Funk my Soul

A killer album, from start to finish. Simple as that!

A gorgeous harmony soul classic from 1970. Produced by Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites.
Chicago soul vocal group the Lost Generation had their biggest hit with “The Sly, Slick and the Wicked,” a mellow ballad that hit number 14 R&B and number 30 pop in the summer of 1970.
Their “Sly, Slick and Wicked” is one of the most mezmerizing, incredibly produced soul songs I’ve heard in ages: it just saunters in on those melancholy strings, offering a “wall of sound” production that drapes you in velvet moods. Throw in the Lost Generations’ harmonizing and vocals plus an echo box and this song simply can do no wrong. Best thing ever.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Brunswick record including covers.

Tracks
A1. Sly, Slick, and the Wicked 2.57
A2. Love on a Two-Way Street 3.21
A3. Give Me Just a Little More Time 2.42
A4. You’re So Young, But You’re So True 2.31
A5. Sorry I Can’t Help You 3.08
B1. Someday 3.24
B2. Love Land 2.30
B3. Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) 3.25
B4. Wasting Time 1.56
B5. Wait a Minute 2.27

Produced by : Eugene Record - Directed by : Willie Henderson - Arranged by: Thomas Washington

The Reviews

1

One of the greatest harmony soul albums to ever come out of Chicago, a sublime batch of tracks that showed that the mighty talents of The Lost Generation could easily match the best vocal group work coming out of the east coast at the time! The sound here is somewhere in the moody, mellow territory of early Moments or Whatnauts, tunes that are steeped in older vocal group traditions, but turned towards a more badass mode for the 70s, a style that still keeps some sweet and fragile aspects in tact, but which also has a great undercurrent of darkness too! The group get some great help in the studio here from arranger Tom Washington, bandleader Willie Henderson, and producer Eugene Record -- the last of whom was already figuring out how to record vocals wonderfully with his own group, The Chi-Lites. Titles include the group’s amazing single “The Sly The Slick & The Wicked” recorded with an amazing echoey feel that’s worth the price of the album alone! Great tracks include my favorite “Wait a Minute” and a few remakes of tunes from their contemporary harmony competitors.

2

Heavenly harmonies on vinyl, Chicago’s Lost Generation consists of Lowrell Simom (lead singer and Songwriter),his brother Fred Simon, Larry Brownlee and Jesse Dean.
They never went platinum or gold but their biggest record Sly, Slick & the Wicked influenced hundreds of groups; a Cleveland, a Californian, and an East Coast group have all named themselves Sly, Slick & Wicked. Ironically, though it was intended as a warning to women, the song appeals more to men. Brunswick wasted the bouncy “You’re So Young but You’re So True,” on the back of “Talking the Teenage Language” (not included). A silky smooth “Wait a Minute,” with its hesitating beat, went to #25 in the R&B chart. They do enjoyable renditions of Chairmen of the Boards’ “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” the Moments’ “Love on a Two Way Street,” and the Delfonics’ “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind.”

A few notes about Lowrell Simon
Lowrell Simon had an ’80’s hit with ‘Mellow Mellow Right On,’ which has been the source for numerous raps and samples, most notably Massive Attack’s ‘Lately,’ Markie Dee, and Chicago rapper Common.
Lowrell contributed to the movie soundtrack to the 1974 Gordon Parks Jr. film ‘Three the Hard Way’ starring Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly. The soundtrack LP featured the Impressions.

In 1999, Edsel released - The Sly, Slick and the Wicked (1970, originally released on Brunswick) and The Young, Tough and Terrible (1972, originally released on Brunswick) by the Lost Generation on one compact disc. I know there’s an LP reissue and if you are lucky you can find an original NM LP copy (especially if it is less than 50 usd buy it straight away)

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A new week and the weather is getting warmer, so let’s change the mood and the music style. Let’s cheer up and dance. While I was ripping this, I couldn’t stop dancing. Brothers this is Inner life’s debut album.

Inner Life spawned a handful of amazing disco singles and three accomplished LPs that have remained as powerful as they day they were recorded. Not so much a group as a shifting unit of closely connected producers and musicians, the most significant constant of the group was the presence of Jocelyn Brown, a vocalist who can logically be referred to as the Queen of Disco. Throughout Inner Life’s existence, the work of several luminaries graced the group’s recordings. Patrick Adams, Leroy Burgess, Greg Carmichael, Stan Lucas, Bob Blank, Tee Scott, and Larry Levan each played significant roles in Inner Life’s output.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of my original 1979 Prelude record with covers.

Tracks
A1 I’m Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (7:54)
A2 I Hope It’s The Right Time (8:50)
B1 I Want To Give You Me (8:00)
B2 You Got Me Dancing (6:30)
B3 You Don’t Have Dancing On Your Mind (5:42)

The reviews

1

This isn’t an album that houses the joyous hop of “Moment of My Life,” and it doesn’t contain the towering triumph of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” either, but Inner Life’s I’m Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair) is an immensely enjoyable full-length — one of the Prelude label’s finer moments despite its low profile. Save for the assistance of Patrick Adams and Debbie Hayes on the sad title track, everything is produced with the sensitive touch of Greg Carmichael. The album is rife with sweet, upbeat dancefloor material, including “You Got Me Dancing,” “You Don’t Have Dancing on Your Mind,” and the particularly excellent “I Want to Give You Me.” What truly makes this album — beyond the stellar production, slick arrangements, and crafty session work — are the vocals of Jocelyn Brown, who turns in typically lively and forceful singing throughout. It’s safe to say that the greatness of “I’m Caught Up” is overlooked due to the preeminence of Inner Life’s other classic singles, but it’s probably one of the finest “proper” songs of the disco era.

2

Inner Life’s breakout occurred in 1979 with “I’m Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair)” a sad but redemptive single written in part by the venerable Patrick Adams (who put together Musique, another Jocelyn Brown group that scored with “In the Bush” and “Keep on Jumpin’”). Arranged by Adams and produced by him with help from Greg Carmichael and Debbie Hayes, the song peaked at #22 on the U.S. R&B chart but deserved even better. The single was originally released on Carmichael’s TCT imprint, but soon after its initial release, a bidding war broke out between a number of labels for the license to release it a second time. Prelude won out by paying $17,500 and helped take it to the charts with exposure that Carmichael’s small label could not provide.

A few words for Jocelyn Brown :

Unless you’ve been living in a cave since the late ’70s, you have heard Jocelyn Brown’s voice at one point or another. As clichéd as it sounds, if the term “disco diva” appeared in a dictionary, a picture of Jocelyn Brown would most likely be placed next to its definition. Brown’s immensely power-packed and impassioned voice has been the lead behind several definitive and timeless disco classics, and it has also been present in background roles on numerous others. Short-lived disco groups like Inner Life and Musique hit the upper reaches of the dance charts in large part due to Brown’s contributions, and she has also had success as a solo performer. Producer Patrick Adams, an associate of Brown’s during her time spent with Inner Life and Musique, has referred to Brown as one of the greatest vocalists he has ever known.

And a few more for producer/arranger/songwriter Patrick Adams who As a Writer, he consider his 1979 DISCO stomper “I’m caught up (In a one night love affair)” by Inner Life (with lead vocals by Jocelyn Brown) as one of his best works. The reason he likes it so much is because that record contained some fantastic background, insane string lines and tremendous energy from all involved… It rocked from beginning to end. Adams has worked with Sister Sledge, Black Ivory (discovering them), Loleatta Holloway, Coolio, Herbie Mann among many many others.

Wiki for: Jocelyn Brown - Patrick Adams - Inner Life

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The quintessential Chicago soul group, the Impressions’ place in R&B history would be secure if they’d done nothing but launch the careers of soul legends Jerry Butler - Curtis Mayfield and Leroy Hutson. But far more than that, the Impressions recorded some of the most distinctive vocal-group R&B of the ’60s under Mayfield’s guidance. Their style was marked by airy, feather-light harmonies and Mayfield’s influentially sparse guitar work, plus, at times, understated Latin rhythms. If their sound was sweet and lilting, it remained richly soulful thanks to the group’s firm grounding in gospel tradition; they popularized the three-part vocal trade-offs common in gospel but rare in R&B at the time, and recorded their fair share of songs with spiritual themes, both subtle and overt. Furthermore, Mayfield’s interest in the civil rights movement led to some of the first socially conscious R&B songs ever recorded, and his messages grew more explicit as the ’60s wore on, culminating in the streak of brilliance that was his early-’70s solo work.

Young Mods’ Forgotten Story is one of the Impressions’ best albums. Nearly every single cut’s a classic and the group outdid themselves vocally, especially Curtis, who always makes our heart break on this one! Donny Hathaway and Johnny Pate handled the arrangements.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of Sequel reissue, original 1969 album was in Curtom.

Tracks
A1 The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story 2:00
A2 Choice of Colors 3:15
A3 The Girl I Find 2:37
A4 Wherever You Leadeth Me 2:32
A5 My Deceiving Heart 2:49
B1 Seven Years 2:21
B2 Love’s Miracle 2:24
B3 Jealous Man 2:34
B4 Soulful Love 2:30
B5 Mighty Mighty (Spade & Whitey) 2:21

The Reviews

1

…..I was only five years old when this album came out. It is still my favorite album of all time. Seven years, Soulful Love, Jealous man… and more. Back then, the medium was 8-track and everybody (and their mother) had one. I would listen to it over and over and over. Darn near forty years later, I’m still listening to this album over and over and over!!!

This particular album played tricks in how it was recorded. Vocals on the left, horns on the right. Even though I had (many times) wished that this album had been re-recorded, I’m glad (now) that they didn’t. No need to mess with perfection.

The music, itself, was (in my opinion) Curtis & co. at their hungriest. Too many times, we see artists after they have “made it” and they seem to lose something after that. Curtis never lost “it” and always had “it”. This album is a classic and a must-have for the old-skool players.

2

Anyway, this is a fine record and a true joy to listen to. This album finds Curtis Mayfield in full creative flower, and foreshadows his first great solo album Curtis, with its catchy hooks, gorgeous string and horn drenched arrangements, and thoughtful lyricism. Although Curtis is no stranger to the hackneyed genre of “the love song”, he is able to infuse such tracks with so many ear-pleasing twists that every track becomes a sort of mini-pop-symphony, even if they’re mostly about chicks.

However, Mayfield’s other main lyrical concern is equality and black empowerment. In this vein, we have the fantastic “Mighty Mighty (Spade & Whitey)”, and the sublime “Choice of Colors”, with its immortal couplet, “If you had a choice of colors, which one would you choose, my brothers? If there was no day or night, which would you prefer to be right?”. Heavy stuff, but Mayfield’s messages are always couched in gorgeous arrangements, and he never hits you over the head - really it’s more of a gentle prod.

A wonderful album and certainly worth picking up for any fan of Mayfield, or 60s soul in general.

3

The title read like a concept album (and the opener seemed to introduce a larger idea at work), but The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story hung together only as the usual (read: brilliant) late-’60s LP from the Impressions: a few solid songs with a social or inspirational viewpoint and the rest featuring Curtis Mayfield’s continuing exploration of love in all its forms. Two of the message songs were among the best of the group’s history; “Choice of Colors” tenderly investigated black feelings about race, while the party song “Mighty Mighty (Spade & Whitey)” gave blacks and whites a rare chance to celebrate empowerment together. Mayfield’s romantic songs ranged farther than usual, from the innocent, delicate “The Girl I Find” (complete with turtledove cries) to a deconstruction of the end of a long affair (”Seven Years”) to the overbearing “Jealous Man,” all with great arrangements provided by veteran Johnny Pate and newcomer Donny Hathaway. (Hathaway’s addition didn’t alter the Impressions’ sound significantly, though his harmonic expertise and affinity for the church do find their way into a couple of tracks.) Only one song, “Wherever You Leadeth Me,” found the group treading water (it could just as easily have appeared five years earlier). The rest was intriguing late-’60s soul from one of the best acts in the business.

4

One of my favorite 60’s soul records, The Young Mod’s Forgotten Story is criminally short with only one cut breaking the three minute barrier. While the album mostly consists of light soul-pop with the odd political song thrown in, there are some definite hints of the wah wah guitar and funkiness to come in lead songwriter Curtis Mayfield’s solo career. Arranged by future soul superman Donny Hathaway, the album is oozing with lush string arrangements and energetic horns. One of the interesting things I find about this album is how such cliched and run-of-the-mill love songs like “The Girl I Find” are so enjoyable because of the arrangements. Every song has a great hook, and the melodies are as sweet as they come.

“Choice of Colors” isn’t exactly “What’s Going On” but it’s definitely an important song from the era. While the songs range from innocent love ballads like “My Deceiving Heart” to powerful feelings of racial acceptance like “Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)” they all maintain basic pop sensibilities and while I’m generally not a fan of pop-soul this album is too good to ignore and will appeal to both pop fans and soul aficionados alike.

More about: Jerry Butler , Curtis Mayfield and Leroy Hutson.

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I have already admitted that i adore Philly sound and here is a fine example of this greatness.

Dexter Wansel’s music is pure genius, a jazz/funk/soul concoction sure to please the musical senses.

A fantastic bit of space age funk and easily the best album that Dexter Wansel ever did! The record’s a sublime blend of Wansel’s Philly grooving sensibility, with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s and the result is a tight batch of crossover tracks that work well both as jazz funk groovers, and as smoother modern soul tracks. Includes the version of “Theme From the Planets” with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning plus lots of other nice ones, including “Life On Mars”, “Rings Of Saturn”, and “Stargazer”.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of my original Philadelphia International record, included artwork.

Tracks
A1 A Prophet Named K.G. (4:20)
A2 Life On Mars (5:50)
A3 Together Once Again (4:23)
Vocals - Terry Welles
A4 Stargazer (3:20)
B1 One Million Miles From The Ground (5:00)
B2 You Can Be What You Wanna Be (5:04)
B3 Theme From The Planets (4:53)
B4 Rings Of Saturn (3:43)

1

Science fiction was big in the 1970s. So from a marketing standpoint, it made sense when, in 1976, Dexter Wansel went for a sci-fi theme on his debut album, Life on Mars. Not that the Philadelphia producer/keyboardist needed a gimmick to get over — if you’re good enough to work with heavyweights like the O’Jays, the Stylistics, and the Intruders, you don’t need a gimmick. Even without the sci-fi theme, Life on Mars would have been a memorable debut for Wansel, who produced the album and wrote or co-wrote all of the material. This diverse LP is far from predictable; if you bought Life on Mars for its title song (a haunting piece of space funk that employs members of Instant Funk), you quickly learned that the record also includes mellow quiet storm offerings (”One Million Miles From the Ground,” “Together Once Again”) as well as Curtis Mayfield-influenced funk (”You Can Be What You Wanna Be”) and pop-jazz/crossover instrumentals (”A Prophet Named K.G.,” “Theme From the Planets”). In fact, one of the musicians Wansel employs is saxophonist Bob Malach, a jazzman who is heavily influenced by Michael Brecker but is more Grover Washington-influenced on this album. Ranging from decent to excellent, Life on Mars is arguably Wansel’s strongest album.

2

Fact is, that Dexter’s talent for playing the keyboard was soon in need of being the central theme of some great, crossover, ground-breaking, new limits-setting album. That album was Life On Mars, released on the Philly label in 1976.

Like any legendary album, it also has a legendary, ass-kickin’, floor-filling track (like Brass Construction’s first album had ‘Movin’ and Grant Green’s ‘Alive!’ featured Sookie Sookie). The track is aptly called ‘Life On Mars‘ and was guaranteed to fill any dancefloor. Dexter played keyboards, Derek Graves provided the throbbing bass line, Terry Wells takes care of some uplifting vocals. The rest was filled in by Dexter’s rythm section called The Planets (featuring Darryl Brown, Calvin Harris, Bobby Malach, Al Harrison and the already mentioned Derek Graves).

It might have occured to you by now, that the universe was an important theme in Dexter’s titles and music. Listening to other tracks on the album, like ‘Stargazer’, ‘Theme from the Planets’ and ‘Rings of Saturn’, you realize that “spacy” is the most obvious label if we were to put any label on Dexter’s music.

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To be honest a few months ago I had no idea who Sylvia St. James was. But my dear friend MsMerising reminded me she was first a member of Side Effect and that she had also released a great album in 1980 called “Magic”. MsM proceeded to than email me several songs that impressed me and of course, I began my odyssey to find the vinyl. Finally (after a few missed shots) I got my hands on it and here it is! I asked MsMerising to write a short bio on Sylvia’s career as well as a review. All writing below (except where noted) is all her own.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of my original Elektra record with covers.

Tracks
A1. Can’t Make You Mine 3.24
A2. Better Things 4.48
A3. Ghetto Lament 5.00
A4. Let Love Groove Me 3.37
B1. Motherland 5.08
B2. Black Diamond 4.22
B3. Magic Minstrel 3.50
B4. So I Say To You 3.22
B5. Almaz Interlude 1.00

Sylvia St. James was born and raised in Waukeegan, Illinois. Later in life she would re-locate to the Los Angeles area and for a year and a half would live in an Ashram. Reflecting on this period Sylvia revealed that “…It was while I was at the Ashram that I got seriously involved with music. It just happened that everyone I lived with was a musician and when the Ashram broke up, I made a conscious decision to be a professional musician and dancer” (1). Not long after Sylvia came under the employ of the Mike Curb Congregation, which was her first professional foray into the Pop music scene. Sylvia sang back-up vocals both live and on recordings for a myriad of artists such as Connie Francis, the Pointer Sisters, Ronnie Laws, George Duke, Roland Bautista, Willie Bobo & Frank Zappa.

In 1977 she would become the 3rd female vocalist for L.A. based group Side Effect. Sylvia would stay with the band through 2 albums – ‘Goin’ Bananas’ (recorded in 1977 and featuring the rare-groove classic “Private Joy”) and ‘Rainbow Visions’ in 1978.

In 1980 Sylvia cut her debut album for Elektra. Entitled ‘Magic’, the album is unique for an 80’s project due to its thoughtful, conscious approach with lyrics that reflect somewhat mystical leanings. Producers Lenny White (Return To Forever, Twennynine) & Larry Dunn (Earth, Wind & Fire) bring Sylvia’s strong vocal style to the fore and compliment it perfectly with a light jazzy R&B sound, adding flourishes of lushness where needed.

Opening with the sweet boogie bounce of “Can’t Make You Mine” things continue to groove along with the light funk of “Better Things”. Propelled forward by bass, swirling strings, handclaps & the tinker of cowbells it’s a supreme lyrical disco manifesto celebrating empowerment & a hard work ethic atop the beat. Uplifting boogie at it’s best; the applause at the end of the song is deserved.

The celebration of rich, Black legacies was a theme many musicians explored after the gains of the Civil Rights Movement as a way of celebrating positive, black images. Such themes of empowerment are also found on this album with the strongest being “Motherland”. It’s opens with rumbling bass & touches of Eastern-inspired strings to conjure up scenes of majesty. The song aims to paint a sweeping, grandiose picture in awe of the architectural marvels of Ancient Egypt. But behind that awe of that past lays a deep-rooted connection that echoes very much in the present:

“Mother, motherland. I must come back - back to you.
You hold the answer to what I know and feel is true.
Quench my thirst for my past; it’s so vast,
My life relived once more.
Mother, motherland
- Home”.

The albums grand opus arguably is “Ghetto Lament”. Co-penned by the incomparable Weldon Irvine the spoken dialogue between mother & child over a sweet piano solo adds further poignancy to an already moving song that indeed mourns the current state of poverty but holds hope that the future will bring about the changes needed to move people up and out of hardships.

The dreamy harp & string crescendos of “So I Say To You” create a beautifully intimate sonic cocoon. The chord structure will remind serious audiophiles of Don Blackman’s classic “Holding You, Loving You”. Not surprisingly, one scan of the LP’s credits will reveal that Don Blackman composed the track as well as played keyboards throughout the album. One suspects this track is the template for his own classic that would follow two years later.

Sylvia’s second LP for the label ‘Echoes & Images’ which was produced by Andre Fischer followed a more conventional, pop formula. In my opinion it sacrifices Sylvia’s very personal essence & unique vocal tone in an effort to secure hits. But it’s Sylvia’s ear for lyrics rooted in pride and affirmation as well as surrounding herself with stellar musicians that made ‘Magic’ such a jewel of an album. Her spirit rooted in the love-ethic of 1960’s soul, her vocal freedom honed through the jazz-fusion/rock projects in the 1970’s and her overall celebration of all things Divine and beautiful makes ‘Magic’ truly a bewitching slice of vinyl.

DID YOU KNOW?

* Sylvia is the featured vocalist on Family At Max’s 45” on the Sound Odyssey label? The single fetches for no less than $80 amongst collectors.

* Producer Madlib sampled “Ghetto Lament” for Talib Kweli’s “Eat To Live” (‘Eardrum’ 2007).

* Sylvia St. James is an in-demand choir director who has worked with artists diverse as Harry Connick Jnr. to Kanye West.

- MsMerising is an addict for fierce, funkin’ females who can sang. A relentless digger & researcher of obscure women artists in rare-groove/funk music she is currently in the embryonic stages of writing a book on the subject. Feel free to join her social network for music addicts at http://dustyfingers.ning.com

(1). Quotes taken from the 1977 press file which can be found at Concordmusicgroup.com

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This is the debut of one of the greatest vocal groups of the early ’70s. One of the pioneers of Sweet soul.

Harder, more raw Chicago Soul, in the vein of Tyrone Davis’ recordings of the time. Not as slick as their following albums

Give It Away was the Chi-Lites first album for the Brunswick label and was named after their first hit single. A Soul tune, but “My Whole World Ended” is even better with its upbeat mood. There are also good covers of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”, but the best number is the cool “What Do I Wish For” with its little guitar intro and finger snaps before Eugene Record comes in with his trademark falsetto voice. “You’re No Longer Part Of My Heart” is another uplifting song.

you can also grab their best album (For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People here

This is a @320 vinyl rip of my original Brunswick record with covers.

Tracks
A1 Give It Away 2:43
A2 Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was 3:28
A3 My Whole World Ended 3:04
A4 I Heard It Through the Grapevine 3:05
A5 What Do I Wish For 2:55
A6 That’s My Baby for You 2:05
B1 I’m Gonna Make You Love Me 2:28
B2 You’re No Longer Part of My Heart 2:58
B3 24 Hours of Sadness 2:06
B4 To Change My Love 2:28
B5 The Twelfth of Never 2:41

After nearly a decade of plugging away in the Chicago soul scene, the Chi-Lites finally reached the charts in 1969 with the effervescent Top Ten R&B hit “Give It Away.” Hot on its heels followed this debut LP, a strong one thanks to the composing/performing/producing dynamo Eugene Record as well as the steady hand of producer Carl Davis. “24 Hours of Sadness” is a copycat of their first hit, but just as enjoyable a performance and just as sparkling a production, while “Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was” is a sweet ballad that avoids the expected melodramatic pitfalls. The group’s runthrough of several Motown nuggets (”My Whole World Ended,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”) is also surprisingly successful, with Record’s crystal falsetto on the former making for a nice translation of David Ruffin’s original. The quartet got a little groovy for “That’s My Baby for You,” and though a few of the other album tracks are distinctly inferior, the Chi-Lites’ first full-length was a bright spot for Chicago soul.

Get the bio here

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A gem of a funky soul album from this great Canadian group, featuring the songwriting help of American soul man Curtis Lee.

There’s a lot of you who ask for it and finally here you can get it, brothers. The soul and jazz band Sweet Blindness was known as the Statlers for almost eight years before the name change in the mid-’70s; the band’s self-titled debut album appeared in 1976.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of my original celebration records with covers.

Tracks
A1. Sweet Blindness (3:21)
A2. Maria (3:20)
A3. Full Time Subject (2:52)
A4. Give It to You Right Now (3:13)
A5. Quebec (4:45)
B1. Cowboys to Girls (3:23)
B2. National Poddy (3:12)
B3. Special Lady (3:21)
B4. Queen Street (3:47)
B5. Ain’t No Use (5:07)

Bobbi Dupont(lead vocals, precussion), Curtis Lee (guitar, lead vocals), Al Marnie (bass, backing vocals), Sonny Milne (drums), Gabor Szepesi (keyboards), Phil Smith (keyboards, backing vocals; replaced Szepesi), Bruce Barrow (bass; replaced Marnie 1977), and Don Lowe (drums; replaced Milne 1977) are originally known as the Statlers, a soul jazz band from Canada who changed it’s name to sweet Blindness (after their song of the same name) with the addition of the American guitarist Curtis Lee in 1974. Szepesi and Milne joined shortly thereafter. Following their self- tittle album on Quality, they toured the southern Ontario bar circuit after Szepesi was replced by former Statler Phil smith in 1976. A second album followed at which time Marnie was replaced by Barrow for another tour.

This is the only information i can get for the group, although i search several days. I do not have their later albums and i can tell you it is a nice piece of soul music with elements of jazz and funk. Certainly worth listening. it is a rare album, not so easy to be found in such a good condition and ofcourse never released on cd. if anyone have more information about the group or the album please place it on the comments. i also expect your opinion about the album. Enjoy the music!

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