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ONCE UPON A TIME.....We Are Family

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  SISTER SLEDGE  We Are Family  (Cotillion,1979) - Disco/Soul       Recorded simultaneously with Chic's own C'est Chic album, We Are Family was written and produced by Rodgers and Edwards, who had recently scored big with Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance. They were offered the cream of Atlantic’s roster to work with. Icons such as The Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin were rejected in favour of Philadelphia quartet Sister Sledge. By taking this relatively blank canvas, who’d already released a duo of underperforming albums, expectations were low.       Disco myth suggests that Sister Sledge’s records prior to this were simply not very good, but both had some great moments. If you listen to Funky Family from 1977’s Together, you hear the template for We Are Family. However, it sounds like a cola commercial as opposed to the gargantuan groove produced by Rodgers and Edwards.       With four classics (We Are Family, Lost I...
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ONCE UPON A TIME.....One To One

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  SYREETA  One To One  (Motown,1977) - R&B,Soul       Assisted by a tight, all-star band and producer Leon Ware, One To One became the best album of Syreeta’s three-album career. While commercial success still eluded Syreeta, she proved not only was their life after Stevie Wonder. The three year break she’d enjoyed, had rejuvenated her career. One To One, was the finest album Syreeta had released and is indeed, a hidden gem in Motown’s back-catalogue.  TRACKLIST : One To One                         I Don't Know                         Rest Yourself                         I Too Am Waiting                         Tiki Tiki Donga                         Do...
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ONCE UPON A TIME.....Back To Oakland

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  TOWER OF POWER  Back To Oakland  (WB, 1974) - Funk, Soul       Arguably the best and certainly the most commercially successful album from one of the greatest horn section bands. ‘Back to Oakland’ featured blistering horn section writing and awesome soloing by a young Lenny Pickett who went on to lead the Saturday Night Live band for 20 years. TRACKLIST : Oakland Stroke...                        Don't Change Horses (In The Middle Of A Stream)                        Just When We Start Makin' It                        Can't You See (You Doin' Me Wrong)                        Squib Cakes                        Time Will Tell          ...
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VOICES IN THE SKY.....Carla Thomas

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        Carla Thomas – daughter of Memphis disc jockey and singer  Rufus Thomas  – was only 10 years old when she started out with the Teen Town Singers (a chorus drawn from the black high schools around Memphis) and just 15 when the self-penned  Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)  sold a million copies in 1960 and became her signature song.       She was one of the first artists to record for  Stax , the label that came to define the Memphis sound.       With Stax-mate  Otis Redding  she worked up  Tramp  – in which the pair carried on a memorable mock quarrel – during an impromptu Christmastime session in 1966. In 1967 she toured the UK with  Redding ,  Sam & Dave ,  Eddie Floyd ,  Arthur Conley  and  Booker T  as part of the legendary ‘Hit The Road’  Stax  package tour.       Carla spent most of the 1970s in Los Angeles, pursui...
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ONCE UPON A TIME.....Quiet Lies

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  JUICE NEWTON  Quiet Lies  (Capitol,1982) - Country rock        This album assured Newton three country hits (the first three tracks) as she found her way back to the country-rock sound she seems to do best. Her choice of covers works better this time as well. Her  Brenda Lee  ( Break It To Me Gently )  netted her a hit, and her  Gene Pitney  ( I'm Gonna Be Strong )  cover wasn't bad either. TRACKLIST : Heart Of The Night                        Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me                        Break It To Me Gently                        Love Sail Away                        I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can                     ...
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ONCE UPON A TIME.....Red Headed Stranger

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  WILLIE NELSON  Red Headed Stranger  (Columbia, 1975) - Country       Willie Nelson’s career-defining masterpiece symbolizes the transition from the glossy Nashville Sound of the then-recent past to the more introspective songwriting of a new generation of country songwriters; it’s an indisputable classic that harkens back to the rich storytelling tradition of country and western music. TRACKLIST : Time Of The Preacher                         I Couldn't Believe It Was True                        Time Of The Preacher Theme                        Blue Rock Montana / Red Headed Stranger                        Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain                        Red ...
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ONCE UPON A TIME.....Highway Call

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  RICHARD BETTS  Highway Call  (Capricorn,1974) - Country rock       ‘Highway Call’  built on the country styling of  ‘Blue Sky’  and  ‘Brothers and Sisters’  but more so. While this seemed new and innovative in 1974, in reality, Dickey Betts’ inspiration was based on his childhood exposures to country, bluegrass, western swing, and the music of Jimmie Rodgers. The fact it was released under the name Richard rather than Dickey Betts adds to the sense of personal history. The musicians that Betts gathered to record  ‘Highway Call’  were a mix of southern rock musicians like Chuck Leavell, Cowboy’s Tommy Talton, and producer Johnny Sandlin, and real country and bluegrass musicians like famed steel player John Hughey, and bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements. There were also appearances by Frank, Leon, and Walter Poindexter who were related to the Rice Brothers, Tony, Larry, Wyatt, and Ron, and the American Southern gospel group...
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