Dear friends of this blog, I've been ill for a week or so and am right now about to recover. Of course these things happen to you when you least need them, e.g. in the week between Xmas and New Year's Eve. Did some cursin'.
Motown (CAN) LP # M 832V1 (1975)
Luckily I pulled myself together just in time to prepare this year's last blog post. Since some time now I've had in mind that the 31st of December needs something funky, and not just funky but F-U-N-K-Y ! And here one of JB's funky divas enters the stage: Yvonne Fair. in 1974, she recorded a handful of gritty funk tunes every one of which is a true ear bone shatterer. By 1974, Yvonne had been in the business since a long time. From 1963 onwards she was part of the James Brown Revue, and in 1965 she gave birth to JB's daughter Venisha. In the later '60s, Chuck Jackson brought her to Motown, but her first (and only) album only appeared in late spring 1975. Before that she regularly performed as an opening act for the likes of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye until in June '74 her first solo single (on the Motown label) hit the Soul charts. That first made her name known to a larger public and she was now noticed by JET: ... a honey peach of a girl ... she may look like an overnight hit, but she has been working and waiting for this break more than 10 years (August 1 issue, p. 60).
In '74 and early '75, Motown released three 45s of Yvonne Fair, and all the sides are included in her LP. These are actually the funky tunes on this album, while most others are in the ballad- ish vein (»It Should Have Been Me«); there's also a nice version of »I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)«. The aggressively sexist (yet intended anti-sexist) bitch concept of her fabulous album stands in a row of similar LPs of black female r&b singers in the post-Pam Grier era, culminating in Denise LaSalle's infamous The Bitch Is Bad album in 1977.
So let's move on to Yvonne's funky sides, one or two more than usual in this blog. But that's fine for today. The tracks are ripped from the LP but they were originally released on her three (and only) Motown 45s. Real killer-tunes! The latter two are probably well-known to most of you, the first two maybe not so. Happy New Year Y'all!
Yvonne Fair: »Love Ain't No Toy« / »Walk Out The Door If You Wanna« from the LP The Bitch Is Black (1975):
»Let Your Hair Down« / »Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On« from the LP The Bitch Is Black (1975):
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In case your head is clear tomorrow and you'd like to read more about Yvonne Fair, you can go here (in Italian) and here (in French).
The third single of the Gerald Sisters is a strange record: two more or less identical songs, with different lyrics: first OT, then NT. The A-side, »Holy Ground«, tells the story of Moses facing God on Mount Sinai (or rather vice versa), the B-side, »Who Jesus Is«, is a personal testimony of faith or, more exactly, a panegyric of the person of Jesus; the latter song is credited to Hoyt Sullivan (producer & owner of HSE Records) and Rev. Hassie Gerald (father of the four Gerald Sisters, playing piano / keyboard in most of their recordings).
For the record: The Gerald Sisters of Mullins, South Carolina, recorded several 45s and four LPs for HSE Records, then switched to Malaco. I believe Betty Gerald did the lead singing, but I'm not sure. HSE # 435 was probably recorded and released in 1975, yet this also is not exactly known. In and around their hometown, the Gerald Sisters are still active. In general, information about the Gerald Sisters (and the label HSE) is scarce. Happy Sunday all!
The Gerald Sisters: »Holy Ground« / »Who Jesus Is« on HSE # 435 (1975?):
Hello all! I'm back to my everyday activities, and so is this blog. As a welcome which befits a summer evening I thought one of the many monster songs of Arkansas-born Shirley Brown might be just the right choice.
From the back cover of Truth LP # 4206
In January '75, Shirley's debut album »Woman To Woman« was released on the Stax subsid- iary Truth (LP TRS-4206). She had recorded some songs back in 1972 but they went no- where, although they had been arranged and produced by Oliver Sain (who was active in the St. Louis music scene and during the '60s worked together with Fontella Bass, among others). Shirley then had a recording session in Memphis in 1974 that resulted in the songs of her debut album, »Woman To Woman« becoming her greatest hit (single release in Nov '74: Truth # 3206). In December, especially strong sales were reported from Chicago. Duck Dunn from Booker T & The MG's played bass in that session.
However, I always felt that the opening song of Shirley's first LP, »It Ain't No Fun«, really stands out, not only for being a 7-minute vocal tour-de-force (in the album version). The single version of that song was released some months after the album in May '75, reaching the upper 30s of the Billboard Soul Singles Charts in June and barely scratching the Hot 100 at #94. It arguably is one of the most moving (as well as vocally challenging) deep soul ballads ever recorded. And yes, there is a long spoken passage in the middle of the song but it nicely serves to highlight Shirley's soaring vocals in the final part.
Shirley Brown: »It Ain't No Fun« from the Truth LP # 4206:
This blog is goin' into summer break. But I will cheer you off with another gospel delight. It comes, once again, from the Loving Sisters. I already told you something about this family-gospel-outfit from Arkansas; you may read it here. And apart from presenting their 1974 album »The Loving Sisters and Their Sons«, I also made you familiar, if was needed, with their preceding LP from 1973, entitled »A New Dimen- sion«. Check it out here.
ABC Peacock LP # PL-59220 (1975) »A New Day«
For today, we move on to 1975 and to another fine album by the Loving Sis- ters. It is aptly called »A New Day«, after »The Sounds Of A New Era« (1973) and »A New Dimen- sion« (1973). I attribute it to Gladys McFadden, driving force behind the Loving Sisters, that the LPs of this group were so heavily charged with novelty terms, new eras, new dimensions, and new days. Does this express the pride of McFadden and her sisters that they were able, for a number of years, to pour out albums of the highest quality? And add to this the remarkable fact that most of the songs they recorded were not cover versions, but original songs penned by Gladys McFadden herself, with occasional contributions by other members of the group.
Ah well, Bil Carpenter surely has a point when, in his entry on the Loving Sisters, he finds much to praise their art: »... they recorded gospel music that was ahead of its time. ... The half dozen or so albums they recorded during the period (i.e. in the '70s) are some of the best, virtually forgotten, examples of contemporary gospel music.« (Uncloudy Days, page 258). I heartily agree. And what is more, Carpenter singled out the LP »A New Day« as the one recommended recording of the Loving Sisters, and let me quote in full what he has to say about it:
»It's long out of print, but A New Day (ABC-Peacock Records, 1975) is as fine an example of '70s contemporary gospel as one will find. From the biting funk and social commentary of "People Getting Married" to the country church steel guitar of "Old Home Town" to the laid-back, intoxicating horn lines of the ballad "We Are One," it is a warm, enjoyable listening experience.« (Uncloudy Days, p. 258).
But, I'd like to add, the entire album makes for an enjoyable listening experience, and though it happens only rarely that a LP comes without filler or less accomplished tracks, it surely is the case here. Apart from the tunes mentioned by Carpenter - and he missed to say that "Old Home Town" is not only a very countryish song but autobiographical -, we have on this LP »He'll Answer Prayer« (a frenzied, fast-paced gospel boogie) and several others, ranging from ballad (»Find My Dream«) to soul gospel (»I Believe«, »I Have Found The Way«). However, the two songs I want to offer unto your graciously inclined ears are the first tracks of the album: »A New Day« and »Slowly But Surely«. They were both composed by Gladys McFadden, the first up- tempo, the second midtempo and, interestingly enough, again with a strong auto- biographical undercurrent. Before you listen to these beautiful tunes let me conclude by saying that »Love Act«, officially billed on the LP, was the instrumental group composed by the sons of the Loving Sisters, including McFadden's son Leonard Givens. And now we clear the stage for Gladys's potent contralto voice, the vocals of her sisters and the driving sounds of their sons' instrumental backing:
Loving Sisters And Love Act: »A New Day« / »Slowly But Surely« from the ABC-Peacock LP # PL-59220 (1975):
I am interested in the music, not in the relative rarity of discs. I also listen with great pleasure to Aretha Franklin, because she has the voice of the century. Music is no Faith and therefore has no heretics.
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No music downloads on this site. All mp3s (with very few exceptions where noted) are ripped from original vinyl discs. If something on this blog is objectionable to anyone or should, for valid reasons, be re- moved from the net please let me know; it will be removed. And to reiterate: This is a non-profit blog.
