Thursday 1 November 2018

Eddie Kendricks (1978) How's Your Love Life Baby - LOST 70s GEMS

 Vintage 78 was Eddie Kendrick's album starts with How's Your Love Life Baby which kicks proceedings off with the delightful Jackson Five mix of congas and vibraphones before a flurry of vocals, flutes and wah wah guitars sweep in. The rumbling drum rolls in Tony Macaulay's The Best of Strangers combined with the twinkly vibes and chimes keep things bright and sparkly on this Carpenters sounding cut.Don't Underestimate the Power of Love is another song full of zinging strings and winsome tenor vocals from Kendricks, soulful choruses and big doom laden drums.
Ain't No Smoke Without Fire is a disco cut with Motown sound that by 78 was at least ten years old and out of date but still pretty groovy, If It Takes All Night is a slow jam where Kendrick's delivery is exposed as a little too meek, while One of the Poorest People is an delicious mixed soul song with upfront waka waka guitar, sweet strings far back and Kendricks backed by his chorus singers in the middle singing with gospel spirituality as wah wah guitars and toms roll on. Whip is a strange one as it starts with an odd bullfrog vocie doing a countdown before launching into it's heavy Disco beat, the social conscious lyrics not fitting the elements of a soulful disco tune with it's huge horns and sultry backing vocals. The chorus of Your Wish IS My Command is catchy, it goes "Just like a genie Your Wish is My Command, And if you leave me you only have to clap your hands" by the sweetest gospel singers and backed by a twinkly, quiet storm meets Disney music bed, but Maybe I'm a Fool to Love You sounds like an exact copy, same tempo and production elements.


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