Goodwill Girl Groups

These are three of the eight records I got last week for $7.98 at the Goodwill near where I work. I don't go too often, but each time I manage to find something interesting. Last time it was a David Axelrod produced Lou Rawls joint. I've been assessing my purchases and found these three great tracks in the process. The Pointer Sisters jam some of you probably know and I was aware of it before copping the album, but these other two were pleasent surprises. Enjoy!

















Pointer Sisters - Don't It Drive Your Crazy


















Softouch - Please Be True


















Hot - Just 'Cause I'm Guilty

The Roger Saga Continues: Dick's Initial thrust

I've been meaning to post some lesser-known Roger Troutman joints, but got held up trying to rip Shirley Murdock's 1986 album.
So, instead we're gonna give you two of my favorite cuts from another Troutman side project, Dick Smith's "Initial Thrust." This is kinda a weird project in that it comes off like a early-eighties version of jazz/soul vocalist album in the style of Lou Rawls in the mid-sixties on Capitol. Dick is a real interpreter of songs and on this, his only album, he tackles mostly cover tunes with a few Troutman-penned tunes squeezed in. The covers are WAY better, in my opinion, than the originals and they all have that Roger touch . . . that "more bounce" BOOM-CLAP.

Dick Smith - Tobacco Road
This opening track from Dick's album screams Roger from the first drum-kick. I've never really gotten into this old war-horse of a song until this version. Dick really rips into it by the end.

Dick Smith - Long and Winding Road
THIS is my jam! I know its smooth with those muted trumpets and tender beat, but not since Clapton re-did Layla has a cover version turned a song on its head. This album was Dick Smith's first AND last "thrust."

. . . over to you Morgan. Do it roger!

It's Been A Long Long Time . . . Since We Had A Slow Jam

I picked this one up on a whim with a whole bunch of other LPs and 45s a few weeks back. In fact, I think it came from the same vendor that sold me the Gary Bartz LP . . . I wasn't sure what to make of it, but the price was right so I gave it a chance. But there's something peculiar about this 45. What appears to be the A-Side is "I Understand My Man" written by Holland-Dozier-Holland and produced by Holland-Dozier and dates from 1966. Today's featured song is on the B-side but its date is from 1961! I think what this refers to is the publishing date of the song in its original version done by Harvey Fuqua and the Five Quails. But I'm guessing that this track was also recorded in 1966 for their lone album "Darling Baby". Enjoy!

The Elgins - It's Been A Long Long Time
Lead Vocals [Lead] - Saundra
Producer - Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol
Written By - Harvey Fuqua/The Five Quails





Also another great oldie, but goodie over on Soul Spectrum Videos culled from a recent purchase, Marvin Gaye - Live in Montreaux 1980.

R.I.P. Dee Dee Warwick

I first heard of Dee Dee Warwick from an excellent Atlantic Records compilation from the early seventies (Heavy Soul, 1972) that I picked up near the beginning of my record digging days. It was back in Washington, DC and likely I recognized some of the bigger names on the comp, but the depth of this comp still surprises me: Little Sister, King Floyd, Beginning of the End, Donny Hathaway and Dee Dee Warwick among better known stars of the Atlantic roster like Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave and Aretha Franklin. Since my first of two two trips to Graceland I've been a huge fan of the song "Suspicious Minds" and Dee Dee's version does not disappoint with its loping groove and laid-back reading.

Fast-forward to NYC and I stumble across an eBay lot of 45s including the 45 from whence the Suspicious Minds track came from and sure enough the flip is just as good! Most recently, when having a sidewalk sale of records in preparation for my westward move I ran into a guy from Guyana who asked if I had any Dee Dee Warwick records, particularly the one with "Suspicious Minds" on it. I don't know that an album exists, but he remembers growing up in Guyana and how that song was a huge hit there. Crazy.

The reason I'm posting this double-sided piece of gold is because sadly Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne's younger sister, niece of Cissy Houston (cousin of Whitney), passed away at the age of 63 on October 20th.

Dee Dee Warwick - Suspicious Minds








Dee Dee Warwick (with the Dixie Flyers) - I'm Glad I'm a Woman

Bobby Caldwell Gets an Upgrade

As I described in the first post in the "Free Pass" series, to receive a "free pass" you need to be White and play music in a traditionally "Black" or R&B/SOUL/FUNK/JAZZ style with such success that Black listeners might not even know that the musician/singer is White and even if they know, they don't care because it fits right in with other more "authentic" musicians or singers.

So, when I first posted Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love" I suggested that Bobby might not qualify for a "Free Pass", but merely a "Day Pass" that one song. Thankfully, I was wrong. Bobby's second album "Cat in the Hat" is equally dope and features this song, which was sampled to great effect on Common's classic jam "The Light." Congratulations Bobby!

Bobby Caldwell - Open Your Eyes

Muxtape: Horrible Name, Great Concept

Thanks to Michelle, for forwarding me this site. It's super easy to use and really captures some of the magic of the mix-tape phenomenon. I made my first tape this morning in between other tasks. Check it out here:

http://ambassador.muxtape.com/

Or make your own here.

Free Pass #1: Bobby Caldwell

Being a certifiable record-nerd there are many occasions when I sit, stand, smoke around with like-minded individuals. One of the more frequent sessions takes place on the back porch area of my all-time favorite bar in Brooklyn, or anywhere for that matter, Black Betty, where the night's DJ and I can shoot the shit, talk about records for from the din of the sound system. The other night i was back there with DJ Greg Caz of Brazilian Beat Brooklyn fame and I don't know how we got to talking about this, but what I remember is this concept of "Free Pass" - all credit to Greg for this idea. Basically, the "Free Pass" means that an otherwise fair-skinned singer/musician gets respect from Black fans as if this individual were actually Black themselves. The names thrown out that night were Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Michael Franks and even Kenny Loggins. This is not say that these artists' entire body of work is exempted from ridicule by the R&B crowd, but maybe for a few songs or an album, they get a "Free Pass."

I already discussed one such artist in the early days of Soul Spectrum, when I profiled Heatwave leading man and Quincy Jones prodigy, Rod Temperton. I like the "Free Pass" concept and I'm gonna make an amendment and allow some artists to only receive a "Day Pass", while others get more leeway with with a "Free Pass."

Today we're gonna start with Bobby Caldwell, who's a classic example of a "Free Pass", though he might only qualify for the "Day Pass" . . . I'm still figuring this guy out and he may indeed have more to offer than this sublime tune off of his debut album, released in 1978 on the T.K. subsidiary, Clouds label. Word just in . . . evidently he's got another gem on his second album, Cat in the Hat, called "Open Your Eyes." I'll have to track it down and post it here soon to see if Bobby gets more than a "Day Pass" . . . until then the jury is out.

Bobby Caldwell - What You Won't Do For Love
This track is just a perfect slice of smooth soul and stands up on its own in addition to its credentials in the sample-game: Aaliyah, Guru, Kool G Rap, Master P and Tupac. Most white R&B singers reveal their true melatonin deficiency in their vocal delivery in very subtle ways, but Bobby is an exception to the rule along with Michael McDonald and maybe Darryl Hall, but we'll get to these guys later . . .