Gloria Barnes: Uptown (1973) ... plus

Gloria "Towanda" Barnes is an obscure soul sister whom little is known except what can be gleaned from the notes on the back of her Maple album, Uptown, from 1973. She came from Harlem, NYC, and was discovered on Mary Fox's Northern Soul Night on Radio Stoke. Her first release was 'If I Am Guilty’ / 'Oh Darling' on the Groovy Imprint, as Towanda Barnes, but she is best known on the Northern Soul circuit for the tracks 'You Don’t Mean It' (backed by Lewis/Brantley song ‘Find Someone to Love Me’) and 'Love Slips Through My Fingers', interestingly both originally recorded by the Ohio Players. However, it is on her Uptown album that she really shines, showcasing her supreme vocals, particularly on the seven minute opus ‘Old Before My Time’. The record features 8 great songs - a few with Lee Moses and the Desciples Backing -, and mixes upbeat with some fine deep stuff. I included her first recording ‘If I Am Guilty’, as a bonus track. I am sure you will love it! http://indangerousrhythm.blogspot.com/, http://www.amazon.ca/, http://www.youtube.com/

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1. Old Before My Time
2. I'll Call You Back Later
3. I Found Myself
4. Gotta Get Away
5. You Don't Mean It

6. Home
7. She Wants a Stand In
8. I'll Go All the Way

9. If I Am Guilty [Bonus Track]

Patti Austin: End of a Rainbow / Havana Candy (1976-77)

Patti Austin brought a new sophistication to soul music during the late ‘70s, working in a generation with singers like Jean Carn and Marlena Shaw to forge a whole new style of modern R&B. Some of Patti's work of that era is a bit more pop-oriented than the other two, but the selection on this compilation containing her first two smooth jazzy soul LPs for CTI Records - End of a Rainbow and Havana Candy - got some of her finest moments. Originally issued in 1976, End of a Rainbow was Patti's solo debut album for CTI. Although not a commercial success, this album was one of the first ever to be exclusively devoted to the "Quiet Storm Sound" that was just then blossoming. Arranged by David Matthews, the album contains five original tracks later remixed for In My Life plus a lot of good stuff written mostly by Patti. It includes classic songs like 'What's at the End of a Rainbow', 'You Don't Have to say You're Sorry', 'In My Life' and the beautiful 'Say You Love Me'. CTI boss Creed Taylor obviously spared no expenses in getting the best session players for this cult record, including Randy and Michael Brecker, Joe Farrell, Richard Tee, Barry Miles, Eric Gale, Steve Khan, Will Lee, Chuck Rainey, Steve Gadd and Ralph MacDonald. As for Patti, her soulful, tender and at times wistful and melancholic vocals are nothing short of exquisite. Havana Candy (1977) was Patti Austin's second solo album for the label and it was as sweet and warm as her best work with Quincy Jones, but with a stronger spirit that is all her own. Stylistically, it's very similar to its predecessor and Patti's passionate and emotive vocals are truly magical and spellbinding on gorgeous ballads like ‘I Just Want to Know’, ‘Little Baby’ and ‘That's Enough for Me’. Produced by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, the line-up includes Michael Brecker, Eric Gale, Steve Khan, Richard Tee, Marvin Stamm, Dave Valentin, John Tropea, Will Lee and Ralph MacDonald. While neither commercially successful, Havana Candy is another Patti Austin classic which anyone who loves good music should not miss out on. http://www.amazon.com/.

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Patti performing 'I Just Want to Know' on Soul Train, in the late-'70s:

VA: Philly Soul Girls, Vol.1 (1963-1967)

B & L Productions, formed by songwriter Frank Bendinelli and arranger Leroy Lovett, recorded quite a bit of music in Philadelphia in the ‘60s for either their own small labels or for lease to other companies. Much of it typified the city's transition from R&B, doo-wop, twist, and girl group music to early Philadelphia soul, and this 26-song compilation of rare singles and unreleased material focuses on the women vocalists they recorded during the mid-'60s. It could not be said that Motown wasn’t an inspiration for many of these songs, but that's not the worst thing in the world; at least the model is good, and the execution more than pleasing. Certainly the standout cut here is Patty & the Emblems' ‘Mixed Up Shook Up Girl’ (the unreleased long version), with its swaggering horns and confident girl-group-styled vocal. It was a big hit in Philly in 1964, and had the potential to be a big hit everywhere. Another highlight is Joyce Bennett's ‘New Boy,’ a good sassy girl-group tune with an uptown sound. Incidentally, the four cuts by Honey & the Bees are by an entirely different group than the more popular Honey & the Bees that recorded for Arctic/Josie. All in all, this is a wonderfully rich body of work filled with many overlooked gems and lots of upbeat groovers with a Northern Soul bounce, including ‘Call On Me’ and 'It Happens Everyday' by The Persianettes, ‘The Hard Way’ by The Butterflies, ‘Uncle Sam’ by The Sherwoods, ‘That Guy Belongs To Me’ by The Swans, ‘Inside of Me’ by Fannie & The Varcells, ‘Dead End’ and ‘Here I Am’ by Ann Byers, plus two great tracks by unknown artists! Although, of course, the city had in the early ‘70s a huge reputation for pre-disco girl groups, this great collection takes a good look at Philly's strong female soul scene during the ‘60s. Shouldn’t miss this one! http://www.answers.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

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The Bobbettes: The Ultimate Collection - Mr. Lee and Others (1998)

The Bobbettes were among the first successful girl groups of the rock era. In a field dominated by male artists, these five young girls from Harlem became the first all-girl doo-wop group to have a #1 R&B hit and a Top Ten pop hit with their first single, 'Mr. Lee,' in 1957. Originally dubbed the Harlem Queens, the group teamed sisters Emma and Jannie Pought with Laura Webb, Helen Gathers, and Reather Dixon. First meeting in 1955 while singing in the glee club at Harlem's P.S. 109, soon the girls were appearing at the Apollo Theater's legendary amateur nights, and through manager James Dailey, they landed a contract with Atlantic. Inspired by their fifth grade teacher, the Bobbettes' debut ‘Mr. Lee’ appeared in mid-1957 and was also their biggest hit. The song reportedly began as an insulting one until their label made the group change the lyric to something more upbeat. Four Atlantic follow-ups failed to chart, and after issuing the ballad ‘You Are My Sweetheart’ in 1959, the group left the label for the Triple-X imprint. There they released ‘I Shot Mr. Lee’, a song which returns to the original sentiment when the girls gleefully describe shooting Mr. Lee in the head. Despite (or perhaps because of) its graphic subject matter the song began to climb the charts, forcing Atlantic to release their own version and effectively killing the single's momentum. Although the subsequent ‘Have Mercy Baby’ and ‘Dance with Me Georgie’ both emerged as minor hits, in 1960 the Bobbettes moved to End Records, cutting the standard ‘Teach Me Tonight.’ 1962's ‘I Don't Like It Like That,’ an answer song to the Chris Kenner hit ‘I Like It Like That,’ was the group's last chart entry, although they continued recording for a series of labels, most notably Diamond and Mayhew, through 1974, touring oldies circuits in years to follow. The Bobbettes were a unique vocal group with an original style and a youthful energy that is contagious, particularly on their early cuts. As lengthy as it is, this 34-tracks collection doesn't have all of the Bobbettes' singles, but compiles so many of them that collectors can hardly complain. http://www.answers.com/

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Esther Phillips: And I Love Him! / Esther Phillips Sings (1965-1966)

Esther Phillips was perhaps too versatile for her own good, at least commercially speaking; while she was adept at singing blues, early R&B, gritty soul, jazz, straight-up pop, disco, and even country, her record companies often lacked a clear idea of how to market her, which prevented her from reaching as wide an audience as she otherwise might have. An acquired taste for some, Phillips' voice had an idiosyncratic, nasal quality that often earned comparisons to Nina Simone, although she herself counted Dinah Washington as a chief inspiration. This compilation packages her first two LPs for Atlantic, 1965's And I Love Him! and the following year's Esther Phillips Sings. A collection of "great love songs," And I Love Him! leads with the title track, a Beatles cover and an R&B hit, featuring a soft yet tremendously effective performance from Esther. Elsewhere Phillips wears her Dinah Washington influences well, stretching out her voice and exercising it with a sly, nuanced delivery while tackling a few excellent choices for material: ‘Shangri-La,’ ‘Out of the Blue,’ and ‘I Wish You Love.’ Surprisingly, she also exhibits a sure hand with some odd crossovers like ‘Moonglow' & 'Theme from Picnic,’ ‘People,’ and ‘Girl From Ipanema.’ The arrangements, by Ray Ellis, are definitely geared toward adult pop, but fortunately they're never so ostentatious that they get in the way of Phillips' idiosyncratic voice and gorgeous performances. This album is wonderfully complemented here by Esther Sings, a lovely collection of standards that she sings in her own individual and totally winning style. With the opener ‘It's All Right With Me' leading the way, Oliver Nelson's seven arrangements bring out the best in Phillips, giving her plenty of space with light instrumentation but filling any available gaps with his strong, brassy orchestra. ‘A Taste of Honey’ and 'Just Say Goodbye' are also very successful, leaving the big-band era for a groovier period of swinging traditional pop. All in all, both albums showcase Esther Phillip's finesse and easy charm linking the world of R&B and jazzy pop. http://www.answers.com/

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Esther Phillips' classic rendition of The Beatles' 'And I Love Her (Him)'. She is introduced here by Mr. Lennon himself:

Clydie King: The Imperial & Minit Years (1964-1968)

Texan born singer Clydie King is better known as a backing singer, having worked for many of the great names, including Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Crosby, Stills & Nash and many others. She was one of the most in demand backing vocalists during her decades of singing; yet she only released three albums of her own between 1971 and 1976. Her career began when she was still a teenage, fronting the band Little Clydie and the Teens. She then recorded a series of singles for various labels, including RPM, Minit, Imperial, Specialty, Phillips and Lizard. In 1966 she became one of the original Raelettes backing Ray Charles and later dueting with him on his album Love Country Style, released in 1970. King sang on The Supremes song Nathan Jones as well as the Dylan project Dylan's Gospel. Around the same time her band the Blackberries signed to Motown where they recorded an album which was never released - King was too busy recording for other labels to find time to promote the release. Her next band was called Brown Sugar and in 1973 King had her first and only chart hit with ‘Loneliness (Will Bring Us Together Again)’. This 22-track compilation features all of her singles released through Imperial and Minit Records between 1964 and 1968 in chronological order. Given the close relation of those labels there's a relatively unified feel, kind of a California approach, that mixes in a bit of deep soul roots to a fuller, more New York style of soul. Clydie has also a nice, somewhat shy voice and understated, subtle delivery that comes as a refreshing contrast to the usual soul belters who try so hard to sing their hearts out. Production on some tracks is by Jimmy Holiday and Jerry Riopelle and arrangements are by Rene Hall, Nick DeCaro, and others. It is really great throughout, with a quite surprising strength, given the spare circulation of these singles at the time. The set features the two duets she recorded with the equally underrated Jimmy Holiday; ‘Ready, Willing and Able’ is an up-tempo funky number reminiscent of the girl group sounds of the time. In addition there are 8 previously-unreleased bonus tracks which show her trying some pretty unexpected tunes by the likes of Mickey Newbury, Bobbie Gentry, and Phil Ochs, as well as some rootsier stuff like the bluesy ‘I'm Glad I'm a Woman.’ Other tracks include 'My Love Grows Deeper', 'He Always Comes Back To Me', 'Soft And Gentle Ways', and 'Shing-A-Ling'. http://www.answers.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.bol.com/
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I am afraid this video has very poor quality, but it seems to be the only way to see a performance of Clydie in the '60s:
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Rozetta Johnson: Personal Woman (1970-75)

Like so many African-American singers who defected from the church for a tantalising taste of secular pastures, cult soul siren Rozetta Johnson became disillusioned with the music business and eventually returned to her gospel roots. It could have been different if the Alabama-born chanteuse had been able to build a career on the back of her 1970 Billboard chart entry, ‘A Woman’s Way’, which grazed the R&B Top 40. Co-helmed by budding R&B tunesmith Sam Dees, the record – a striking, plaintive mid-tempo ballad - was issued on producer Clinton Moon's Clintone label, then distributed by mighty Atlantic Records. Johnson followed up her debut chart entry with an even stronger Dees-penned song, 'Who Are You Gonna Love (Your Woman or Your Wife),' a spouse's heartfelt plea to her cheating husband. One of several outstanding tracks on this new 16-track compilation, 'Who Are Gonna Love…' for all its musical merits failed to crack the R&B Top 40 on its release and sadly, all subsequent 45s that Johnson cut for the label in the next few years sank without trace. Rozetta's vocals are already plenty darn great on their own, sharp-edged, and presented with a level of class that almost reminds us of Chicago or Detroit singers from the time, but in the hands of Sam Dees, she really hits the sublime. Working with incredible lyrics that go far beyond the usual southern soul cliches, and getting some backings that are equally free from the obvious, she definitely goes in the upper-echelon of sophisticated soul. This truly superlative 16-track compilation features all seven of Johnson’s Clintone singles, as well as several previously unissued sides from the archives. The most salient of these is the up-tempo ‘You Better Keep What You Got’, which combines Johnson’s raspy gospel hollers with a propulsive disco beat. There are also two previously unissued cuts, 'For That Man of Mine' and 'Mama Was a Bad Seed.' The material and Johnson's performances are consistently strong, with her original version of '(I Like Making That) Early Morning Love' - later covered by Gwen McCrae – catching the ear along with uptempo workouts like 'I Can Feel My Love Comin'. This compelling cache of '70s Southern soul is undoubtedly one of the best soul compilations released in recent years. Miss it and weep. http://soulandjazzandfunk.com/, http://www.recordcollectormag.com/

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Love Unlimited - From a Girl's Point of View We Give to You... (1972)

From a Girl's Point of View We Give You... is a cohesive album-length meditation on the highs and lows of love, delivered by a satiny girl group trio pillowed in one of the warmest production surroundings yet heard on a pop album, courtesy of one Barry White. The reason that Love Unlimited was founded long before mastermind Barry White's career took off was that by the end of the ‘60s Barry considered himself solely a composer. Initially he had little intention to step into the limelight himself and thus recruited the three females as a means of publishing his songs: Glodean and her sister Linda, plus Diane Taylor. Ironically, both Barry White and Love Unlimited were signed to 20th Century Fox at the same time in 1971. They had spent a year working up their material, and it shows: the nine songs hang together like few soul albums of the time. Opening with a subdued monologue by Glodean James, the album does take awhile to get to the best track and biggest hit; the last one here, ‘Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love,’ became White's first massive hit, complete with ambient rain noise and a tender telephone call between White and James. ‘I'll Be Yours Forever More’ and ‘If This World Were Mine’ (the latter a beautiful Marvin Gaye cover) are what the Supremes would have sounded like if they'd had the material, the producers, the freedom, and the ambition to record a concept album in the late '60s. Barry White's arrangements are reminiscent of the mid-'60s Holland-Dozier-Holland sound, but with all the icy edges melted off and the driving drumwork coaxed into a mid-tempo crawl. Subsequent to enjoying this first success, White created the idea to put the huge Love Unlimited Orchestra together (1972), which was supposed to back Barry's “three angels”. Soon thereafter White was a constant measure in the soul charts himself, and Love Unlimited usually opened the shows for his concerts. The girl group had no more chart busters by the end of the ‘70s and finally broke apart. Glodean and Barry had married by that time, and later released the duet album Barry & Glodean together (1981). http://www.allmusic.com/, http://rateyourmusic.com/

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The girls performing their big hit 'Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love' on Soul Train, 1972:

Minnie Riperton: Her Chess Years (1964-1971)

Because of the broad range of material on this comp, it serves not only as a representation of Minnie Riperton's early vocal work, but also as a time capsule of ‘60s popular music; in other words, this is not just for die-hard Minnie Riperton fans. The set starts off with Minnie singing lead as a member of the Gems. It follows with ‘Lonely Girl,’ which Minnie recorded under the pseudonym Andrea Davis. It was her first single as a solo artist and was a local Chicago-area hit featuring Minnie's signature stratospheric operatic vocals. That is followed by another Gems recording. The Gems are in the classic tradition of early ‘60s girl groups such as the Ronettes, the Shirelles, and the Marvelettes. The remaining tracks on the album feature Minnie as a member of Rotary Connection. All of their songs were produced and arranged by Charles Stepney, perhaps best known for his association with Earth, Wind & Fire. Although categorized as a rock band, Rotary Connection dabbled into many musical forms. Their fine covers of ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses’ (Cream) and ‘The Burning of the Midnight Lamp’ (Jimi Hendrix) would certainly be categorized as rock, but they were also quite at home with other forms of music. Minnie and co-lead vocalist Sidney Barnes team up to do a very distinctive version of the R&B classic, ‘Respect.’ Also catch their call-and-response vocals on their rendition of T-Bone Walker's blues classic, ‘They Call It Stormy Monday.’ ‘Christmas Love’ and their version of the Christmas standard ‘Silent Night,’ will put you in the holiday spirit even in the middle of summer. When Minnie calls out, "Don't forget Chicago" toward the end of ‘Christmas Love,’ you can't help but be moved whether or not you're a native of the "Windy City." Also included here is ‘Want You to Know,’ their only song to make the Hot 100, which slowly builds to a rousing climax. ‘If I Sing My Song,’ closes the compilation and is in the vein of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, which demonstrates yet another side of Rotary Connection. Minnie Riperton fan or not, this set will surely take you on a musical adventure. http://www.amazon.com/

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Betty Wright: Danger High Voltage / This Time for Real (1998)

Singer Betty Wright proved to be a consistently strong presence on the Miami music scene, primarily throughout the '70s and '80s, although she continues to record. She began her singing career early on as a member of her family's own gospel group the Echoes of Joy. By the age of 13, Wright had begun appearing on other artists' recordings as a backup singer and two years later was issuing her own solo singles and albums. It would be several years, however, before Wright would enjoy her next substantial hit, but it would prove to be worth the wait when 1972's ‘Clean Up Woman’ peaked at number two on the R&B and number six on the pop charts. In 1974, Wright received a Grammy Award for the song ‘Where Is the Love?’; she steadily continued to issue albums throughout the decade, including such standout titles as 1975's Danger High Voltage (which spawned three R&B hits, ‘Shoorah! Shoorah!,’ ‘Where Is the Love?,’ and ‘Tonight Is the Night’) and 1978's Betty Wright Live. 1981's hit collaboration with Stevie Wonder, ‘What Are You Gonna Do With It?,’ proved to be Wright's last substantial hit. Wright continued issuing albums throughout the '80s and '90s, in addition to trying her hand as a television talk show hostess and contributing backing vocals to a wide variety of other artists. This out-of-print compilation gathers two of Betty Wright's harder to find albums, Danger High Voltage (1975, originally released on Alston) and This Time It's Real (1977, originally released on Alston), both recorded with the help of Miami soul giants like Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Steve Alaimo. Tracks include ‘Brick Grits’, ‘Room at the Top’, ‘If You Abuse My Love’, ‘Show Your Girl’, ‘Come on Up’, ‘That Man of Mine’, and her classics ‘Shoorah! Shoorah!,’ ‘Where Is the Love?,’ and ‘Tonight Is the Night’, among others. As a bonus I added both sides of her 1976 single 'Slip and Do It' / 'I Think I Better Think About It' (#21 R&B), not included on any of her albums. http://www.allmusic.com, http://www.dustygroove.com/

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Betty Wright performing 'Tonight's the Night', from her album Danger High Voltage:

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Here, on Soul Train, singing 'Everybody Was Rockin':

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And finally, also on Soul Train, 'Slip And Do It' (1976):