to be. Lady Luck and fate transpired against Albert and Newban and Newban 2 had the misfortune to be released by the wrong label. However, now somewhat belatedly Newban have found the right label for their music.
Thankfully, thirty-five years later, Albert “Duke” Jones Jr and Newban have a label that believes in their music and desperately wants it to find a much wider audience. This is BBE Music, who on 29th October 2012, will release this lovingly compiled compilation which features both Newban and Newban 2 on the one disc, complete with bonus tracks. At long last, this will give everyone another chance to discover the twin delights of Newban and Newban 2. I for one hope that thirty-five years after their release, Newban and Newban 2 do reach a wider audience, and that at long last, Newban receive the credit and critical acclaim that their unique fusion of funk, R&B and soul so richly deserves. Standout Tracks: Central Park, Home With You, Rhythm and Rhyme and If I Could (Make You Mine).
NEWBAN-NEWBAN AND NEWBAN 2.
ATLANTIC SOUL LEGENDS: 20 ORIGINAL ALBUMS FROM THE ICONIC ATLANTIC LABEL.
ATLANTIC SOUL LEGENDS: 20 ORIGINAL ALBUMS FROM THE ICONIC ATLANTIC LABEL.
Imagine you were given the chance to compile a box set containing twenty albums from one of the biggest and in their own worlds “iconic” labels. What twenty albums would you choose and what criteria would you use when compiling this box set? Would you focus on choosing just twenty classic albums, or would you dig a little deeper, looking for a couple of hidden gems. For the compilers of Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label box set, this was a reality. This is the latest offering from Rhino, who will be releasing Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label on 1st October 2012. Now considering that Atlantic have been releasing music since 1947, the compilers were absolutely spoilt for choice. Not only did they have access to all the Atlantic albums, including the Atco subsidiary and Stax’s back-catalogue. These twenty albums cover the period between Ray Charles 1958 album What’d I Say to and Sam Dees’ 1975 album The Show Must Go On. Included in Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label are albums by true legends like Ray Charles, Booker T and The MGs, Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. There are also hidden gems from Clarence Wheeler and and The Enforcers, Howard Tate and Sam Dees. What makes Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label even better is the price. For just under £33, €40 or £50 then Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label is one of the bargains of 2012, as you’ll realize when I tell you about this box set.
Of the twenty discs in Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label, they cover the seventeen-year period between 1958 and 1975, and include albums from four labels. These are Atlantic, their subsidiary Atco, plus the Stax and Volt labels. Ten of the albums are from the main Atlantic label, three from Atco, while five albums are from Stax and two from Stax’s Volt subsidiary. Interestingly, eleven of the albums that feature in Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label are debut albums. This includes albums from Booker T and The MGs, Solomon Burke, Rufus Thomas, Percy Sledge, Sam and Dave, The Barkays, Eddie Floyd, Arthur Conley, William Bell, Donny Hathaway and Clarence Wheeler and The Enforcers. In many cases, these debut albums are among the best albums these artists went on to release.
Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label features ten albums released by the main Atlantic Records label. Only one album is from the fifties, Ray Charles 1958 album What’d I Say. With Ray Charles and The Drifters Atlantic’s two of their biggest acts, the sixties would see music and Atlantic changing, especially with Elvis Presley having entered the building. This would see Atlantic sign and release some of the biggest soul singers in history, and release a string of classic albums. Among them would be albums from Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett and the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.
By the sixties, Atlantic would become one of the biggest soul, jazz and R&B labels. Six of the Atlantic albums in the Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label box set were released in the sixties, starting with Solomon Burke’s 1963 debut album If You Need Me. This is followed by The Drifters’ 1964 album Under the Boardwalk, and two albums from 1965, Wilson Pickett’s classic album In the Midnight Hour and Don Covay and The Goodtimers’ Mercy. Although there are only two other albums released during the sixties, what albums they are. A year later, in1966, saw the release of Percy Sledge’s debut album, When A Man Loves A Woman. Without a doubt is the finest album, featuring not only the title-track but Pouring Water On A Drowning Man. Probably the best of the sixties Atlantic albums included in Aretha Franklin’s 1968 Magnus Opus Lady Soul. Considering Aretha Franklin released a string of classic albums, choosing just one must have been difficult for the compilers, but they’ve chosen well. As the sixties drew to a close, Atlantic Records and music was changing. The seventies saw Atlantic move from primarily a soul, jazz and R&B label to one releasing albums from rock giants like Led Zepellin. However, Atlantic would still be releasing quality soul music.
With Atlantic no longer just focusing on soul, jazz and R&B only three albums from Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label were released during the seventies. The first of these is Clarence Wheelers and The Enforcers’ hugely underrated and innovative soul jazz debut album Doin’ What We Wanna in 1970. This was a real landmark album with an innovative, funk-laden sound. It was a benchmark album for the direction of seventies funk and is a welcome addition. For me, it’s always been something of a hidden gem. So too is an album released two years later in 1972, Howard Tate’s eponymous album Howard Tate. Many people will know Howard’s Get It While You Can, which was covered Janis Joplin. Sadly, for too long, Howard Tate’s bluesy, soulful music has been a hidden secret among music fans. Hopefully, Howard Tate’s inclusion in this box set will allow more people to discover the Philly born singer’s music. Sam Dees’ The Show Must Go On, released in 1975, is the final album from Atlantic Records. Like Clarence Wheelers and The Enforcers and Howard Tate, Sam Dees is a hugely underrated singer. He’s also a talented songwriter whose songs have been covered by everyone from Loleatta Holloway, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and George Benson. While this trio of albums were the last of the albums from Atlantic Records, there are a quartet of albums from Atlantic subsidiary Atco in Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label.
The four Atco in Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label albums were released between 1962 and 1970. This includes albums from four giants of soul music Ben E. King, Solomon Burke, Arthur Conley and Donny Hathaway. Ben E. King’s 1962 album Don’t Play That Song was the first of these albums. Five years later Arthur Conley released his classic debut album Sweet Soul Music. A year later in 1968, Solomon Burke released If You Need Me. For me the best of the four Atco albums is Donny Hathaway’s seminal debut 1970 album Everything Is Everything. These four albums show the changing face of soul music and how, by the dawn on a new era new artists were taking over the mantle from veteran soul stars. Similarly, Atco as a label was changing with Atco releasing rock albums in ever increasing numbers. By the mid-seventies, Stax was about to close its doors, after becoming insolvent. What didn’t help was the termination of Stax’s distribution deal with Atlantic. However, before that, Stax had many classic albums to release.
There are five albums in the Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label box set that were released on the Stax label. These albums are from the period Atlantic were distributing Stax’s music. Choosing just five Stax albums from what’s the classic period between 1962 and 1967 isn’t easy. Some albums pick themselves, including Booker T and The MGs classic 1962 debut album Green Onions, with its inimitable title-track. A year later in 1963, Rufus Thomas released his debut album Walking the Dog. Again, it’s probably the strongest of the five albums Rufus released for Stax. If Green Onions is a Stax classic and picks itself, so too does Sam and Dave’s 1966 debut album Hold On I’m Comin.’ It gave Sam and Dave a number one in the US R&B Charts, and along with Soul Men, are their two finest albums. Two debut albums from 1967 feature in the box set. These are William Bell’s The Soul of The Bell and Eddie Floyd’s Knock On Wood, whose title-track gave Eddie a US R&B number one single. Both albums are among the best albums William Bell and Eddie Floyd released. Like Atlantic, Stax had a subsidiary label, which featured one of soul’s greatest singers and one of Stax’s funkiest groups.
Otis Redding had released Pain In My Heart in 1964, before he signed to Volt a subsidiary of Stax. Having released The Great Otis Redding Sings Ballads in March 1965. Six months later, Otis released his first seminal album Otis Blue. Featuring Respect, A Change Gonna Come, I’ve Been Loving You Too Long and My Girl, Otis Blue reached number one in US the R&B Charts. Just two years later, in December 1967 Otis Redding died tragically in a plane crash. For many people, this made Stax a less attractive proposition for Atlantic, and a year later, Atlantic terminated its distribution agreement with Stax. After that, Stax struggled with problems with distributors and in 1975 folded, having become insolvent. That however was still to come and in 1967, Stax released The Bar-Kays’ debut album Soul Finger. Quite simply Soul Finger is a delicious stew of soul and funk and the perfect introduction to The Bar-Kays music. The title-track Soul Finger gave The Bar-Kays their biggest hit single, reaching number seventeen in the US Billboard 100 and number three in the US R&B Charts. While these two albums are the only albums from the Volt back-catalogue, they’re two of of Volt’s finest releases and welcome additions to the Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label box set, which contains music from four of soul music’s iconic labels Atlantic, Atco, Stax and Volt.
Having spent a considerable amount of time listening to Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label box set, one thing struck me not only how music had changed, but how Atlantic Records had changed. When Ray Charles released What’d I Say in 1958, Atlantic Records was only eleven years old and rock and roll was in its infancy. By the time The Drifters released their 1964 album Under the Boardwalk, music was changing and changing fast. The Beatles and Rolling Stones had changed the musical landscape and Atlantic Records was about to enters its heyday as musical behemoth. Soon, Atlantic would release albums by Percy Sledge, Arthur Conley, Wilson Pickett and Donny Hathway, while singers like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin. As the sixties drew to a close and Atlantic became a very different label, releasing increasingly more albums by rock artists.
Indeed, by the time Sam Dees released The Show Must Go On, Atlantic Records and music in general had changed beyond recognition. While Atlantic Records were one of the oldest and biggest labels, other labels including Philadelphia International Records, Motown and Hi Records were releasing some of the best, most innovative music of the seventies. Atlantic Records was still releasing quality music, just not the same type of music as ten years earlier. That’s what makes the Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label box set such a fascinating and compelling collection of music. It demonstrates how soul music changed between 1958-1975. So for anyone with even a passing interest in soul music this is a must have, considering it features albums from some of soul’s biggest names. This includes Ray Charles, Booker T and The MGs, Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. There are also hidden gems from Clarence Wheeler and and The Enforcers, Howard Tate and Sam Dees. Among these twenty albums are classic albums aplenty, including Aretha Franklin’s Lady Soul, Otis Redding’s Otis Blue, Donny Hathaway’s Everything Is Everything and Booker T and The MGs’ Green Onions.
Choosing just twenty albums from Atlantic Records back-catalogue must have presented the compiler with a multitude of challenges. I’m sure that they could’ve just as easily have compiled a box set of fifty albums. Their selection of albums is an interesting and compelling collection of music. While everyone would’ve chosen different albums and will have their favourites, the compilers have chosen wisely. There’s a selection of artists who played an important part in Atlantic’s long and illustrious history. Overall, the only glaring omission is The Detroit Spinners, who surely deserved an inclusion. My only other criticism is that some of the sixties’ albums do sound slightly dated. Apart from that, mostly the Atlantic Soul Legends: 20 Original Albums From the Iconic Atlantic Label box set is just crammed full of some of the best soul music Atlantic Records released during a seventeen year period between 1958-1975 and demonstrates just why Atlantic Records is indeed, such an iconic label.
ATLANTIC SOUL LEGENDS: 20 ORIGINAL ALBUMS FROM THE ICONIC ATLANTIC LABEL.
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MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY.
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY.
For a member of a successful group, it’s always a risk to leave and embark upon a solo career. Often, the success they’ve enjoyed becomes a distant memory. Conversely, the success they’ve enjoyed is often surpassed upon embarking on a solo career. Everyone will have examples when an artists decision to embark upon a solo career either worked or didn’t. By 1974, Major Harris decided to leave The Delfonics and launch a solo career. Things hadn’t quite gone to plan with The Delfonics. Major Harris had joined a group at the peak of their career, having just released their most successful album. The next three years didn’t quite turn out as he’d hoped, so Major Harris left The Delfonics and signed a contract with Atlantic Records as a solo artist. His debut solo album was My Way, released in 1975, which would feature some of Philadelphia’s finest musicians. Would My Way see a change in fortune for Major Harris?
Major Harris had replaced Randy Cain in The Delfonics in 1971. He was joining a successful group, who’d just released their most successful album in 1970, The Delfonics. It had reached number sixty-one in the US Billboard 200 and number four in the US R&B Charts. Soon, changes were afoot in The Delfonics’ camp. Randy Cain left and there would be changes in the producer’s chair.
Thom Bell had been The Delfonics mentor, producing their first three albums and writing many of their songs. Sadly, The Delfonics was Thom’s final album as sole producer. For Major Harris’ Delfonics debut, 1972s Tell Me This Is A Dream, Stan Watson who owned Philly Groove Records, The Delfonics label, would co-produce the album with Thom Bell.On its release it reached just number 123 in the US Billboard 200 and number fifteen in the US R&B Charts. If that was disappointing, worse was to come.
Alive and Kicking was released in 1974, and not only proved to be The Delfonics final album, but their least successful album, reaching number 205 in the US Billboard 200 and number thirty-four in the US R&B Charts. So with The Delfonics’ career on the slide, it’s no wonder Major Harris had decided that the time was right to launch his solo career, with a little help from his Philly friends.
For Major Harris’ debut album, Bobby “Electronic” Eli would produce eight of the nine tracks on My Way, with Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey producing After Loving You. Bobby “Electronic” Eli would also cowrite five of the tracks, three with his songwriting partner Vinnie Barrett and two with Terry Collins. Two other tracks, Each Morning I Wake Up and After Loving You were written by Melvin Steals, under the pseudonym Mystro and Lyric. The other track was a cover of My Way, which closes My Way. These nine tracks were recorded at Philly’s famous Sigma Sound Studios, with a cast of legends accompanying Major Harris.
Accompanying Major Harris were some of Philly’s best musicians, including many of M.F.S.B. who’d go on to become The Salsoul Orchestra. My Way features some of the greatest musicians of the seventies. All the greats played on My Way. The Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section and were joined by bassists Bob Babbitt and Rusty Jackmon, drummer Charles Collins and guitarist Bobby “Electronic” Eli. Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey played keyboards, Vince Montana Jr, vibes, Larry Washington congas Don Renaldo and His Strings and Horns completed this cast of musical titans. Adding backing vocals were the legendary Sweethearts of Sigma, Carla Benson, Barbara Ingram and Evette Benton. Once the nine tracks that comprise My Way were recorded, the album was set for release in 1975.
Before My Way was released in 1975, Each Morning I Wake Up was released as a single. Although it reached just number ninety-eight in the US Billboard 100, it proved popular in clubs, reaching number three in the US Disco Singles Charts and number fourteen in the US Club Play Charts. When My Way was released in 1975 it was to critical acclaim and huge commercial success. My Way reached number twenty-eight in the US Billboard 200 and number twelve in the US R&B Charts. Then after years and years of trying, Major Harris had the smash hit single he so wanted. Each Morning I Wake Up reached number five in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts. Not only did this vindicate his decision to leave The Delfonics, but surpassed the success of any of their singles. With the help of his Philly friends, Major Harris had a critically acclaimed and commercially successful album and number one single. However, what made My Way both critically acclaimed and commercially successful?
Opening Major Harris’ debut solo album is the Melvin Steals penned Each Morning I Wake Up. It’s arranged by Norman Harris and produced by Bobby “Electronic” Eli and from the opening bars, there’s only one city this song could’ve been produced in..Philly. The song literally bursts into life with bursts of blazing horns and sweeping, swirling strings combining with the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section. They power the arrangement along before Major Harris unleashes a powerful vocal full of sadness, regret and drama. Adding to the drama are the Sweethearts of Sigma add tight, soaring soulful harmonies. Meanwhile, the dual guitars of Bobby “Electronic” Eli and Norman Harris provide musical contrasts. Bobby relies more on effects, while Norman’s style is jazzier, but both play important roles. Earl’s thunderous drums provide the track’s emotive heartbeat, while Don Renaldo’s strings and horns add to the overall drama, emotion and beauty of the track and are matched all the way by Major Harris’ Magnus Opus of a vocal. It’s an outstanding track and what a way to open My Way. No wonder this track gave him his first US R&B number one.
Love Won’t Let Me Wait is the first of the Bobby “Electronic” Eli and Vinnie Barrett penned tracks. The tempo drops way down, with the rhythm section, chiming guitars and rasping horns augmented by the lushest of strings. Major Harris is transformed into balladeer, delivering a needy, sensuous vocal, accompanied by cooing harmonies from the Sweethearts of Sigma. Norman Harris’ jazz-tinged guitar, Vince Montana Jr’s vibes and haunting horns play their part in this spacious, beautiful arrangement. They each play a part in the seductive sounding backdrop as Major Harris produces one of the best vocals of his long career. So undeniably sultry and sensual is this bedroom ballad, it should carry a government health warning, that after listening to it, two can become three.
Sweet Tomorrow opens with the unmistakable sound of Norman Harris’ chiming, jazz-tinged guitar before lush strings sweep and swirl, horns growl and Earl Young’s drums signal the arrival of Major Harris’ vocal. His vocal is heartfelt, a mixture of power and passion, while the Sweethearts of Sigma add punchy, but soulful harmonies. Meanwhile Don Renaldo’s strings dance with delight as the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section drive the arrangement along. Later, horns growl and rasp and harmonies cascade adding to the drama and beauty of this hook-laden track written by Bobby “Electronic” Eli and Vinnie Barrett.
Major Harris’ half-spoken vocal is accompanied by just tender harmonies, plucked strings and keyboards. With emotive strings accompanying his gravelly vocal, Major Harris lays bare his soul as Sideshow unfolds. This is a cover of Blue Magic’s track, which Bobby “Electronic” Eli cowrote with Vinnie Barrett, but given new life and meaning. The arrangement has an understated string-drenched sound, with the rhythm section adding a thoughtful heartbeat and the Sweethearts of Sigma contributing subtle harmonies. While it’s a very different version to Blue Magic’s original, it’s heartachingly beautiful and designed to tug at your heartstrings.
Closing Side One of My Way is Two Wrongs, the second Melvin Steals penned track. Here, Bobby “Electronic” Eli arranges the rhythm and Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey the strings and horns. It’s another uptempo track where horns blaze and strings dance as the rhythm section power the arrangement along. Major Harris vocal is a powerful, throaty vamp accompanied by dramatic harmonies from the Sweethearts of Sigma. Soon, you realize just how joyous, catchy and uplifting the track is. A mass of growling horns, cascading strings and sweeping harmonies are combined as Major Harris makes the song his own, delivering it with confidence and a real swagger. Together with some of Philly’s finest musicians, he plays his part in what’s an inspirational, uplifting and joyous song.
Side Two of My Way Opens with Loving You Is Mellow which teases you for a couple of bars before the track decides to reveal its secrets. Just plucked strings give way to Earl Young’s pounding drums before Major Harris’ swinging vocal enters. Along with his band, a glorious track unfolds. This means lush strings sweeping and swirling, horns rasping and growling, cooing harmonies from the Sweethearts of Sigma and a dramatic bursts from the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section. Similarly, Major Harris has reserved a stellar performance, where he joyfully gives thanks for the love he’s found. Taken together and the result is a hook-laden, irresistible track.
Just A Thing That I Do is one of the two tracks Bobby “Electronic” Eli cowrote with Terry Collins. They also cowrote Loving You Is Mellow. This is a very different track, slower and featuring an arrangement and vocal laden with emotion. Keyboards, chiming guitars and the rhythm section combine with Major Harris’ heartfelt, impassioned vocal. Swathes of strings and heartfelt harmonies from the Sweethearts of Sigma add to the emotion and the beauty of the track. Here, Major Harris digs deep, bringing out the subtleties and nuances of the lyrics, bringing meaning to them and highlighting their beauty and sadness.
Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey takes charge of the producer’s chair on After Loving You, which he also arranged. It’s another irresistible slice of Philly Soul, with Major Harris unleashing a power vocal full or heartbreak and hurt. The arrangement is an emotive roller-coaster, with dancing strings, growling horn and the Sweethearts of Sigma tight, soulful harmonies. Meanwhile, the Baker, Harris, Young provide the track heartbeat as the arrangement unfolds to reveal a hugely catchy sound. This is perfect for Major Harris’ soul-baring vocal. It seems whatever the emotion, Major Harris can deliver a vocal that’s believable and capable of stirring your emotion. This is one of his best vocals, and one of the best arrangements and productions.
Closing My Way is the title-track, where Major Harris delivers a vocal that’s almost a homage to The Chairman of The Board. He turns the track into a six minute epic, that stays true to Frank Sinatra’s version. With a combination of dramatic drum rolls from Earl Young, blazing horns and lush strings courtesy of Don Renaldo, Major Harris delivers an impassioned vocal. Sweeping, tight and beautiful harmonies from the Sweethearts of Sigma are combined with Vince Montana Jr’s vibes, Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey’s piano and Norman Harris’ thoughtful, jazzy guitar. Throughout the track, the power, drama and emotion builds. All the time the strings, gospel-tinged harmonies, horns and Earl’s drums are crucial to the sound and success. By the end of the song, you’ll be won over by the this masterful reinterpretation of an old classic from Major Harris and his band of Philly legends.
Major Harris decision to leave The Delfonics and launch his solo career was vindicated with a top thirty album and number one US R&B single. After years of struggling in bands, like The Charmers, The Teenagers and The Jarmels, Major Harris thought his luck would change with The Delfonics .While his fortunes did improve slightly during his three years with The Delfonics, he was unfortunate to join them when they’d reached their peak and were on their way down. The hits had dried up and their albums weren’t as successful as their first three. So leaving The Delfonics was something of a no-brainer. By then Major Harris had become almost an honorary Philadelphian, even though he’d been born in Richmond, Virginia. His music was synonymous with the Philly Sound. It was no surprise that the arrangers, producers, musicians and backing singers that helped make My Way such a success were all from Philly. Each of them played their part in making My Way the success it became. From producers Bobby “Electronic” Eli and Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey and arranger Norman Harris, through to the all-star band that featured the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, Vince Montana Jr, Larry Washington, Don Renaldo and His Strings and Horns and the Sweethearts of Sigma. Together, they played their part in making Major Harris’ debut solo My Way a true Philly Sound classic. From the opening bars of Each Morning I Wake Up, until the closing notes of My Way, Major Harris produces a spellbinding performance on My Way. So good is each track, that just when you think you’ve heard the best track on My Way, another comes along and trumps it. Unlike most albums, there isn’t a weak track on My Way. Far from it. Each track is capable of provoking an emotion, from sadness to joy, and everything in between. One minute Major Harris tugs at your heartstrings, the next, comes up with a hook-laden and joyous track like Loving You Is Mellow. That’s why for anyone who loves the Philly Sound, then Major Harris’ My Way is an album the deserves to find its way into their collection. Standout Tracks: Each Morning I Wake Up, Love Won’t Let Me Wait, Sweet Tomorrow and Loving You Is Mellow.
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY.
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY.
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY.
When Loleatta Holloway came to record her fifth album, and third for Gold Mind Records Loleatta Holloway, she encountered a very different company. Gone was Norman Harris who’d previously run Gold Mind and who’d been at Loleatta’s side every step of the way, during her Gold Mind career. Norman Harris wasn’t the only change the undisputed Queen of Disco discovered. Indeed, the whole landscape at Salsoul had changed, with musicians, arrangers, songwriters and producers changing. These changes had started a year ago, when Loleatta recorded her previous album Queen of The Night. Vince Montana Jr, had left Salsoul, after a dispute with the Cayres over royalties. He was now a solo artist at Atlantic Records. Now for the recording of Loleatta Holloway, there was no Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, no Bobby “Electronic” Eli and no Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey. Given how big a part each of these musicians had played in Loleatta’s career, it would only be natural if she was slightly concerned at their absence. After all, all these changes in personnel could affect the success of the album she was about to record, Loleatta Holloway. Would that be the case or would Loleatta Holloway continue to wear the crown of the undisputed Queen of Disco with pride?
For Loleatta’s third album for Gold Mind Records Loleatta Holloway, seven tracks were chosen. On Loleatta’s Gold Mind debut Loleatta, it featured tracks like Hit and Run, Dreamin’ and That’s How Heartaches, three of Loleatta’s classic tracks. Queen of The Night wasn’t as heavy on dance classics, but featured Catch Me On the Rebound. The other tracks were a mixture of Loleatta’s soulful and uptempo, dance-floor friendly sides. This was the case with Loleatta Holloway, which featured The Greatest Performance of My Life and All About the Paper, two tracks which showed why Loleatta was the Queen of Disco. With so many of the personnel who wrote and produced Loleatta’s previous album Queen of The Night, many non-Salsoul personnel were brought in to write and produce tracks.
The seven tracks that comprise Loleatta Holloway included The Greatest Performance of My Life written by Oscar Anderle, Robert Allen and Roberto Sanchez and All About the Paper which Clarence McDonald and Lowrell Simon cowrote. Bobby Womack cowrote There Must Be A Reason with Bob Incorvaia, while Helen Robinson wrote Sweet Mother of Mine. Burt Bacharach cowrote Baby It’s You with Barney Williams and Mack David and Floyd Smith and Eugene Record penned There’ll Come A Time. Bunny SIgler kept the Philly influence on That’s What You Said, which he cowrote with Rick Wigginton. For the recording of the seven tracks on Loleatta Holloway, sessions took place at several studios, including Sigma Sound.
Loleatta Holloway was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, PS Recording Studios and Universal Recording. This was because three different producers were producing the seven tracks. Floyd Smith produced four tracks, Bunny Sigler one and Bobby Womack and Patrick Moten two tracks. They were joined by musicians that included a few familiar faces. Among the other familiar faces were guitarist T.J. Tindall, Bobby Womack and Kim Miller, bassists Raymond Earl and Bernard Reed, and drummer Scotty Miller and Roger Hawkins. They were joined by percussionist and conga player Larry Washington and keyboard players Bunny and Jimmy Sigler. Adding backing vocals were the Sweethearts of Sigma, Barbara Ingram, Evette Benton and Carla Benson, while Don Renaldo and His Strings and Horns feature on several tracks. Eventually, Loleatta Holloway was ready for release on Gold Mind Records in 1979.
On the release of Loleatta Holloway in 1979, the album wasn’t a commercial success, failing to chart. Surprisingly, neither of the singles charted. Considering they were two of the best tracks on Loleatta Holloway, All About the Paper nor The Greatest Performance of My Life this is all the more surprising. However, why was Loleatta Holloway not a commercial success? Was it anything to do with having three producers or Salsoul’s changing personnel? That’s what I’ll tell you, after I’ve told you about the music on Loleatta Holloway.
Opening Loleatta Holloway is The Greatest Performance of My Life, produced by Floyd Smith, with the track remixed by Bobby “DJ” Guttadaro. Gentle keyboards open the track, before Loleatta’s vocal soars, full of power and passion. She unleashes her full vocal range, as Larry Washington’s congas accompany her. Soon, the pounding rhythm section join, and the track explodes into life. Strings sweep and swirl, horns rasp, while the rhythm section combine funk and drama. Meanwhile, Loleatta unleashes apowerful, emotive vamp. She struts her way through the track delivering vocal that’s a mixture of emotion, power, drama and soulfulness. In doing so, the draws upon her Southern Soul roots, her band fuse funk, soul, Latin and disco. While the track isn’t quite the greatest performance of her life, it’s quite simply up their with the best of them and one of her best vocals on Loleatta Holloway.
Running The Greatest Performance of My Life pretty close is All About the Paper. It’s arranged by James Mack, produced by Floyd Smith and remixed by Bobby “DJ” Guttadaro. Chiming guitars, punchy blazing horns and a pounding rhythm section combine to create the perfect backdrop for Loleatta’s vocal. Briefly, you can hear similarities with Chic’s Good Times. When Loleatta’s vocal enters, it’s a sassy, feisty, strutting vamp. She makes the song her own, demonstrating just why she was the Queen of Disco. Strings dance with delight, while the Sweethearts of Sigma add tender harmonies and bursts of horns punctuate the arrangement. They’re joined by the best performance by the rhythm section on Loleatta Holloway. While they’re no Baker, Harris, Young, they’re crucial to the song’s sound and success. What really makes the song is Loleatta’s vocal, one that feisty, fiery and sassy. Combined with a what’s simply a timeless, dance-floor friendly arrangement and the result is vintage Loleatta.
There Must Be a Reason written by Bobby Womack and Bob Incorvaia, sees the tempo drop and Loleatta return to her Southern Soul roots. With just piano, a slow rhythm section and a flourish of harp, Loleatta’s half-spoken vocal is a mixture of heartfelt emotion tinged with drama. After a minute strings sweep in and the rhythm section and piano add to the drama. Loleatta’s vocal grows in power, while the Sweethearts of Sigma respond to her vocal, reflecting the sadness and frustration in her vocal. The interplay between Loleatta and the Sweethearts of Sigma really helps the song, adding to this six-minute mini soap-opera. Soon, Loleatta unleashes her trademark powerful, gut-wrenching vocal, and in doing so, breathes life, meaning and emotion into the song.
That’s What You Said is is arranged by Jack Faith, one of Salsoul and Philadelphia International Records’ best arrangers. The track was penned by Bunny Sigler and Rick Wigginton and sees dancing strings, a pounding rhythm section and growling horns combine with Loleatta’s fiery vocal. Handclaps punctuate the arrangement, while a really catchy, dance-floor friendly arrangement unfolds. There’s a quite joyous sound to the arrangement, with hooks aplenty throughout the track. Playing a big part in the arrangement is the cascading strings, blazing horns and punchy rhythm section. Having said that, the rhythm section don’t have the same presence as Baker, Harris, Young. With them driving the song along, what is a great track, could’ve been even better. Mind you, it still has a joyous, hook-laden, uplifting sound.
Baby it’s You is the other Bobby Womack and Patrick Moten production. It’s very different from the previous tracks and was recorded when Bobby Womack was going through a real lean spell. He does his best, trying to fuse elements of funk, soul and disco. With an artist less talented than Loleatta he might not have pulled it off. However, he does….just. Loleatta’s vocal is a mixture of power, passion and emotion, while the rhythm section drive the track along mixing soul and funk. Soon, strings sweep and swirl, horns dance and cascade as backing vocalists combine with Loleatta as the arrangement heads in the direction of disco. Bobby adds one of trademark gravelly vocals, as if he realizing something is missing. By then it’s a bit late and the song works…but only just. The problem was that Bobby hadn’t worked on songs like this very often and as a result, of the seven tracks on Loleatta Holloway, this is probably the weakest. It’s not a bad track, just not as good as other tracks.
Floyd Smith takes charge of production duties for the next two songs, starting with There’ll Come a Time. Straight away, you realize that this a much better track, one that’s made for Loleatta. There’s a real Southern Soul sound from opening bars when blazing horns, searing guitars, piano and lush strings combine. Meanwhile the rhythm section anchors the track, producing the track’s dramatic heartbeat. Strings then sweep in before Loleatta delivers a vocal that’s full of hurt, sadness and emotion. The Sweethearts of Sigma add soaring, soulful harmonies as this big production unfolds. It reveals a glorious sound. Horns rasp and growl, as the piano and heartfelt harmonies adds the drama and emotion of the song. It’s impossible to resist Loleatta’s gut-wrenching, emotive, tour de force of a vocal. Especially when combined with an arrangement as good as this. That’s why it’s one of the highlights of Loleatta Holloway.
Closing Loleatta Holloway is Sweet Mother of Mine, written by Helen Robinson. The way Loleatta delivers the lyrics, you’d almost think the song was autobiographical. Her half-spoken vocal is heartfelt and impassioned, accompanied by just a slow, thoughtful piano and the lushest of strings. After her half-spoken vocal, the track moves in the direction of gospel. A Hammond organ and piano combines with Loleatta’s sincere vocal, as she sings every word as if she means it and as if the words mean something to her. The result is a powerful, moving song, where Loleatta revisits her gospel roots and in doing so, reveals just how versatile a vocalist she truly is.
While much had changed at Salsoul, one thing that hadn’t changed was Loleatta Holloway’s glorious vocal on Loleatta Holloway. Whether it was Southern Soul or disco, Loleatta grabbed the song and made it her own. She put power, passion, emotion and drama into each song, seamlessly flitting between gut-wrenching Southern Soul singer to strutting, sassy disco diva. This is a remarkable transformation and shows the two sides of Loleatta Holloway’s music. Although Loleatta Holloway stayed the same, her band and production team was very different. With Vince Montana Jr gone and Baker, Harris, Young absent from Loleatta Holloway, it wasn’t the Salsoul A-team that played on Loleatta Holloway. It documents just how much and quickly the times were changing at Salsoul. Vince’s vibes and the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section would’ve really lifted Loleatta Holloway to the next level. Loleatta Holloway is a great album, but one that could’ve been outstanding with Vince and Norman Harris producing the album.
Having said that, producer Floyd Smith is responsible for some of the best tracks. He’s a talented producer, who seems to understand how to get the best out of Loleatta. Arguably, Bobby Womack and Patrick Moten who produce two tracks, are responsible for the weakest track Baby It’s You. Only the sheer force of her talent and personality rescues the track. Maybe Bobby Womack was the wrong man for the job, and an in-house writer and producer should’ve contributed the two tracks Bobby wrote and produced. Having three separate producers is all very well, if they’re each contributing something worthwhile. However, by the time Loleatta Holloway was released, things were changing at Salsoul and changing fast.
So, Loleatta Holloway, Loleatta’s third Salsoul album features a few familiar faces, but legends aplenty are absent. One thing didn’t change though, Loleatta Holloway. The seven vocals on Loleatta Holloway, her third Salsoul album, see Loleatta flit seamlessly between Southern Soul and disco, and like her two previous albums, feature some quality music from the undisputed Queen of Disco Loleatta Holloway. Standout Tracks: The Greatest Performance of My Life, All About the Paper, That’s What You Said and There’ll Come a Time.
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY.
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