Bringing obscure songs from the 1970s such as deep album cuts, underrated cover songs and forgotten singles back on this blog. The 70s was a great time for music, possibly the best and the most diverse; that some gems that need to be rediscovered
A very clear, three dimensional sonic soul album form 72, full of dynamite power and colourful wah wah textures and equally lush vocals. McNeir's vibrato is excellent on the quiet moving tribute to his son on Daddy's Coming Home where he explains "me and your mama, just couldn't get along!..but I'll never do you wrong!". The background singers are suitably hushed and reverbed for full on seductive effect on the listener; each track caresses you and makes each song a soft but intriguing package that draws you in.
McNeir's wonderfully restrained tenor wails for pop vibe while the strings have cold urban metallic feel to them, coursing in a very echoed manor along with some very hollow organ lines and reverbed piano beds; it all adds to the haunted nature of the album on tracks like the distant sounding The Tears in my Heart. The Motown tambourine shuffle of Gone Away with it's soul guitar of thin guitar lines and funky, reverb guitar chords full of Latin blues licks. Trouble's a Loser mixes many 70s elements from the sweet wah wah to the very precise electric organ playing and the use of a Melodica here and in other places on the album with it's harmonica by way of a keyboard sound adds a sunny country morning vibe to proceedings. Young Girl is the most pop and constructed song o the very 'airey' slow jam based album, the structure is more clear than the arrangements of the other tunes. The call and response chat on In the Summertime is very dated but sounds great with the smoky voice artists' luscious accents.Keep Your Hands Off My Lady starts with frenetic percussion intrlocking with intricate melodica lines, while the closer Girl you Gonna Lose your Groove features large wah wah strains and excellent melodica fills, playing blues improvisations.
You Better Make Sure creates an incredible sound with a flute and the multiple vocal tracks sounding like they were recorded in a deep well while the hazy trumpets are multi tracked and mixes in the background in this very spacey chamber reverbed mix to create a almost space age synth sound. McNeir looks off in a look of being either at peace, or in love, in the velvety 70s cover with his big afro front and centre and a rainbow logo for his name.
The Hollies' Out on the Road was only the second album with Allan Clarke replacement, Mikael Rickfors, it's one of their strongest with album jams that really rock like Trans-Atlantic West Bound Jet (#1); the evil sounding blues number features a flanged treated lead vocal, echoed handclaps and yells and equally out there guitar synths playing odd jazz scales and robotic lines. This is just the first half before a heady mix of oboe, wurlitzer pianos and tremolo guitars descends all clashing in an echoed chamber mix like a madhouse. Mexico Gold is a bluegrassy AM pop song with funky hard rock breaks, some reggae tempo and wailing harmonica. Pick Up the Pieces plays like a Philly Soul production which was all the rage at the time of the record's release, with its dusky sound of a ekectruc sitar cutting through an air of tables and radiant piano keys creating a humid vibe. Listen to how the sitar blazes in on the chorus, destroying some country blues licks, comfortably creating a cool swagger to the performance no guitar could've done with the same notes. Terry Sylvester's vocals aren't anything special here but he nails the refrain 'love is strange? Pick up the pieces again '.
The band's new singer Mikael Rickfors, a Scandinavian with a clean pop voice equally adept at rock, gospel and country leanings wrote some excellent songs for the album. The first one he wrote, Don't Leave the Child Alone has a crisp sound of a sweet lyrical wah wah guitar playing countrified slide licks, ringing out so wide, the downhome fast paced vocals have an affectation element to them that works, a rugged facade that belies the feminine heart felt affection of the lyrics.That thick wah wah guitar spreads all over the audio channels, it was miked effectiviley to capture a large clean recording of a sweet guitar effect. The next Rickfors' tune could be the best of a very strong set of songs presented on this album, it's its called They Don't Realise I'm Down, it represents the albums mix of fast paced countrified folk rock, funky rhythms, Soul textures and gospel harmonies. The exquisite tune starting similar to the other Rickfors' song with a wide wah wah guitar chords flanging out while Rickfors sing in a restrained, downbeat, downtrodden, understated delivery before breaking out into a golden sing a long harmony of "All the People looking around, They don't realize I'm down!", it's a beautiful sunny group vocal with a deeper edge to it far away form the romantic and post-hippy simple messages of the album. It's a darker statement cloaked in a happy upebat manner, my favourite kind of music style, that country rock groups like The Eagles and Firefall would soon master too.
If It Wasn't for the Reason That I Love You starts with the most awesome guitar opening with a relentless arpeggio two octaves a part providing a rolling riverbed for a sparse but smooth guitar lick wind away. The quiet fast syncopated lead vocal works with the conga led beat and the soft romantic lyrics, it's a shame the song never gets as vibrant as that stirring guitar opening. Shame.
A Better Place opens with wah wah quacking funk guitars before the glam verses concerning a guy who feels more in common with his mother in a simplistic gender dichotomy before the hippie choruses. The wah wah solo is so disco discofied for 1973 while the ticking keyboard heard faintly in the background is a nice arrangement addition. Nearer to You starts with fabulous hybrid of reggae and hard rock as a series of heavy guitars slide back and forth in sync to a cowbell while chirpy pan flute sings a calypso line over it; its another stunning intro and displayed the band' magnificent arrangement ability (this intro reminds meof Canned Heat' Up in the Country). When the vocals come in they can't natch the cheery upbeat attitude but the melody and lyrics alongside the reggae guitars and piping flute that is a missed opportunity for a hit single. In fact the album has many commercial radio friendly songs sitting around on this album aside from those mentioned. Nearer to You and A Better Place are great songs written by Hollies guitarist Tony Hicks and early 60s pop singer Kenny Lynch's but the peak of the Hicks/Lynch songwiting partnership is Slow Down Go Down.
Slow Down Go Down starts with another fantastic intro as a chorus of trembling electric guitars mix with emotive harmonies and banjo pickin for the contemplative verses, the chorus is unsettling with the line 'Give me a woman that I can trust and I don't have to beat' but the good time flat picking gives the song a road trip feel along with the bright country guitar playing. The percussive middle 8 is well placed as is the driving solo that follows bringing very subtle layers of Rockabilly to the surface, this almost sounds like a 60s number and the vocals are truly something special, heavy with solemness and inner suffering just waiting to break out as he sings the line 'I don't want to sleep at night..I've lost the will to fight... I just someone to love me I don't want to cry no more!'
American Funk Group The New Birth's 1972 LP Birth Day is an extraordinary effort, and one of many albums released one after the other in the early 70s when they pumped out a great deal of product featuring all flawless layers of funkified harmonies in vocal and horn work.
Their cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie' Until It's Time For You To Go is spectacular with it's mesmerising opening of a delicate conversation between lovers whilst backed by a backing chorus and trembling electric pianos and restless tambourine and rolls. The upbeat Isaac Hayes styled number, Got To Get A Knutt, is full of funk hallmarks such as blasting horns, raw backing singers, sweeping wah wah guitars, but the bridge section of hi-hats and moaning is a supreme addition as it imitates lovemaking in a classy way. The pumped up tempo and pumping horns are carnivalesque with the layers upon layers of hype drumming and the distinct African rhythms and fever pitch vibes.There are various vocal spots all over with each member of the band vamping on Mary had a Little Lamb and plenty of vocal theatrics and animated non-sequitur. Just a tip it's all plays on the sexual pun of the title; it's about sex not food.. Theme From "Buck & The Preacher" is another Isaac Hayes/Bar Kays type of Comic book cinematic soul theme song, but the following track Stop, Look, Listen opens with alluring horns seeping in their most memorable tune. The whole lethargic mood form the sleepy singers singing in a drawling baritone letting each word roll out effortlessly in a nice contrast to the excitable electricity of prior tracks. Though the drumming remains uncontrolled in the background and the horns do return in full voice and fine form, the secret weapon is the tremelo-ed electric guitar in it's partial lines playing in the background creating a thin watery base for the upfront lead vocals. The wonder of this group is how they mixed soothing vocals and gospel singers with such powerful salvos of large horn section alongside thin rhythms of chiming electric pianos and watery jazz guitar and some of the tightest drumming you've ever heard.
It's like vast symphonies of gospel funk, though the playing is perfect it does lack more memorable songs and melodies over say the choice of covers they work on. The front cover features a full rack of black snooker balls with one cracked in half revealing yellow yoak inside fitting the New born theme and title of the album and their name as well as the erotic percussion at the root of all the tracks.
I must admit I am not too familiar with this group or their big hit , Kiss You All Over, from this album but I am slowly discovering them and I am impressed. What stands out is this group would go onto full on Country Pop success alongside groups like Alabama and produce the same saccharine ballad sounds of artists like Restless Heart but in the 70s their sound was quite different. Preceded by their minor hit Try It on in 1977, Mixed Emotions LP is full of Blue Eyed Disco or more aptly a funk inflected Soft Rock very close to the Bee Gees and the first album by Player as well as shades of AWB and latter day late 70s sounds of Dr Hook or Wild Cherry.
Try It On was pure disco with sweeping autumn strings flowing in the background and a funky guitar driven beat and strident lead vocals that hint at country but are more related to the Bee Gees's soft rock delivery. You Thrill Me was their follow up to the chart topper Kiss You All Over, it bears a celestial synth organ sound, orchestral 'oohs', and a slinky guitar running through it from the 'cool and quiet' verses to the galvanising chorus where the smooth country licks serve a disco function. The drum beat is that sparse dance beat heavy on the four on the floor beat rooting the song in a constant movement ahead of the song instead of rock, soul and pop's laidback grooves. Never Gonna Stop is pure down and dirty jazz fusion/funk guitar extravaganza mixing a little Reggae syncopation and some mellow synthesizers for the Bee Gees's chorus; the pin point bumping bass line is also key. There's Been a Chance is 100% Average White Band from the soulful thin harmonies to the slick chicken scratch guitar but the solo is supremely melodic in it's simplistic way of sliding up and down in octaves. Kiss You All Over was the hit with it's chirpy beat and sunny mix of disco strumming, blooming synths and a late morning hungover vocal before erupting into a triumphant sweetly distorted lead guitar and some clavinet and synth boogie notes in the background.
The duck quack of a wah wah synth was a classic sound of 70s disco and it starts off the next track the romantic soft rocker Ain't Got No Time, the dance floor piano track is enlivened by the squeaky synth wah fills and a overexcited guitar at the end. Don't Do It is a sexy disco bass line tune with low blues vocals and a hallowed soulful chorus and some incredibly funky keyboard parts here and there but the chorus calls of 'Don't You Do It, Don't You Take Away my Soul'. One Step at a Time continues with the fluid guitar liens with another smooth funky riff followed by another ridiculously melodic disco bass led melody and silky blue eyed harmonies over the top; This is an Excellent Album! Lats but not least is Stay With Me, opening with a jangly pop rock guitar paying bluegrass picking notes before going into a bit of a sub par but still very catchy harmony drenched disco pop tune that the band was getting very adept to. Exile made up for the Brothers Gibb's low points; there are no shrill falsettos here or dreary ballads, all tunes stick to a jaunty disco vibe whilst maintaining mellow vocals but always with a focus on the upbeat as well as maintaining a sensitivity and strong melodicisims this is the best rival to the Bee Gees' blue eyed disco sound I've ever heard and have been looking for for a long time.
The Hollies' Distant Light album is adorned with an incredibly detailed drawing of a typical fairy tale scene of a young prince bent over a lake in a colourful and pastoral, supernatural image totally at odds with the Hollies' classic British Invasion clean cut pop image. Their last UK album starts with the thunderously gospel harmony stacked ballad What a Life I've Led, a strong country rock spirit is present with Allan Clarke's countrified growl reminiscent of Roger Daltrey's style of singing and a pedal steel solo combined with some country western strumming. But the ghostly stacked harmonies are the most soulful addition to the track along with the rumbling piano chords, a feature that starts off the next track Look What We've Got, another mix of soulful piano balladry and countrified tenor singing making it an excellent punchy pop rock classic for me. The blues and soulful piano notes keep the groove fluid, while the saxophone solo and the structure of the big gospel choruses and Clarke's downhome vocal mean this reminds me a lot of Elton John's early discography. Hold On is a folk rock meets cool blues boogie with more of a restrained Clarke performance as the drumming gets explosive and an organ fades in and out like a heavy cloud over the track; the rest is characteristic of hippy rock with 'ahh' backing vocals and some blues vamping.
The funky hard rock shuffle of Pull Down the Blind reminds me of late 60s groups like Bread and hevay sunshine pop or bubblegum groups; the blues licks are played with pure virtuosity in a thin tone that accentuates the lead guitarist' dexterity. To Do With Love starts with some Classical Gas styled Spanish arpeggios before a 'Seasons in the Sun'/ Neil Diamond style of sunny folk rock pop hit begins, once again Clarke's voice has never sounded so clean and heartfelt. To Do With Love has a strong romantic yearning at it's core, it ends with a harpsichord and even tablas intensifying as the song rave ups like many 60s acts tended to do.
One of the best songs is Promised Land with it's gorgeously clunky acoustic strum so aggressive and funky like a hoedown as Clark, some more piano chords and a host of backing vocals ring out in stereo echo before a sudden pause and a fuzz guitar and organ section full of rock malice and sustained tension. The soloing is all very fluid and dazzling while the organ continues to dominate as much as the reverbed vocals and even a little Jimmy Page patented high register shred at the end. Long Cool Women is so analogous aside form it's reverb and thin guitar funkiness, but it's more an old school chugger like a biker anthem, it doesn't belong here, but on a T Rex album; a group that at the same time was melding ethereal folk balladry and more funky RnR bops. You Know the Score continues with a dramatic Clarke melody, twanging sitar like blues playing to a fuzz rhythm guitar and more epic reverb and some tasty blues fills in between the Stephen Stills' styled choral chants. Unfortunately it drifts off into an airey wind effect for a full minute and a half before the fuzz guitar breaks the silence and some Hey Joe 'oohs' join in before another full round of the chorus.
The standard piano shuffle of Cable Car reminds me of melodramatic productions by soul groups like The Unifics with the echo drenched reverb piano led tragi-tales of young heartbreak an doomed relationships. It's one of the best tracks with a soulful and remarkably smooth harmonica solo aolng with a sweet lilting vocal from Clarke and streaking string arrangements. The shimmying strings, oriental wah wah, funky harmonica add to the upbeat poppy strum of Little Thing Like Love stand out. Long Dark Road is the closer which with it's cheery drawn out group vocals throughout and rock steady acoustic strum in the central channel smacking of the Marmalade, another funky folk pop rock outfit form the late 60s along with Bread that this album reminds me of slightly alongside the very Elton-esque gravelly, drawling tenor. A watery echo pervades almost each track like the lake in the Hipgnosis cover art, with something darker and more ominous lurking under the surface of emerald trees and a multitude of birds.
From their 1972 Lovemen album, The Temprees produced a string of smooth soul songs form the early 70s drawing on artists like The Moments and the Jacksons. The light gossamer harmonies and sweet string and horn arrangements are a lot sparser than their Philly counterparts would have executed theses songs. Explain it to Mama highlights the lead singer's euphoric falsetto wail to a jumpy horn, drums and guitar track, The cover features the three men be-sweatered in a red heart, it's a little corny but captures the pure romance of their vocals, The sweet chorusing strings and viola intro of their cover of We've Only Just Begun lead into an exceptional faster, funkier and more baritone cover that truly stands tall as the overlapping vocal loops seem to sigh over each other to a panting drum beat in a drawn out sexual climax in the bridge that is as far removed form the Carpenters as possible. I Love You, You Love Me is an astonishing showcase for the band's featherweight vocals and mix of quiet and loud soul dynamics. On this track the weepy, dreariness of their delivery sounds unique and distinct to their act, dominating the prior tack Girl, I Love You too. Dedicated to the One I love features a mix of sparse piano and emotive guitar notes before the sweet vocals and strings return for quiet slow jam nature of the song's verses which develop into a coursing love letter. I'm For You, You For Me is another showcase for the high pitched punchiness of the lead singer's vocals as he vamps over the title refrain, the backing singers always present throughout the album with ghostly reverb and earthy sweetness. The mix of sweet falsettos, hard hitting horns and drums, clanging rhythm guitar reminds me of the Chi Lites,
