Liner Notes: Patrick Adams Presents Phreek (1978, Atlantic / 2014, BBR/Cherry Red)

 I'm sure many of the disco heads reading this were aware of the great RBMA Larry Levan street party in New York that happened nearly a month ago now, right outside the former Paradise Garage (in conjunction with the Larry Levan Way initiative). Covered heavily not only by Red Bull Music Academy themselves, but by Rolling Stone, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, it promised to be a landmark event not just for that weekend, but for the legacy of Larry and the Garage itself. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there, but watching the amazing livestream on their website (which unfortunately is not archived - though at least now the audio is), I have to say for those of us, like myself, who weren't around to experience it in its day, or for those who may not have completely understood the draw of the Garage, it was a chance to really witness the power of its legacy and what it meant to the people who were a part of it (and to those who weren't). To see not just the Garage veterans, but generations of people - gay, straight, black, white (and beyond) - dancing together in that kind of joy (under clear sunny skies, no less) it was a truly beautiful thing to witness. Even if it did have to end earlier than planned (on account of crowd concerns from the police - some 20 thousand people in attendance, a number of them stuck in the lineups to get in), from most accounts, RBMA managed to pull off a truly special event that everyone could be proud of..

With all that happening, I suppose it was kind of timely that my promo copies of this reissue (which had come out in February) arrived in the mail just a few days before. Perhaps best known for "Weekend," which by many accounts, had been one of the biggest Paradise Garage anthems (and which of course was played at the recent street party), Patrick Adams Presents Phreek had long been one of my favourite disco albums and when the opportunity presented itself, I pretty much jumped at the chance to write the liner notes for this release..

On a personal note, I remember this being one of the first albums I'd sought out when I first became aware of Patrick Adams' productions. I had already bought the Musique albums, as well as the first Disco Juice compilation (which included some of his Cloud One material). Not long after, in 2001 (some 13 years ago now - yikes!), at my local record haunt at the time - I had found a lone sealed, but unfortunately water damaged copy of this album. Checking it over carefully, debating with myself whether it was worth the dust and mould, I'd ultimately decide to leave it behind that time. I'd go back and repeat that exact scanario several more times before one day deciding that enough was enough - I had to have it, in whatever condition it came in. After all, it was the music that counted and since it was still sealed, any water damage could probably just be cleaned off anyway, right? Sure enough, the day I make a point of going there to buy it, I go to find that somebody had beat me to it! Couldn't believe it at the time, that someone else - in Calgary, Alberta no less (not exactly somewhere where you'd think you'd have been in competition for disco albums, certainly not back in 2001) would have been after this record and after it enough to buy one in that condition. Goes to show perhaps, as anecdotal as that impression may be, a sign of the cult following that this album probably already had at the time. Luckily, not too long after, a much nicer copy would find its way into their bins, which I quickly bought and which I still have and treasure today.



Phreek - May My Love Be With You (Vocals: Donna McGhee)
Uploaded by DJ Amine Bebito

Several years after, in 2007, I had written a Disco Delivery entry for this album and I pretty much jumped off some of what I had written then when I began the liner essay for this. One thing about this album that has always stood out for me is that I've always found it to be the bridge between Patrick Adams' experimental side on his productions on the P&P label, like Cloud One and the more slick, sophisticated arrangements that he was also known for, especially on his major label work. You've got a light string arrangement on "Weekend," you have the heavy moogy freakiness, the sweet, sublime and soulful sides ("May My Love Be With You") and of course, the lascvisious side as well ('I'm A Big Freak (R U 1 2)"). It's like a summary of the many angles of Patrick's musical approach at the time and in the credits, a gathering of many of his closest associates.

Disco Delivery #38: Patrick Adams Presents Phreek (1978, Atlantic)
It had actually taken a little while to do so, but last summer I was fortunate enough to get in contact with this two of the album's leading figures - Patrick Adams himself and Leroy Burgess (who co-wrote "Weekend" and "Much Too Much" with James Calloway and co-produced both tracks with Patrick) and interview them over the phone for this. Prior to doing so, I was expecting to rely a great deal on both of their RBMA lecture sessions, which both Patrick and Leroy had done some nearly 10 years apart. As informative as those conversations are, it was no replacement for speaking to them personally about the album, their working relationship and how certain songs on the record came to be. Still, both of their RBMA lectures are highly recommended viewing for anyone even halfway interested in their work..



Lecture: Patrick Adams (New York, 2013)
Uploaded by Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.



Lecture: Leroy Burgess (Rome, 2004)
Uploaded by Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.

From there, I dug a little deeper and also managed to contact Issy Sanchez, who was Atlantic Records' Director of Disco Promotion and A&R at the time and who had also done the highly sought-after 12" remix of "Weekend." Issy was not only able to give insight into that 12" mix and some of workings within the label, but given that he was fairly tight with Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage organization, was able to give some insight into how well "Weekend" had been received there and just how much of a classic it had become for Larry and the Garage crowd.



Phreek - Weekend (12" Disco Mix by Issy Sanchez, Vocal: Christie Shire)
Uploaded by tmontyb10011

Another key player I contacted for this was Christine Wiltshire, the lead vocalist on "Weekend," on both this and the Class Action cover version that came later. Credited as both Christine Wiltshire and Christie Shire on the album credits, Christine was not only one of Patrick's main backing vocalists and his vocal contractor but also his girlfriend at the time (they have a daughter and were together - personally and professionally for over a decade). I'd have to say that finding Christine was one of the greatest revelations in this process. The now Oscar winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom had just come out at the time, and hearing her story, she could have very easily been one of the film's subjects. Given how prolific she was as a background vocalist (and not just on Patrick's material), I was surprised to hear that she hadn't really been interviewed in depth about her work before our conversation. Her beginnings in the music business go back well before her disco work, when she sang in a trio called Something Different, with two childhood friends - Angel Coakley along with a certain Jocelyn Brown, who'd become a prominent and prolific vocalist in her own right (and who also appears here on Phreek and on quite a few of Patrick's major productions).. As a trio, Something Different had sang with Zulema, Bill Withers and even John and Yoko (getting a featured billing on Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band's "Feeling The Space" album, no less). Apart from the trio, Christine herself would sing with Lou Reed and with Luther Vandross' group on his very first album, as well. While I was only able to use a small part of our interview for the liner notes, it was without a doubt one of the most valuable conversations I'd have in this whole process..

A Correction:

At one point I quote Leroy Burgess talking about "Much Too Much" being the "first suggestion of the boogie sound" which it definitely is, especially if you listen to his later work as Convertion and Logg (he is widely crowned the king of boogie, after all). However he also goes on to say in doing it he wanted something with "a dance feel, but not as fast as what traditional disco is." Well, checking the BPM, it's not exactly slower than the rest of the record or even standard disco, but given that its got a funkier, more spacious arrangement than some of the others on the album, I think most people can see what he was getting at anyway. Still, something I should have caught earlier on.

Earlier Japanese reissue:

Although Phreek had been out of print physically for some time, it had been legitimately available on iTunes for a few years before. Just as I came into this project however, Warner had evidently released this in Japan as a basic, low-priced CD reissue some months before this UK reissue could came out. Given that it was released as part of a budget-priced series (which also included another release BBR had licensed - Gwen McCrae's 1982 album), it was also a lot cheaper than your usual Japanese reissue (selling in some places for just over $10 US - and that's as an import). Whether that was intentional or not,(in pricing it in order to appeal to international buyers), it certainly ended up stealing some thunder from this release. That being said, (aside from the liner notes, of course) the UK BBR reissue includes two bonus tracks - Issy Sanchez's original 12" mix of "Weekend" and its B-side - a longer version of "Have A Good Day" which aren't included on the Japanese reissue.

A note about "Weekend" and chart positions:

Patrick once posted on his Facebook about how some of his records have only become more and more popular as time has gone on. I believe he'd been referring to one of his P&P productions at the time, but I think this applies just as well to Phreek and "Weekend" too.. Right on the heels of "In The Bush," and right around the same time as a couple of other albums he'd produced on Atlantic - for Narada Michael Walden and Herbie Mann, even though this didn't chart quite as well as either of them, it seems out of his work for Atlantic,"Weekend" and the Phreek album have been the ones that discophiles today consistenly cite as one of his essential records. While I'm sure subsequent covers, remixes and samples along with its attachment to the Larry Levan/Paradise Garage legacy have played a significant part in that, it should also be noted that at the time of its release, despite positive reviews from Vince Aletti in Record World (see the December 9, 1978 entry - pg. 448 in the The Disco Files) and Stereo Review, this didn't chart anywhere on Billboard, including their disco chart. That said, I should also note that at the time of this album's release, Billboard's National Disco Action chart only went up to #40. It was only several months later in April 1979, that it would expand to 60 positions, (then 80 and eventually 100), so whether "Weekend" would have actually charted had that expansion come several months earlier is perhaps anyone's guess, but also goes to show whether or not a record is remembered years later, sometimes has little or nothing to do with its initial chart positions.

Covers and remixes:

Although "Weekend" has been covered and remixed, most famously covered by Class Action and later Todd Terry(which was a #1 Billboard dance record, nearly ten years after the original's release), remixed by Tommy Musto in the late 1990s and also covered recently by the current edition of Odyssey, have to give a shout out to Joey Negro's recent remix of "May My Love Be With You." Although not a part of this reissue, it was included on his Remixed With Love compilation and is undoubtedly one of my favourite songs from this album. True to its claim, done lovingly and faithfully in that old school style (ie. no added bells and whistles here, aside from what was already on the master), it only makes me love it even more.


PURCHASE:
patrick adams presents phreek (remastered cd) (1978, atlantic / 2014, big break records)
dusty groove | juno.co.uk | amazon.co.uk | big break records

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
come put out the fire.. (tuesday july 24, 2007)
disco delivery #38: patrick adams presents phreek (1978, atlantic) (thursday march 29, 2007)

LINKS:
facebook: big break records
facebook: patrick adams producer (fan page)
big break records: patrick adams presents phreek
patrick adams productions
leroy burgess - official website
discogs: phreek
discogs: patrick adams presents phreek
discomusic.com: phreek - weekend/have a good day (12" single)
discogs: phreek - weekend/have a good day (12" single)
discogs: phreek - weekend (gonna find someone) (7" single)
discogs: patrick adams
discogs: leroy burgess
red bull music academy - new york 2013: patrick adams lecture
red bull music academy - rome 2004: leroy burgess lecture
the second disc: big break's round up: label "phreeks" out with patti labelle, isaac hayes, gwen mccrae, more (by joe marchese) (april 11, 2014)

CATEGORIES: LINER NOTES

Frankie Knuckles (1955-2014)

With all the incredible tributes that have been pouring out for Frankie Knuckles since his death this past Monday, I'm not sure I can really add all that much to the many eloquent, heartfelt ones out there - from Michaelangelo Matos in Rolling Stone, Alexis Petridis in the Guardian, Rich Juzwiak at Gawker, Barry Walters at NPR, his old friend and mentor Nicky Siano at Thump/Vice, to name some of the best ones that I've read so far. I'm perhaps one of the least qualified to write about him now, I obviously never knew him personally, nor would I ever profess to be the biggest of househeads. Granted, while there are classic house records that I do love (some of them directly attributed to Frankie), my introduction to Frankie had less to do with "Your Love," "The Whistle Song" or "Tears," classics that they are, but moreso when he became just about everyone's go-to remixer (his mixes of Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody," Alison Limerick's "Where Love Lives," Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" and a different "Your Love," for the 1992 Chic reunion are firm favourites). Still, when it comes to exploring dance music, my focus had always been and still remains largely tied to disco. Even with that, I couldn't possibly go on here without acknowledging not only Frankie Knuckles' roots in disco, but his importance as a seminal figure who until his death, had been that living link between disco and house, to their origins (and indeed their survival) in the black and gay communities. With a musical lineage that went beyond The Warehouse, all the way back to David Mancuso's Loft, to Better Days, to Nicky Siano's Gallery, to the Continental Baths with his old friend Larry Levan, to Salsoul, which released his first mix - (of First Choice's "Let No Man Put Asunder" in 1983, which had been relegated to the B-side of Shep Pettibone's remix), those were disco roots than ran deep and wide. Speaking to house and disco's ties to gay culture, as Rich Juzwiak had pointed out in his Gawker article, it's something that at the very least, feels both far removed and taken for granted in the current EDM music culture, but Frankie was someone who was not only there, but right at the forefront.

As he recalled in his 2011 BBC 6 Mix interview with Dave Pearce (hear it below, or on Youtube, or on BBC 6 where they'll re-broadcast it this Friday April 4th), what was called house was largely just a term for what he played at The Warehouse, which by the early 80's largely consisted of older disco and R&B records and newer imports. Even though the backlash had little impact on him or his audience, as Frankie recalled, the major labels in the US had already backed off of disco and the pool of records was beginning to dry up, "there were no more disco records being made, nothing with any real kind of energy, other than what was coming out of Europe and out of Canada...It wasn't anything that was premeditated, or trying to create something.. it all came from me, just basically trying to keep my dancefloor interested in coming to that club every week after disco was declared dead... I figured I would do well to just work with what I knew. There was a lot of music that I was already playing, which was a lot of philly soul, I was beginning to learn how to edit and cut tape.."

BBC 6 Mix - Frankie Knuckles with Dave Pearce (May 15, 2011)
A listen to his "Choice: A Collection of Classics" (2000, Azuli) set as well as the many archived recordings of his early 80's Warehouse and Power Plant sets at Gridface and The Deep House Page are proof enough of the heavy disco presence in his mixes, even as late as the mid 80's. Some recently unearthed footage from the 1986 opening of the Power House (including a brief interview with a young Frankie) emphasizes that disco link even further.



Frankie Knuckles at Power House club, 1986 opening night
Uploaded by MediaBurnArchive

While re-editing had been a part of disco and DJ culture well before and well after (as the current proliferation of disco re-edits indicates); even if it was far from the only musical branch to come out of the influence (and to a certain extent, the manipulation of) disco, house remains perhaps one of the most potent and lasting examples of its influence. Perhaps also one of the many testaments to how culture is often created at the margins, in this case, both out of a marginalized people, (thinking about the layers of marginalization in being both black and gay in the already segregated racial climate of Chicago) and out of the cultural scraps (read: disco, post-backlash, in the very city that declared it dead) that no longer carried any currency or supposed "relevance," until they're eventually reevaluated, recontextualized and given value again, as the cycle goes. "Disco's revenge." as Frankie had famously put it.

Aside from the BBC 6 interview, his lecture from the 2011 Red Bull Music Academy with Jeff Mao is another one that I've given a lot of play to recently. I always had the impression, coming from some of his earlier interviews, that he was completely over all of the constant questions about the past - the 70's, his youth with Larry Levan, The Warehouse etc.. Perhaps it's the effect of both seeing and hearing him, or the setting - having an audience before him and being the storyteller, but once he gets going, whatever initial hesitation he may have had seems to fade completely as he gets deeper into the conversation. Now that he's no longer around to personally go over the finer points of his history anymore, both of these interviews are even more valuable in their candid, detailed, (and especially in the case of the BBC 6 interview), animated recollections.



Red Bull Music Academy (Madrid 2011) - Lecture: Frankie Knuckles

I love listening to these not only for the music and memories, but also for the wisdom he imparts and the class and grace he displays. There's no false modesty there, yet no egotism either. I suspect if you could have got him in private, he could have kiki'd for ages and spilt plenty of tea in the process.. I know that I would have loved to have had the chance.

While 59 still feels too young to die, it's remarkable to think that Frankie had remained active for what must have been about 40 years in total, right up until the very end. Whether as Nicky Siano mentions, that may have had as much to with survival as with inspiration, it's nonetheless an incredible feat to have remained active and present the way he has for as long as he has. If all the love pouring out with his passing is even just a small reflection of the love he cultivated while he was alive, his legacy in life and in music is one with few equals.

Rest in peace, Frankie Knuckles. Godfather of House.


LINKS:
npr - the record: where love lives: frankie knuckles and the dance floor (by barry walters) (april 2, 2014)
new york times: frankie knuckles, 59, house pioneer d.j., dies (by daniel e. slotnik) (april 2, 2014)
thump: "frankie was one of the kindest, gentlest people i've ever known" (by nicky siano) (april 2, 2014)
gawker: frankie knuckles, disco's revenge, and gay black music's triumph (by rich juzwiak) (april 2, 2014)
rolling stone: frankie knuckles 'godfather of house music,' dead at 59 (by michaelangelo matos) (april 1, 2014)
the guardian: frankie knuckles: godfather of house, priest of the dancefloor (by alexis petridis) (april 1, 2014)
los angeles times: remembering a house music legend: why frankie knuckles mattered (by randall roberts) (april 1, 2014)
chicago tribune: frankie knuckles, house music 'godfather' dead at 59 (by greg kot) (april 1, 2014)
joe.my.god - frankie knuckles dies at age 59 (april 1, 2014)
chicago sun-times: chicago icon, 'godfather of house music' frankie knuckles dead at 59 (march 31, 2014)

facebook: frankie knuckles official fan page
facebook: def mix productions
gridface: frankie knuckles mixes
deep house page: frankie knuckles mixes
media burn independent video archive: house music in chicago (1986 mini-documentary)
red bull music academy - madrid 2011: lecture: frankie knuckles
bbc - 6 mix: frankie knuckles meets dave pearce (may 15, 2011)
djhistory: frankie knuckles interview
defected: interview - frankie knuckles (january 4, 2014)
xlr8r: podcast 336 - frankie knuckles (march 25, 2014)
resident advisor - features: the warehouse: the place where house got its name (may 16, 2012)
boiler room: frankie knuckles 60 minute mix (may 12, 2013)
discomusic.com: frankie knuckles interview (by dayna newman)
red bull music academy: the kids call it house music (frankie knuckles interview) (by jerd janson) (january 11, 2011)
faithfanzine: frankie knuckles interview (april 19, 2011)
the couch sessions: interview: godfather of house music frankie knuckles (december 9, 2010)
disco-disco.com: interview with frankie knuckles

CATEGORIES: IN MEMORIAM..

21 years ago today..

I thought I'd dust off the blog long enough to commemorate this day - marking 21 years since Lawrence Philpot, better known as Larry Levan, perhaps one of the most legendary of disco DJs, passed away in 1992. I've often thought about why a singular figure like Larry Levan has come to have such a deep resonance with many people, including myself, who've come to appreciate disco long after the fact, people who were far too young to experience disco at its height, or even the Paradise Garage while it was still around. The reasons are undoubtedly many, and I could probably go on for pages and pages about the possible whys and hows, so I'll mercifully leave that for another time.. Simply put however, it's probably safe to say that Larry Levan has become a symbol of artistry and authenticity in a genre that has long been derided as anything but, and of what so many DJs dream of and aspire to. To command a loyal following and inspire the kind of loyalty that would allow that audience, that following, to let you take them wherever you want to, night after night..

Recently, while looking around on Soundcloud, I had found a 1 hour and 17 minute live recording of one of his sets at the Paradise Garage apparently from 1979 (although this recording contains tracks released later, so I suppose the time frame is debatable, whether this was even Larry at all has also been up for debate). Some might recognize the first part of the mix as Disc 2 of the "Larry Levan Live at the Paradise Garage" (2000, West End/Strut) double album that, speaking for myself, played a huge part in introducing me to the legacy of Larry and The Garage as a teenager, and was most certainly, in those days when file sharing and social networking had yet to really take off, the first time I had ever heard a genuine live disco mix. Not that he didn't and doesn't have his critics, who have sometimes bemoaned the lack of technical precision in his mixes. In fact after mixing things here pretty tightly in the first half, he takes a break from it in the second, playing full songs in their entirety. Ultimately though listening to Larry here and elsewhere proves, in my estimation, that time and time again, selection and feeling will always trump pure precision..



Larry Levan - Live set at the Paradise Garage (1979)
While the circumstances of Larry's final years were a long way away from the reverence his name inspires today, West End Records' founder and Paradise Garage backer Mel Cheren has a chapter in his autobiography from 2000 - "Keep On Dancin' - My Life & The Paradise Garage" about Larry's final years which despite a final triumphant stand in Japan, was a sad, emotional and sometimes frustrating read. It was often a picture of Larry at his lowest - penniless, professionally directionless and hooked on drugs. Towards the end of the chapter, Mel, who himself is no longer with us, nonetheless summed things up as succinctly and poignantly as probably anyone else has in the past two decades..

"We gave something to the world. Larry gave something that resonates to this day. Yes there are ghosts, yes there are many regrets. There were mistakes. But there is music, and joy, and acceptance and love. And today all over the world people remember. Young people, who were never there in person, are there today in spirit, dancing and singing, expressing their own hopes and dreams. That's what we gave... We could have done better. But then again, we could have done much worse."

While the clock is ticking on the last physical vestige of the Paradise Garage, there's currently a campaign to commemorate a section of King Street in Manhattan in honour of Larry Levan, much like Chicago has done for Larry's old friend - Godfather of House, Frankie Knuckles. Currently there's a petition going around trying to make that happen, which is just over halfway to its initial goal, and may just be worth some consideration..

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #65: MS. SHARON RIDLEY - FULL MOON (1978, TABU/CBS) (SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2013)
I'M VERY SUPERFICIAL, I HATE EVERYTHING OFFICIAL.. (TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2009)
R.I.P. MEL CHEREN (FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2007)
THE GODFATHER OF DISCO (FRIDAY JUNE 15, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #38: PATRICK ADAMS PRESENTS PHREEK (1978, ATLANTIC) (THURSDAY MARCH 29, 2007)
BLACK AND WHITE RAINBOWS, COLOURFUL SHADOWS.. (THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #12: DAMON HARRIS - SILK (1978 WMOT/FANTASY) (FRIDAY MARCH 24, 2006)
THE FIRST DELIVERY: THE SUPREMES - MARY, SCHERRIE & SUSAYE (1976, MOTOWN) (TUESDAY JANUARY 10, 2006)

LINKS:
WIKIPEDIA: LARRY LEVAN
DISCOGS: LARRY LEVAN
FACEBOOK: LARRY LEVAN
DISCOMUSIC.COM: LARRY LEVAN
NPR - REMEMBERING THE JIMI HENDRIX OF DANCE MUSIC (BY MICHAELANGELO MATOS) (DECEMBER 6, 2011)
GLOBAL DARKNESS - LARRY LEVAN (1954-1992) REMEMBERING A LEGEND (BY RAVEN FOX)
DEEPHOUSEPAGE.COM: LARRY LEVAN
WIKIPEDIA: PARADISE GARAGE
FACEBOOK: PARADISE GARAGE
DISCO-DISCO.COM: PARADISE GARAGE
DISCOMUSIC.COM - PARADISE GARAGE
A GARAGE TRIBUTE
PARADISEGARAGE.NET
GOODREADS: KEEP ON DANCIN - MY LIFE AND THE PARADISE GARAGE (BY MEL CHEREN & GABRIEL ROTELLO
NEW YORK MAGAZINE - NIGHTLIFE: PARADISE LOST (BY ETHAN BROWN) (JULY 24, 2000)
FACT: WATCH A TWO-HOUR VIDEO OF LEGENDARY NEW YORK CLUB THE PARADISE GARAGE'S 1987 CLOSING PARTY (MAY 31, 2013)
FACEBOOK: CREATING LANDMARK STATUS FOR 84 KING STREET (PARADISE GARAGE)
CURBED: NEW YORK - DEVELOPMENT WATCH (WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2013)
CAUSES.COM - RENAME A SECTION OF KING STREET NYC TO LARRY LEVAN STREET
FACEBOOK: LARRY LEVAN WAY

CATEGORIES: IN MEMORIAM.., MIX FIX

Disco Delivery #65: Ms. Sharon Ridley - Full Moon (1978, Tabu/CBS)

"the sun is going down and the truth is the night..."

Sharon Ridley - You Beat Me To The Punch
Sharon Ridley - Just You and Me (Walking Along Together)
Sharon Ridley - Changin'
Sharon Ridley - Forever Yours
Sharon Ridley - Ode To My Daddy
Sharon Ridley - Ain't That Peculiar
Sharon Ridley - Guess I'm Gonna Have To Say Goodbye
Sharon Ridley - Nothing Else Means More To Me Than Our Love
Sharon Ridley - Full Moon

Out of the 60 some Disco Delivery posts thus far, this is probably the one which has the least in actual disco. In fact this record probably has more in common with quiet storm than disco itself, yet in that time between Smokey Robinson's coinage of the very term 'quiet storm' and its peak with the rise of Anita Baker and Luther Vandross, in one of those musical accidents that exists completely outside the official channels of promotion and hype; the lone single off this record - “Changin’” would end up finding its greatest audience through the skills of DJ heavyweights like Larry Levan, Robbie Leslie, Roy Thode and Bobby Viteritti in the gay discos. It would be one of the songs that would become emblematic of perhaps its most innovative height, when the gay disco scene existed not so much with a finger on the pulse, but in some ways, perhaps beyond it altogether.

Prior to this, Sharon Ridley had been a collaborator of the late Van McCoy, pre-Hustle, having recorded an earlier album with McCoy as producer, "Stay Awhile With Me" in 1971 for industry impresario Clarence Avant's ill-fated Sussex label. While Avant remains one of the most powerful figures in the music industry today; prior to the label’s messy bankruptcy, through Sussex, Avant had brought artists like Zulema, Bill Withers, Dennis Coffey and the much lauded Sixto Rodriguez - subject of the recent award-winning documentary "Searching for Sugar Man" to the forefront. After her Sussex album, aside from a couple of solo singles, Van McCoy and Ridley apparently inked what was optimistically called a “long-term recording contract” as reported in Billboard and Variety with Joel Diamond's Silver Blue label, apparently as a duo act, which never fully materialized (perhaps due to the take off of Van McCoy's own career) beyond a lone single - “I’m In Your Corner,” in 1973.

Not long after the demise of Sussex, Clarence Avant would go off on his next label venture, establishing Tabu Records. Prior to their success with the SOS Band and Jam & Lewis protégés Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal, Tabu’s roster at the time was dominated by their breakout act, Brainstorm along with Trini jazz guitarist Michael Boothman and noted film composer Lalo Schifrin. Also among the label’s roster were former Sussex acts Jim Gold (who, like Sixto Rodriguez, was produced by Dennis Coffey and Mike Theodore who’d go on to make their own mark in disco) and Sharon Ridley. Ridley, it seems, would be among those who would have little mileage with the label, recording this lone album for Tabu before seemingly retreating from the industry altogether.

Like many others, I had first heard of Sharon Ridley through "Changin'," a ballad that would become without question, one of the penultimate classics in the great morning music/sleaze tradition in the gay discos. Sleaze, for those who may not be familiar, was not necessarily named for being ‘sleazy’ as the name may have implied, but for the slower, melodic, often emotional vocal quality of the early morning cool-down sets, of love songs extolling both its agony and ecstasy in what is perhaps one of the ultimate testimonials to the artistry of the DJs who championed it.

Initially though, for me it was purely by proxy. In 2001, at a time when I was just beginning to fully acquaint myself with disco, my first time hearing “Changin’” was through Linda Clifford’s Ralphi Rosario-produced cover. Combining some of the major forces of the disco era: the late Mel Cheren, founder of West End Records then in the process of reinvigorating his long dormant label with one of the top divas of disco, Linda Clifford, covering one of both Mel and Larry Levan's favourite songs, Linda Clifford's version was something of a landmark release at the time. With its attendant 8 remix single package, it seemed specially targeted to both back in the day disco queens and their turn of the millennium circuit party forerunners. Even though I didn’t exactly fall into either of those categories, having already known and loved many of Linda Clifford’s classic records by that time, along with their then recent package of Larry Levan’s West End remixes, I wasn't about to pass this one over.

When I finally heard and compared Sharon Ridley’s version for myself, not knowing anything about 'sleaze', I had been surprised at how completely unlike the Linda Clifford remake it was. Despite the overarching sense of conceptual continuity between them; with Linda’s peak hour versions giving off sass where Sharon was reflective, Sharon and Linda’s takes feel almost like opposite versions of the same song. Not to slight Linda Clifford in this case, but while perhaps a creative way to school (then) new audiences about a great singer, label and legacy; the emotional power of Ridley’s version remained then and still today undiminished in all its heartfelt, understated early morning glory.

Finally having bought a copy of Sharon's "Full Moon" album nearly a decade later, in late 2010, only served to deepen my appreciation for “Changin’” and the wider work of Ms. Ridley. Not having heard anything else from the album, it was practically a blind buy on my part (and hardly the cheapest of them either), but like the best of them, "Full Moon" has become more than just another record I own, but one of those special records that one takes to their heart.

Produced by Jerry Peters, a producer whose credits have spanned across both the R&B and Jazz worlds for artists like Phyllis Hyman, Syreeta, Deniece Williams, Ronnie Foster, Gene Harris and perhaps most notably in the disco world - Tabu labelmates Brainstorm and their hit “Lovin’ Is Really My Game,” this album feels slotted right in the middle of the disco-funk of Brainstorm and the fusion jazz of some of the other Tabu acts of the time. Peters surrounds these songs the kind of backing that takes his jazz experience and his work with the likes of Hyman and Williams, into crafting what have to be the richest, warmest surroundings ever given to Sharon’s voice.

At around 6 and a half minutes in length, longer than any of the other songs on the album, “Changin’” seems to have been singled out early on as one of the album’s centrepieces. From its opening notes and Sharon’s gently drawn-out phrasing, if there was ever an ideal theme for the sleaze ethos, or the agony and ecstasy of love and the many complex and conflicting emotions at the end of a relationship, it is this. As a portrait of the end of love - the gratitude, the regret, the good and bad memories; listening to Sharon feel her way through these lyrics makes this seem like a guide to the relationship grieving process in song. As music journalist Brian Chin once described it, Ridley’s vocals “convey regret, but she doesn't sound all that broken-hearted." While there’s a definite sadness here, it’s not of the kind of sadness that renders the woman completely hopeless without her long-gone love, nor is it the sadness of the wronged woman who comes out utterly self-reliant and defiant, wishing she never loved at all, but the sadness that comes with the end of any relationship that has been invested with love, a love that had changed, but won’t - that can’t - simply extinguish itself, even when it has run its inevitable course. This is a song for those endings when the road apart seems daunting, but the emotional reality of the situation, even more so; for all those endings and new beginnings, when love is no longer enough and there's no choice but to move on; with sadness, perhaps, but without regret.

Although "Changin'" never did receive a 12" single release when it originally came out (both a Canadian 12" and another in the Mixed Masters series came later), an extended 8.56 edit, originally done for Hot Tracks in 1984 does exist, which has since been circulating on a bootlegged white label 12".

As far as cover versions go, aside from Linda Clifford’s 2001 version, the late Esther Phillips would cover this song a few years later on her album “Good Black Is Hard to Crack” (1981, Mercury), produced by Benny Golson. In 2004, rapper Xzibit and producer Thayod Ausar would sample the opening notes of “Changin’” for the track “Back 2 The Way It Was” on Xzibit's album "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (2004, Columbia).

Although as the first version released, I've always considered Sharon Ridley’s version the original; one of the writers of the song, James McClelland - better known in Soul circles as Jesse James, recorded the earliest version of this song. Then titled, “I Feel Your Love Changing,” James had recorded his version in 1975 while under contract to the 20th Century label, which remained unreleased until 2010, when the Soul Junction label in the UK released it on 7”, later including it on their compilation of James' work, “Let Me Show You” (2012, Soul Junction).


Jesse James - I Feel Your Love Changing
Uploaded by Mark Speakman

James’ version, straddling the line between the rougher, rawer Northern Soul sound and the more polished sheen of 70's Modern Soul, also carries some subtle and not so subtle differences in interpretation. Where Sharon’s interpretation was, to a point, more impartial; a plea for a mature, even amicable parting of ways amid the sadness, James’ version feels like an impassioned plea to salvage what has been broken. Though Sharon may have portrayed a woman who was wronged, whatever her feelings, she doesn’t necessarily place herself as a victim here. Sharon seems to approach the song as a woman who's made her choice and is at peace with it; whereas James’ version, with its desperate vocal, feels more like a portrait of a man's inner turmoil; grappling with all the changes he's been put through, knows he's at a crossroads, but not quite ready to leave it all behind. Perhaps one of the reasons why the writing credits differ slightly across both the Jesse James and Sharon Ridley versions. While James McClelland/Jesse James is credited on both, producer Jerry Peters and background singer Lynn Mack get additional credit on Sharon’s version. Musical similarities notwithstanding, while they may not be entirely different songs altogether, they’re not entirely the same, either.

Though "Changin'" completely eclipsed the rest of the record in terms of recognition, in the context of the album itself, the whole thing is so uniformly strong that not even a song like "Changin'" can completely overshadow anything else on offer here in terms of strength, quality or feeling. Though the record includes a couple of originally executed Smokey Robinson-penned Motown covers, the Robinson connection dovetailing ever so appropriately with its quiet storm credentials, opening with Mary Wells' "You Beat Me To The Punch" and later on in side two with a version of Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar," the real moments here are the originals, which with the exception of "Changin'," were all written by Ridley herself, where the record's intimacy really takes shape. While "Changin'" was the invitation and the welcome, Sharon's songs are the full experience here. The album's centre, both literally and figuratively, "Forever Yours" and "Ode To My Daddy" are both delivered with a tenderness that manages to be both moving and personal without feeling overbearing. The latter - “Ode to My Daddy” - humble in title but as personal and specific as it gets, out of all the songs on the album, this is one which in it’s own unassuming way, cuts straight to the heart. Singing about grief as adeptly and sensitively as she sang about the parting of lovers in “Changin’;” as a eulogy in song, whether or not one has experienced the loss of a parent, her lyrics summarize the feelings of love, loss and regret with an emotional clarity and honesty that’ll take you there, to that moment, whether you’ve already been there or not.

"Forever Yours" is yet another, right on the heels of "Changin'" that's so good it felt practically wasted at only half the time. Having opened with the most splendorous of orchestral intros, carried forth with an impossible to forget "darling, forever.." refrain, it's one moment that felt like it deserved to be elaborated on just a bit more than its allotted three minutes (and probably would have had it not been the time limitations of vinyl). I, for one, would have gladly traded at least one of the album's Motown covers for a few more moments of this.

Ridley's ability to cultivate these moments of warmth and intimacy out of what seem to be the subjects of seemingly simple love songs is perhaps best experienced as she tells us how "Nothing Else Means More To Me Than Our Love." With all the attendant hopes, dreams and tender surrender of a love letter written to music, Ridley imbues a line like "the only love I found that lets me be me, that lets me feel free" with a knowing sincerity that would be almost innocent if her voice didn't carry the weight of someone who had seen and felt enough disappointment to know better. That she seems to hold back from a full vocal release until the very end only makes that emotional surrender feel all the more true.

Musically, the the jazz influence is most apparent on the title track, “Full Moon,” perfectly placed as the concluding track on the record. A song of escape and wild desire, appropriately enough, it’s perhaps the most musically adventurous song on the record with it and “Guess I’m Gonna Have to Say Goodbye” being the closest things to uptempo tracks on the album. Although perhaps too jazz-oriented for either to have any actual disco traction, both, particularly the former contain some of the record's most stunning, intricate guitar work.

Like many disco or disco-associated acts of a similar vintage, I had become fascinated not just by the music in this album, but also by the complete enigma that seemed to surround it. In this case, this wasn't some anonymous studio group or singer whose mystery was purely by design, this was someone who had crafted an intimate piece of work and then disappeared just as she had left her mark - perhaps not on any Billboard chart, but certainly in the hearts of the many early morning dancers who wound down long marathon nights at legendary venues like The Saint or the Paradise Garage (as divergent as they were) to the emotional currents of this song. The fact that this seemed to go without any sort of acknowledgement, of who Sharon Ridley was, what ever happened to her and whether or not she was aware of how many people loved and still treasure her song, only seemed to cement its emotional and material value.

Sharon Ridley had a special way with the material here, originals and covers alike - an easy, graceful sincerity; an approach which feels exceedingly rare, out of place and even down-right old-fashioned today, where most things tend to fall into either distant posturing, irony or overblown bombast. Meeting us half-way between the warmth of Brenda Russell and the smooth touch of Anita Baker, much like Russell and Baker, Ridley had an underrated ability to present songs in a way that can be both disarmingly personal and heartfelt without crossing over into cloying schmaltz. Paired with the production of Jerry Peters, they capture a sound here that's gentle and inviting yet still musically sharp.

While Sharon doesn’t seem to have much in the way of musical credits following the release of “Full Moon,” the lady is apparently still around, performing regularly as a jazz pianist in LA at least as recently as July of last year. Surely she must know she has some fans out there.

More recently the Demon Music Group in the UK, the same people behind the Harmless label and their excellent Disco Discharge and Disco Recharge series have acquired the license to the Tabu label catalogue. While a reissue program is in the works, set to kick off with some of the label's best known acts like the SOS band, Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle, here's hoping the lingering boom in disco related reissues will also have them reaching back and revisiting this album so it too can be appreciated all over again. While “Full Moon” would end up in the 50-cent cut-out bins several years after its release, copies of the album have been known to fetch anywhere from $30-$90 US online in recent years. Which, admittedly, is nothing next to what people have paid for the bootleg white label of "Changin'."

Whether an album like this would have been better received if it had been released several years later is perhaps anyone’s guess, however nothing can take away from the hidden strength of this record and the gentle force of Ms. Sharon Ridley's vocals. For as far as they're concerned, time hasn't taken anything away here, it has only made their feeling all the more palpable. To paraphrase a bit from the old Tabu label slogan, this is one album that can be described as 'music, for those who listen.'


PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DISCHARGE AND OTHER RECENT/UPCOMING DISCO RELEASES & REISSUES (FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2009)
CHANGE (THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2008)
BOBBY VITERITTI - A NIGHT AT THE TROCADERO.. (SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2007)
IT JUST MIGHT TAKE ALL NIGHT.. (FRIDAY AUGUST 3, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #42: SOUTHERN EXPOSURE - HEADIN' SOUTH (1979, RCA) (MONDAY JUNE 4, 2007)
DEEP CUTS (WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #19: THE MIKE THEODORE ORCHESTRA - HIGH ON MAD MOUNTAIN (1979, WESTBOUND/ATLANTIC) (SUNDAY MAY 14, 2006)

LINKS:
DISCOGS: MS. (SHARON) RIDLEY - FULL MOON LP
DISCOGS: SHARON RIDLEY - CHANGIN' (BOOTLEG 12")
DISCOGS: JERRY PETERS
SOUL JUNCTION RECORDS: JESSE JAMES - I FEEL YOUR LOVE CHANGING 7"
DISCO VINYL: CHANGIN - MS. SHARON RIDLEY. THE ULTIMATE MORNING MUSIC SONG (MONDAY MAY 4, 2009)
THE ORIGINAL SOUL 4 LIFE: SHARON RIDLEY - FULL MOON (TUESDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2009)
BURP AND SLURP: DOWNTOWN IN THE NEW ORLEANS (JANUARY 11, 2012)
THE ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY - SHARON RIDLEY
PITCHFORK: THE QUIET STORM (BY ERIC HARVEY) (MAY 15, 2012)
FACEBOOK: TABU RECORDS OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE (RE-BORN FOR 2013)

CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO..

The Supremes - Mary, Scherrie & Susaye (reprise)

Just took down the files on the "anniversary" post.. And as promised now, a repost of the very first Disco Delivery entry..

As I said on the original post, "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye" is quite honestly one of my favourite albums ever, of all time.. If anything, certainly one of the most underrated, overlooked albums ever released by Motown or The Supremes. Last month, after listening to the album again, I took a look at the old entry and it just felt so incomplete, it was practically crying out for something more... Given that it's one of my favourite albums I felt a little justice was in order and that it deserved to be just as verbose and long-winded as all the others.. So with that I edited some things, added some extra description, put back some details that I took out in subsequent edits at the time...

Needless to say, the entry is more to my satisfaction now. Though I figure since I did all that, I might as well repost the music in case some of you missed out the first time around.. So just for the repost, I've added another track - "Sweet Dream Machine" which I didn't put on the original entry.. Not the most discofied track on the album, but definitely not one to be missed.. If you liked the dark disco-funk of "Come Into My Life," or the joyous abandon of "Let Yourself Go" or any of the other great tracks on the album, don't sleep on this one..

Anyway, without further ado, here it is:

Disco Delivery #1: The Supremes - Mary, Scherrie & Susaye (1976, Motown)
And in case you end up craving more.. Here, courtesy of the Supremes 70's Blog (many more great videos there!) and YouTube are some Supremes video treats from a rare, early music video project that the ladies did:


The Supremes - You're My Driving Wheel
Uploaded by ivyfield


The Supremes - Let Yourself Go
Uploaded by gmcclo1974
I have to say, as much as I love seeing these ladies on video doing their thing to usher in the video age, some of the choreography on "You're My Driving Wheel" is pretty darn hilarious: the "driving wheel," those robot moves, what were they thinking!? Put that together with a pregnant Mary and her giant, awkward maternity sequins, the relatively primitive video concept and it's all just a little rough around the edges... That said, they do manage to get it together quite beautifully on "Let Yourself Go." Either way though, seeing this lineup in action is a rare, fabulous and charming visual treat.. Someone put the 70s Supremes on DVD already, dammit!

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
ONE YEAR, ONE MONTH AND ELEVEN DAYS OF DISCO DELIVERY.. (FEBRUARY 21, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #1: THE SUPREMES - MARY, SCHERRIE & SUSAYE (1976, MOTOWN) (JANUARY 10, 2006)

CATEGORIES: RE-DELIVERIES, VISUAL DISCO

black and white rainbows, colourful shadows..

Smokey Robinson - And I Don't Love You (Dub) (1984, Motown) | LINK TWO
Smokey Robinson - And I Don't Love You (12'' Extended Version) (1984, Motown) | LINK TWO

Not to worry, I am working on the next disco delivery.. 'tis on the way, will arrive before the end of the week.

In the mean time I decided to rip a 12" single that I picked up over the weekend.. Not exactly disco, but one of those many Larry Levan mixes from the '80s that I hadn't heard yet. Taken from Smokey Robinson's "Essar" (1984, Motown) LP, both this song and the LP it was from were not among Smokey's more successful efforts. In fact the "Essar" LP (what the hell is "Essar" supposed to mean, anyway? edit: apparently it's his initials 'S.R.' in word form.. Thanks to the anonymous commenter..) was one of his lowest charting LPs up until that time. Regardless of the commercial aspect, it's certainly one of the most interesting records I've heard from him..

Produced by frequent collaborator Reginald "Sonny" Burke, the remixes on both sides were credited to Larry Levan and Benny Medina. The mostly instrumental Dub mix on side B though is, in my opinion, classic Larry. It almost reminds me of some of the mixes he did for Gwen Guthrie around this time.. Stripped down to the basic synth track and guitar licks; reduced Smokey's vocals to the occasional melancholy wail wallowing in the layers of echoing synthesized rhythms. As opposed to the vocal extended mix on side A, the dub mix really brings out the dark side of the song. In other words, you really believe it when you hear him sing "..and I don't love you." No reason why, no explanations, it coolly and simply makes the point. Quite the contrast to side A where, listening to the full lyrics, you really aren't supposed to believe what he says..

Also an interesting fact, the Benny Medina credited on the mix is in fact the same Benny Medina that has managed Jennifer Lopez and currently Mariah Carey. Medina had his start at Motown, originally as the lead vocalist in the short-lived group Apollo, along with one of Berry Gordy's sons among others.. Apollo's only album was also produced by Berry's ex-wife Raynoma Singleton, no less..

P.S. Sorry for the scratchy rip.. I really need to invest in a good record cleaner sometime..

LINKS:
SMOKEY ROBINSON - ESSAR LP REVIEW @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
SMOKEY ROBINSON - ESSAR LP REVIEW @ WILSON & ALROY'S RECORD REVIEWS
SMOKEY ROBINSON ALBUM REVIEWS @ ROBERTCHRISTGAU.COM
SMOKEY ROBINSON - AND I DON'T LOVE YOU 12" @ DISCOGS

CATEGORIES: MINI DELIVERIES

The First Delivery: The Supremes - Mary, Scherrie & Susaye (1976, Motown)

The Supremes - You're My Driving Wheel
The Supremes - Sweet Dream Machine
The Supremes - Let Yourself Go
The Supremes - Come Into My Life
The Supremes - We Should Be Closer Together
The Supremes - Love I Never Knew You Could Feel So Good

Updated and re-uploaded March, 2007

Yay, the first post! For this special occasion, I picked one of my favourite albums of all time.. Yes, The Supremes (minus Miss Ross) went on to do disco, and do it very very well I might add. Their final album "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye" (1976, Motown) is quite simply one flawless album from start to finish. Produced by Brian and Eddie Holland of Holland-Dozier-Holland fame (who had produced some of the Supremes' biggest hits in the 1960's), it's probably one of their finest yet most underrated albums. Earlier in the year they had released another album also produced by the Holland Brothers called "High Energy," the amazing title track and the single "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking" solidifying their place in the clubs and disco charts, with the latter being their last top 40 pop hit (and their biggest in a little while by this time). Most people interested in The 70's Supremes seem to pay attention to the "High Energy" LP for that very reason, but in my opinion "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye" was the superior album..

Perhaps somewhat ironically, the "High Energy" LP was a bit more low-key, with the Hollands opting for a more softer, almost orchestral sound on that album. On the other hand, "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye" kicks things up a few notches, delivering a much more assertive, funkier, straight-to-the-floor disco sound on many of it's tracks. Side One (undoubtedly the "disco side") would probably be the best example of that, kicking things off with "You're My Driving Wheel" (also the first single). The guitars practically make this song with that moving, shuffling, and certainly, driving groove they've got going on. Those choppy guitars and that elastic bassline pick things up where the piano left off, getting you hooked on that groove like nothing else in the mix.. Changing gears somewhat, the next song "Sweet Dream Machine," is nothing less than a surefire, sexy stormer with a layered, soaring, sensual arrangement and funky guitar effects all around. One of the most distinctive and certainly one of the most sensual and seductive things ever done by the Supremes. That said, the real big stormers however, are the next two..

Song number three, "Let Yourself Go" was apparently one of the major club favourites on the LP. Evidently a favourite of legendary Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan, it's no wonder why... Tapping into that elevating spirit which exalted earlier Supremes classics like "Stoned Love" and "Up The Ladder To The Roof" and moving it into the disco era, "Let Yourself Go" is like a little piece of disco heaven. The ladies, all three together with their lead singer Scherrie Payne (sister of Freda Payne of "Band of Gold" fame) right up front, took things to heights never before reached by the Supremes on record. It's not just the groove, or that exhilarating chord change part way through, but it's also that infectious performance by the ladies that makes this record work. It's as if they were not only taking the listener to new heights, but taking themselves along for the ride and enjoying every second. Plain and simply, it's one of those songs that just radiates pure joy in every possible way..

Side One closes with song number four, "Come Into My Life," or as I'd like to call it "I just can't believe it's the Supremes." Possibly one of the most out-of-left-field, adventurous things ever recorded by the Supremes. Led by that hypnotizing bassline, seductive congas, those horns in hypnotic unison with the bass, right along side those crazy, out-of-this-world synth effects, "Come.." is simply a masterpiece of pure, propulsive, dark disco-funk. To me, one of the best passages on this track is when Susaye Greene's soaring Minnie Riperton-esque vocals get phased and blended seamlessly with that pseudo-psychedelic synth coloured backing. The result is nothing less than mesmerizing. Listening to the album for the first time, just when you the trip would end with "Let Yourself Go," this track kicks in and takes it even further. While "Let Yourself Go" is a climb to new heights, "Come Into My Life," is, to paraphrase the lyrics, like a "magic ride..off to lands of mystery.." Beckoning and seductive right from the first few bars, it's pretty clear right from the beginning, that this thing definitely ain't gonna be no "Baby Love." Personally, I'd like to describe this song as "psychedelic disco-funk," so take that however you may.. In my opinion though, the fact that this track was so overlooked is possibly one of the great injustices in The Supremes' history..

Side Two, on the other hand is slightly more low-key, opening with a sensual Mary Wilson-led ballad "We Should Be Closer Together" and ending with another disco stormer "Love I Never Knew You Could Feel So Good" led, once again, by Scherrie Payne, closing things on a high note. One interesting thing about the album is that by this time all three ladies were taking a turn at lead vocals, where most of the previous albums going back to the Miss Ross days were dominated by a single lead vocalist. By now their primary lead was Scherrie Payne, a vocal dynamo if there ever was one. Along with Scherrie the group now included the equally dynamic, multi-octave voice of Susaye Greene, formerly of Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove and Ray Charles' Raelettes and last but not least, original Supreme Mary Wilson herself. By this time Wilson was stepping out a little more as a vocalist and rightfully so; by this time Wilson was the undisputed heart and soul of the Supremes by virtue of being the only remaining original member.. Perhaps not as dynamic a voice as the other two ladies, but certainly an underrated one, in my opinion. Vocally I'd describe her voice as something of a cross between Gwen McCrae and Roberta Flack; the natural, unpretentious quality of Gwen with the warmth of Roberta and a sensuality and sexiness all her own.. Although she wasn't the lead on many of the disco tracks, her turns on this album (and the other late '70s Supremes albums) displayed a strong, warm, blossoming sensual voice that was unique in it's own right..

Sadly, the Supremes would break up the following year with Mary Wilson announcing her departure at their 1977 farewell show at London's Drury Lane Theatre. Who knows what could have been had they soldiered on, but evidently things just didn't seem to be working in their favour by this point. Wilson herself has spoken at length about the frustration during this period: records and concerts not selling, personal relationships breaking down, lack of record company support. Amidst all of that, the ladies with the help of the Holland brothers managed to deliver an amazing swan song which, though underrated, overlooked and overshadowed, remains an undiminshed classic.

note: The Supremes' '70's albums are due to be reissued on CD at some point by Motown/Universal though their Hip-O Select (www.hip-oselect.com) division. They will be released in two parts, this album to be included in the second batch.. Hope to see it happen sometime *fingers crossed*

LINKS:
SUPREMES - MARY, SCHERRIE & SUSAYE LP @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
THE SUPREMES @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
THE SUPREMES @ DISCOGS
THE SUPREMES 70'S BLOG
THE SUPREMES 70'S REISSUES @ MYSPACE
THE SUPREMES 70'S STYLE @ MYSPACE
THE SUPREMES 70'S REISSUES 2.0

PURCHASE:

THE SUPREMES - THE 70'S ANTHOLOGY (2 CD SET)
| CD UNIVERSE | AMAZON.COM |

LIFE:STYLES COMPILED BY DJ SPINNA (2 CD SET) (INCLUDES “COME INTO MY LIFE”)
| CD UNIVERSE | AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM |

MARY WILSON - DREAMGIRL & SUPREME FAITH (BOOK)
AMAZON.COM

CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES