Impressions - Keep on Pushing/People Get Ready CD

Keep on Pushing/People Get Ready album for sale Recorded over a seven-month period in 1970 and 1971, YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK captures Aretha Franklin at the peak of her artistic and commercial powers. A stirring, rock-solid release that holds its own with the singer's better-known albums, it also includes some eclectic song choices. Nestled against original, uptempo groovers like "Rock Steady," for example, is a soulful reading of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road." (Beatles sideman Billy Preston's signature organ playing is featured throughout the recording.) Upon its release in January 1972, the album yielded four Top Ten singles on the R&B charts and two Top Ten singles on the pop charts. Franklin baffled some fans at the time by covering "Border Song (Holy Moses)," but the song, composed by a then-obscure team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, landed at #5 on the R&B charts. Franklin's stirring cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," recorded during the same sessions but omitted from the initial release, appears on the reissue. Overall, YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK is one of the brightest releases in what would prove to be Franklin's most fertile, diverse, and productive period. For many, her greatest album from start to finish, with Rock Steady one highlight among many. Audio Remixer: Arif Mardin. Liner Note Author: David Nathan. Recording information: Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, NY (08/12/1970-02/16/1971); Criteria Studios, Miami, FL (08/12/1970-02/16/1971). Ensemble: The Memphis Horns. Arrangers: Arif Mardin; Tom Dowd. Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano, celesta, electric piano); Aretha Franklin; Neal Rosengarden (trumpet, vibraphone, percussion); Robert "Pops" Popwell (bass instrument, percussion); Chuck Rainey, Eric Gale (bass instrument); Dr. John, Neal Rosengarden (percussion); J.R. Bailey, Pat Smith , Erma Franklin, Ronald Bright, Ann S. Clark, Sammy Turner, Margaret Branch (background vocals); Don Arnone (guitar, acoustic guitar); Cornell Dupree, Hugh McCracken (guitar); Hubert Laws (flute, alto flute); Andrew Love (tenor saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Donny Hathaway (electric piano, organ); Billy Preston (organ); Ray Lucas, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums, percussion); Al Jackson, Jr. (drums); Mac Rebennack (percussion); The Sweet Inspirations, Carolyn Franklin (background vocals). Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.

Keep on Pushing/People Get Ready buy CD music SPIRIT IN THE DARK represents Aretha Franklin at the height of her majestic vocal power. This is Southern, gospel-based R&B/soul circa 1969/70, featuring the cream of the genre's players: the Dixie Flyers, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the under-rated Cornell Dupree, and the late guitar wizard Duane Allman (of the Allman Brothers.). The then-unbeatable production team of Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd, and Arif Mardin (guys who were clearly concerned with the music, not just the way the balance sheet looked) manned the controls to achieve a clean, undeniably powerful sound. The material is a nice mix of pop ("Oh No Not My Baby"), blues ("The Thrill is Gone"), and mid-tempo soul tunes that balance strut with hurt ("Don't Play That Song"). At the center of each of these tracks, of course, are the Queen of Soul's powerhouse pipes. Here Franklin sings with passion tinged with vulnerability, and an authority that few contemporary singers--even decades after Franklin's heyday--can match. Though not as widely touted as I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY I LOVE YOU or ARETHA NOW, SPIRIT IN THE DARK is among the most consistent and dynamic records of the singer's Atlantic tenure. From 1970 one of her most overlooked but one of her best! Audio Remixers: Tom Dowd; Arif Mardin. Liner Note Author: David Nathan. Recording information: Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, NY (05/26/1969-03/??/1970); Criteria Studios, Miami, FL (05/26/1969-03/??/1970). Photographer: Jim Marshall . Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano); Aretha Franklin; Jimmy Johnson , Jay O'Rourke, Jimmy Johnson, Howard "Buzz" Feiten (guitar); Dave Crawford (organ, keyboards); David Hood, Harold Cowart, Tommy McClure (bass instrument); Ronald "Tubby" Ziegler (drums); Cornell Dupree, Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton, Jimmy O'Rourke, Charlie Freeman (guitar); Barry Beckett (electric piano, organ); Jim Dickinson, Mike Utley (keyboards); Tubby Zeigler, Ray Lucas, Roger Hawkins, Sammy Creason (drums); Pat Lewis, The Sweet Inspirations, Almeda Lattimore, Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, Evelyn Greene, Wyline Ivy (background vocals). Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.

Keep on Pushing/People Get Ready songs Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in January 1967. Originally released on Stax (716). Includes original release liner notes by Howard H. Baker, Jr. Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch (DigiPrep). Although few could hope to go head-to-head with the overwhelming charisma radiated by Otis Redding when he got behind a mike, Carla Thomas gave him a good run for his money. KING & QUEEN unites the daughter of fellow Stax artists Rufus "Walkin' The Dog" Thomas with the reigning King Of Soul on a number of covers that reveal an uncanny synergy between the two soul singers. Redding and Thomas flirt with each other ("Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis"), borrow a page out of the Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston book ("It Takes Two") and pledge their undying love ("New Year's Resolution") when they aren't busy sassing each other ("Tramp"). Of course the true highlights come on the ballads. Sam Cooke ("Bring It On Home To Me") and Aaron Neville ("Tell It Like It Is") are both given their due, but the duo truly shines on a pair of compositions originating from the Stax stable of writers. Songwriting partners Isaac Hayes and David Porter contribute "Let Me Be Good To You" and "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, which are both worked to great effect by the controlled emoting of the duo, which easily reflects the overall chemistry found throughout KING & QUEEN. The Memphis Horns: Andrew Love (tenor saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet). Personnel: Otis Redding (vocals); Carla Thomas (vocals); Steve Cropper (guitar); Joe Arnold (alto saxophone); Andrew Love (tenor saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Isaac Hayes, Booker T. Jones (keyboards); Al Jackson, Jr. (drums). Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot. Recording information: Memphis, TN (01/18/1967-01/02/1967). Personnel: Otis Redding, Carla Thomas (vocals); Joe Arnold (alto saxophone); Isaac Hayes (keyboards). Booker T. & The MG's: Booker T. Jones (keyboards); Steve Cropper (guitar); Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass); Al Jackson, Jr. (drums).

Keep on Pushing/People Get Ready CD music The Impressions/The Never Ending Impressions is a kind of odd pairing of two LPs on one CD, covering four years of releases by the group in completely different idioms and with partly different lineups -- it's also a good overview of their early history on ABC Records. The contents of The Impressions mostly consisted of their 1961-1963 singles, by the five-man lineup of Curtis Mayfield, Arthur Brooks, Richard Brooks, Sam Gooden, and Fred Cash -- these tend toward the elegant side of soul music (especially on "You've Come Home," "Minstrel and Queen," and "Sad, Sad Girl and Boy"), an attribute that is only enhanced by Ace Records' superb remastering of this material, which brings out all of the subtleties in the singing and playing. The Never Ending Impressions, made by Mayfield, Gooden, and Cash, was the group's first attempt at doing an actual LP, rather than just assembling previously issued singles and it alternates between some superb single-style tracks, such as "Sister Love," "Girl You Don't Know Me," and "I Gotta Keep On Moving," and more sophisticated standards such as "Satin Doll" and "You Always Hurt the One You Love." The latter are a somewhat mixed bag, at their weakest recalling the Mills Brothers to know special purpose but occasionally throwing out an interesting angle, in the beat or chorus. It's not quite as uniformly strong as the albums that preceded it, but the best songs -- half of what's here -- are as good as anything the group recorded in their previous three years, and the repertory experiment has its good moments. ~ Bruce Eder first reissue of two prev. unavailable LPs from 1963 and 1964, features Curtis Mayfield, Fred Cash, Sam Gooden, Arthur & Richard Brooks, incl. their big hits "It's All Right" & "Gypsy Woman" 2 LPs on 1 CD: THE IMPRESSIONS/THE NEVER ENDING IMPRESSIONS. Liner Note Authors: Rick Ward; Peter Burns. Photographer: Bob Ghiraldini.

Keep on Pushing/People Get Ready buy CD music A reissue that combines 1967's The Fabulous Impressions and 1968's We're a Winner onto one CD. Although The Fabulous Impressions was a solid enough soul record on its own merits, it's not one of the more notable entries in the Impressions' catalog. There aren't any big hits, although a couple cuts, "You Always Hurt Me" and "I Can't Stay Away From You," were modest R&B charters. At times it seemed that Mayfield was trying to follow in Motown's footsteps, as on "You Always Hurt Me" and "You Ought to Be in Heaven." "It's All Over" is the Impressions' version of a song that had already been a hit for Walter Jackson, and the cover of Gene McDaniels' "One Hundred Pounds of Clay" (the only selection not written by Mayfield) is filler. The above comments might lead you to believe this album is worse than it actually is; it's dependable, enjoyable, quality soul, with "Isle of Sirens" recalling earlier efforts like "Gypsy Woman" and "She Don't Love Me" offering a chunkier and tougher approach than their typical heartfelt optimism. While the title track of We're a Winner was one of Mayfield's classic civil rights-conscious anthems, most of this album was actually dedicated to standard romantic themes. Almost every cut was a quality Mayfield original, and the harmonies and vocal interplay among the group were outstanding. "Nothing Can Stop Me," which had been a hit in 1965 for Gene Chandler, was an up-tempo highlight, and "Little Brown Boy" showed more of the African-American pride that had been explored in "We're a Winner," albeit in a more tender ballad mode. The closing cover of "Up Up and Away" is misplaced, but overall this is one of the better Impressions albums to pick up if you want more than what's found on the greatest-hits collections. ~ Richie Unterberger 2 albums on 1 CD were their last two for the ABC label in 1967-68, feat. the songs "You Always Hurt Me", "I Can't Stay Away From You" & "We're A Winner" Originally released in 1967 and 1968 as two separate LPs. Contains 21 tracks. Liner Note Author: Peter Burns.

Keep on Pushing/People Get Ready songs A two-for-one combination of two mid-'60s LPs on one compact disc. One by One is a misstep that was not uncommon among soul stars in the '60s: the record is dedicated almost entirely to standards such as "Twilight Time," "I Wanna Be Around," "Nature Boy," and "Mona Lisa." The strategy was to widen their appeal to a more adult pop audience, but supper club ballads are not what you turn to the Impressions (or for that matter, any soul stars) for, and the album sounds mediocre decades later, with the expected syrupy big-band orchestration. Sam Gooden and Fred Cash take leads on one unmemorable song each; the three Curtis Mayfield-penned numbers, in bold contrast, are more soulful and understated, particularly the dramatically arranged "Just One Kiss from You." Ridin' High is a much more palatable kettle of fish, as Mayfield wrote almost all of the tunes and the production was back to business, straight-ahead Chicago soul. It's a bit of a treadmill affair as some of the songs had been previously recorded by Billy Butler, Major Lance, and Jerry Butler, but it's still quality ebullient music with fine leads and harmonies, exemplified by the small hit "I Need You." "Gotta Get Away," previously done by Billy Butler, and the sassy "Too Slow" are other highlights of a pretty solid album. ~ Richie Unterberger 2 albums on 1 CD from 1965-66 from the Universal vaults, inc. "Twilight Time", "Nature Boy" & "Gotta Get Away" 2 LPs on 1 CD. The Impressions includes: Curtis Mayfield (vocals). Liner Note Author: Peter Burns. Arranger: Johnny Pate.