BRENDA LEE: Here Comes That Feeling; Let’s Jump The Broomstick (MCA MU 1171).
To welcome the diminutive La Lee to Britain (and, let’s face it, to probably have a hit in this reissue-crazy age), here are her melodic “Feeling” from 1962 and 1960’s herky-jerky nervily infectious “Broomstick” rocker, complete with yakkety sax break. While the less well-remembered topside shows off her incredible mechanical-like note-hitting technique in good Easy Listening setting, the flip’s THE side!
LEN BARRY: 1 -2- 3; You Baby (MCA MU 1172).
From out of those disco days of 1965 comes Aram Boormazian’s great immortal clomp clomp clomper, co-penned/produced by Aram/Len with those Philly genii/ex-Danny & the Juniors, Johnny Madara & Dave White, who were responsible for so many goodies in the early ’60s. The Ronettes’ oldie flip‘s good too.
L.J. REYNOLDS & CHOCOLATE SYRUP: The Penguin Break Down (Law-Ton).
Remember the other week I told you how the Younghearts’ “Oo La We” was soon to be one side of an up-coming double-A British single on Avco? Well, this here is the other A-side. Arranged and produced by Bobby Martin, the Philadelphian who arranged Cliff Nobles’ classic “The Horse“, this instrumental is exactly the same idea as that earlier 1968 smash. Just as “The Horse” was, perversely, the instrumental backing-track to a vocal (“Love Is All Right“), so this is the backing-track to “What’s A Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You)” on the other — I hesitate to say the flip! — side. However, I get the impression that this time it was the “Penguin Break Down” side which was intended as the plug side all along. It certainly owes a debt to “The Horse”, which remains one of the all-time best-ever R&B dance instrumentals, so that that is in no way a bad thing. You can hear it yourselves soon, too.
THE MAIN INGREDIENT: Everybody Plays The Fool (RCA).
Snorting its way up the US Pop Charts is the Main Ingredients’ lovely new slow Soul Vocal Group beauty, arranged and conducted by my old acquaintance, Bert de Coteaux. When I knew him eight years ago, at a time when his main claim to fame was that he’d arranged some sides for Adam Wade, Bert was calling himself by his full name, Norbert. Years pass and talent will out — Bert’s certainly has. After a long string of hits in recent years, Bert’s’ new addition to the list is set apart from the run-of-the-mill Soul slowies by an arrangement which makes a catchy feature of plopping congas/bongos and a tootling flute figure which on its brief appearance is enough to nag its way into American record- buyers’ minds. Add some plinky strings and a perpetually shaking tambourine — oh, and brass-accentuated smooth- and-rough group vocalizing —and you’ve got a hit sound.
CHICAGO: Saturday In The Park (Columbia).
It’s been a long wait, but finally Chicago have re-emerged with not only something new on single, but also something really good again. Their sound has mellowed a lot: the brass is still there, blowing away in quiet unison behind the dominating beat pattern, which is set up by a heavy bass, plonkingly melodic (almost Carole Kingish) piano, just-right drum fills, and the rhythm-riding (at times, rhythm- creating) vocals. This is amongst the group’s very best work, making a very satisfying single. Continue reading “August 26, 1972: L.J. Reynolds & Chocolate Syrup, The Main Ingredient, Chicago, Three Dog Night, Van Morrison”
ARETHA FRANKLIN: All The King’s Horses; April Fools (Atlantic).
“All the King’s horses, all the King’s men, couldn’t put our two hearts together again”… bad luck, Humpty Dumpty freaks! “We sat on the Wall of Happiness, we sat on the Wall of Love, we sat on the Wall of Security, so high above. With his arms all around me, it was like a fairytale. Two people so in love – tell me, how could it fail?” All this has been so dead slow that I’ve been able to keep up with it with my one finger typing. Beautifully quiet, with just some elegant xylophone plonks, bass thonks, and gentle guitar glonks, until . . . whooo!
“Wall started shaking; I heard Love crying out, ‘Happiness is giving away, Security is coming down’. He fell, I fell, and” (end of dramatic organ and drums build-up) “all there is that’s left to tell, is all the King’s horses, all the King’s men, couldn’t put our two hearts together again.” It repeats, but basically that’s it . . . . and if those words alone aren’t enough to convince you that this is absolutely superb, I’m truly sorry. (Words by Aretha Franklin, published by Pundit Music in the USA).
On the flip, which in its own way is just as good, Aretha completely revamps and dresses-up the recent Burt Bacharach & Hal David film song, so that now it is full of pent-up yet joyful frenetic energy. Rapidly chinking chugging guitar, wah-wah, silky strings, thunderingly fast bass, woodwind-like synthesizer (I think) and girlie chanting are what do it to it. Oh, and Aretha’s voice is in there too, at its wailing, skipping, exuberant best! (Arif Mardin, need it be said, did the charts.) Both sides of this are a decided “up”. Yeah.
STEVIE WONDER: Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You); I Love Every Little Thing About You (Tamla).
OK, these are available here on Stevie’s new album ( “Superwoman” being more than twice as long in its full two-part version), but as this single is going great guns for the lad in America it gives me excuse enough to join in with all the others who have been raving about that new album, “Music Of My Mind. ” This, and the whole album, is very pretty music – prettier than anything else that Stevie ever did while under the supervision of the Motown staff (although there were some things on “Where I’m Coming From” which hinted at this new direction).
The point is that Stevie’s contract with Motown was coming up for grabs when he turned 21 (as did that of Mary Wells, who, so it turned out, made the wrong decision and split), and independent-minded Stevie hied himself off to a variety of studios where he was away from the disapproving supervisory gaze of Motown to put down, and put down again and again track after track of nothing but himself alone playing all the instruments and singing all the parts (well, almost all). The result was this new album, which he then proceeded to dangle like a carrot before the Motown nose. Shocked old Auntie Motown may have been, but so brilliant, so adventurous, so pretty and, above all, so like a repeat of recent developments with Marvin Gaye, was this album that Auntie could hardly let Stevie take it and himself to anyone else.
Thank goodness they didn’t, for everyone’s sake. What with Marvin Gaye and now Stevie Wonder being able to open out and do what they want to do (which, agreed, is not necessarily a good idea in every other case), there may be some chance that other talents in the Motown stable will get the opportunity to blossom in their own way. If you like pretty music, do try the new Wonder. Remember how he came to fame – with a ditty called “I Call It Pretty Music But The Old People Call It The Blues.” Tain’t Blues now, no way, but it sure is pretty.
BARRY MANN: Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp-A Bomp-A Bomp); BRIAN HYLAND: Sealed With A Kiss (Probe “Goldies 45” GFF 104).
Lots of “real” music being reissued this week, and how’s this great double-sider for starters, huh?!! Barry’s glorious doo-wop putdown/paean of 1961 was the product of two halves of two important writing teams: Barry himself and Gerry Goffin (their respective partners being Cynthia Weil and Carole King, natch). Boogley, boogley shoo, rama lama ding doing, this is what music should be . . . FUN. Brian Hyland’s “Green Leaves Of Summer”-like alternative A-side from 1962 was the “Baby I’m-A Want You” of its day. He could rock too, as his tour here with Little Eva proved. Those were the days (yeah, I know, I’m as bad as the “Bring back the big bands” lot. Well, they’re good too!)! Continue reading “June 24, 1972: Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Barry Mann, Sam & Dave, Young-Holt Unlimited”
THE SUPREMES: Automatically Sunshine (Motown).
The girls seem to be sticking with Smokey at the moment, and this Robinson-penned/prod light beater is the team’s follow-up to the superb “Floy Joy“. Although it starts out with a subdued version of the stomping intro to that last one, it soon becomes clear that the attack is going to be nothing like as powerful – and, indeed, this turns out to be no more than a pleasant mid-tempo clomper, quite pretty but with diffused impact. The flip, “Precious Little Things” (co-penned by Smokey with the Miracles’ guitarist, Marv Tarplin, and a P. Moffett), is a rather nice wistful little bossa-nova, enhanced by lovely backing.
JR. WALKER & THE ALL STARS: Walk In The Night (Soul).
Autry seems to be returning to jazz a bit more these days – not to mean that this is a jazz record, because it’s still much too “Pop” in its splurging chicks ‘n strings, but his playing on this pretty-harmonies-backed medium-paced plodding instrumental is rather more fluid and less angular than on his hits of old. Subtract the schmaltz content and it would hold up well on its own: however, with the schmaltz left in, as it is, this IS rather lovely . . . and makes a good companion for Isaac Hayes’ “Let’s Stay Together” instrumental.
On the flip, Autry gets to wailing grips with Gladys Knight’s “I Don’t Want To Do Wrong.” Gladys herself has just exited the US Charts with her dead slow version of that Kris Kristofferson bore, “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” onto which she has added an embarrassing intro rap, and with which she has succeeded to make the record that it is, if possible, even more lacking in warmth and emotion than Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” That must have been difficult, for the Queen of Soul.
100 PROOF (AGED IN SOUL): Everything Good is Bad (Hot Wax).
The “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” trio (minus the great Joe Stubbs, unfortunately) are back in the Charts with this semi-slow message song, which benefits from some pretty flute tootling and generally good if doom-laden backing. Everything good is bad, and everything bad is good, in black slang (viz: “that’s a bad mutha…”, meaning “I say, chaps, that’s jolly good, what?”), which is probably the hook that’s selling this, because in other respects it is a bit lacking in vitality. Continue reading “May 27, 1972: Supremes, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, 100 Proof (Aged In Soul), Andy Williams, James Brown”
THE BEACH BOYS: You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone; Cuddle Up (Reprise K 14173).
Broken-up typical chugging drive and very nice ingredients (fiddle, banjo, jangly piano and much more), yet “Mess” seems about right at first hearing. However, persevere as it’s insinuative. With pure “Pop” back in favour (Nilsson, Bread, etc.), it stands a chance given good plugs, while long-term fans need not be deterred at all. The sublimely “Slushy” flip just cries out for the Bonzos’ coup de grace!
SAILCAT: Motorcycle Mama (Elektra K 12055).
Light in overall feel though very solid in its thumping strumming base and beat-accentuating breathy vocal, this is rather appealing and could have been longer. Similarly chopper-orientated though noisier flip.
THE JACKSON 5: Little Bitty Pretty One (Motown).
Well, while Michael Jackson revives Bobby Day’s “Rockin’ Robin,” he and his brothers get together and revive Bobby’s “Little Bitty Pretty One” (OK, Thurston Harris recorded it too, I know).
Although Michael is unavoidably evident on the brotherly offering, in fact it really is a family affair, with no-one in particular taking the lead honours. Also, whereas Michael’s “Rockin’ Robin” stays very close to the sound of the 1950’s hit, the brothers’ “Little Bitty Pretty One” retains the great doo-wop bass mumbling from the ’50s but otherwise plays around with the vocal lines in order that everyone gets a chance both singly (some gimmicky falsetto here) and together, with the result that the final sound is much fuller and mellower than the percussive Bobby Day recording.
It’s interesting that the only way in which the Jacksons seem able to get out of their well-tried herky- jerky hit formula is to revive a Rock ‘n Roll oldie.
Incidentally, my own favourite (and much-used) version of “Little Bitty Pretty One” is the 1968 recording by the Popular Five on Minit, which was released in Britain as the flip to “I’m A Love Maker” (Minit MLF 11011). United Artists, are you hip?
MILLIE JACKSON: Ask Me What You Want (Spring).
Millie is the bubbly-looking but hurtingly Soulful, mature girl who made such an outstanding recording of “Child Of God,” released in Britain recently by Mojo. It comes as a bit of a disappointment to find that her latest US hit is in a pseudo-Motown bag which, while certainly suiting her sexy external looks, completely ignores and belittles her real capabilities.
We all know that, given the chance, the majority of Motown’s own stars are capable of great Soulfulness (I’ll never forget being completely shaken by hearing Martha Reeves singing the Falcons’ “I Found A Love” at a small afterhours party in Harlem back in ’64), but here is a non-Motown singer who has already hit pay-dirt with a particularly Soulful song being given a run-of-the-mill thumping mid-tempo repetitive chanter which she just does not need. In fact, who in reality does need this sort of thing?
It seems a shame that Motown have so successfully brainwashed the World into only wanting their own predictable brand of Pop music that now, out of desperation, nearly every aspiring black singer has to toe the Motown line to earn any – though, let’s face it, often not much – appreciation at all. Not only Mono . . . Bring Back Soul!
ELVIS PRESLEY: An American Trilogy; The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (RCA).
From El’s “Standing Room Only” LP, recorded live, this is that dead boring/simply delightful (delete according to taste) pastiche of patriotic American songs with which Mickey Newbury made some small noise recently. The Big El is in his best beery, slurring, pub-singer voice for this brassily- crescendoing but otherwise quiet reading, and is well supported by a sympathetic backing which includes some nice flute and lots of humming.
In fairness, I do prefer this to the Newbury version, and ole El is … well, he’s, he’s ELVIS, isn’t he – even if he does go in for chest-beating melodramatics a bit too much these days. Yes, all in all, a very tender, emotional little record that will delight his current following. What’s more, to prove he’s no slouch at grabbing opportunities, the flip (from his “New Sacred Album”) is a damned sight more lively and better version than the exaggeratedly popular Roberta Flack’s US number one dead dull reading of the Ewan MacColl song. Slur on, Elvis, slur on! Continue reading “May 13, 1972: The Jackson 5, Millie Jackson, Elvis Presley, Love Unlimited, The Doors”
CANNED HEAT: Rockin’ With The King (UA UP 35348).
Surprisingly ancient-sounding slab of Rock ‘n’ Roll … and if you don’t already know who’s on piano and lead vocals, where have YOU been? (It’s Dickie Penniman, actually). Jazzy instrumental flip.
EDGAR WINTER’S WHITE TRASH: Keep Playin’ That Rock ‘n’ Roll (Epic EPC 7550).
Right on! Johnny’s brother keeps on rockin’, but in a more modern manner.
ROBERT JOHN: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (Mbube) (Atlantic).
Remember Robert John? He’s the white guy with the amazing black-sounding swooping voice who scored a minor hit in Britain back in 1968 with his beautiful ‘If You Don’t Want My Love‘. Remember ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’? The Tokens, who nowadays produce all those hits for Dawn, came to international fame by singing it a decade ago. Remember ‘Wimoweh’? It was the African chant on which ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ was based, and was also a British hit in 1961 for Karl Dallas.
Well, by now, if you have any kind of a memory at all, you should have worked out a pretty good idea of what Robert John’s new US Top Five smash sounds like … and you’re right. Still, it’s all helping to revive the spirit of blatant Pop, and it seems only natural that so many revivalists keep turning for inspiration to those perfect classics of the early ’60s. No other era has produced such a crisp, strong, solid, happy, just “Pop” without hyphens, sort of a sound.
CLIMAX: Precious And Few (Carousel).
No, not Climax Chicago, just plain Climax, these boys are a somewhat easy-listening vocal group of the Classics IV variety, who sing that peculiarly American brand of full-harmonied back-up, plaintive lead, mildly beaty but basically slow, all denominations and ages aimed, mass appeal music which gets called “Soft Rock”. Their particular example of the genre, this thoroughly pleasant little single, is their debut hit … and a Top Three hit at that.
DAWN: Runaway/Happy Together (Bell).
Well, here’s an amalgamation of one of those peculiarly American vocal groups and an early ’60s Pop classic. However, they have in turn amalgamated Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway’ with the more recent Turtles’ Happy Together’ (which now probably qualifies as the Mother’s greatest hit, too!). So, what do we get? Lotsa noise, but that’s beside the point.
The record starts off dead slow, with Tony Orlando singing the opening lines of ‘Runaway’ over quiet and moody noises, than the big pounding beat and his chick support come in (and the noise increases), then the pace slows again and ‘Happy Together’ gets the quiet treatment from the whole group, followed by a mixture of the two songs (with a reproduction of Del Shannon’s piercing organ line over all) that comes and goes in tempo. A good idea, but the mixture of tempos makes for a choppy effect which lessens the record’s impact. Continue reading “March 11, 1972: Robert John, Climax, Dawn, Joe Tex, The Marvelettes”
JIMMIE HASKELL: William Tell Overture (Probe PRO 547).
From the soundtrack of ‘Zachariah’, which was a better movie than most people made out, this treatment of the famous galloping opus pales when compared with that ballsy classic, ‘Piltdown Rides Again‘ (same toon, different vintage).
Talking of movies, ALL rockers and nostalgicats will get a big kick out of seeing Albert Finney in ‘Gumshoe‘, the first “proper” film to quote from Rock ‘n Roll lyrics in the dialogue, and to include a rockers’ reunion scene purely for the joy of it. Oh yes, and the same crowd should try sampling the oldies but goodies that Ted Carroll sells every Saturday at “Rock On”, 93 Goldborne Road, off the top end of London’s Portobello Road. Cool Yule, y’all.
THE VENTURES: Theme From ‘Shaft’ (UA UP 35316).
Hot news of the year dept.: look who’s covered Isaac Hayes. Fine for Ventures fans, and fine in its own right actually – it’s just that they don’t deserve much credit for hitting all the right notes.
FREDDIE HART: Easy Loving (Capitol CL 15703).
Here’s this year’s big award-winning Country song, a relaxed slinky slowie made rather appealing by its subdued organ and steel guitar backing, and emphasised by a slipping and slurring girlie group on the title words. Sugary stuff for sure, but it is the real thing (instead of Country-yawn-Rock) and it is good. Continue reading “December 25, 1971: Jimmie Haskell, The Ventures, Freddie Hart, Charley Pride, Don Gibson”
BOB DYLAN: George Jackson (Big Band Version); (Acoustic Version) (CBS 7688).
Good value for Dylan fans!
DONNIE ELBERT: Where Did Our Love Go (London HLU 10352).
First product on Decca from Stang/All Platinum (last and only by Donnie on All Platinum — he’s now with Avco), this great U.S. Top 20 smash revival of the Supremes big oldie combines both stomp and subtlety … and should click. Dig the piano.
THE CHI-LITES: Have You Seen Her (MCA MU 1146).
You ought to get the album, but if you’re more into singles this particular 5:05 lush ‘n’ slushy slow track is a must for all Soul Vocal Group and Delfonics fans. (The label says 4:14, but it ain’t.) Over two million sold in USA. Two million people can’t be wrong (oh yeah?), so make it a hit here too, y’all. Continue reading “December 18, 1971: Bob Dylan, Donnie Elbert, The Chi-Lites, Redbone, Little Shelton”
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