Episodes
Tuesday Jun 12, 2018
Sweetness Is My Weakness
Tuesday Jun 12, 2018
Tuesday Jun 12, 2018
First let’s talk about that song. LeRoy Hutson’s “Unforgettable,” a/k/a “Unforgiveable;” for some time now I’ve toyed with the idea of putting together a podcast of truly excruciating disco (but really, why bother?), and the leading contenders were Hutson and Elton John. But as I reclaimed “Johnny” on the last ipodsode, I am going to bat for Hutson this time out. The track is weird, made up of parts that in no way go together. That incredibly funky bass line works well with the rhythm, and then in comes the background singers with their bit about wanting their sugar. Good enough so far. Then LeRoy comes in to dully intone the Nat King Cole classic that NO ONE wanted reinterpreted as disco, and he phones in his vocals at best, made all the more cringe-worthy by those embarrassing shouted “Hunh!”s at the end of each run-through. I’ve heard that Hutson in no way wanted to make this record—that is to say a flat-out excursion into disco—and so just didn’t give a damn. I can hear that. It’s a flat-footed Frankenstein monster of a disc. But I can also hear that funky bass riff that insists on being heard. Somehow it works here—just barely.
The crown jewels this time out are the Barry White that in its disco mix is a monster of a whole ’nother order. I am a huge fan of the stripped-down version of this song, but this is killer in its grandiose full-mix splendor. When I promised to dig deeper into Keith Barrow, I did not expect to find “Hard,” which is full-on crazy in its flippant intensity. Barrow pulls out all the stops to deliver a flamboyant, fierce aspirational cri de cœur. While I’m not one to spend much time on thoughts of rum in a glass or pink Chablis, I’ll never hear those words again without thinking of Barrow. I can’t help but think Prince was a fan of this track.
The Energetics were a one-off who put out an album in 1979 that sounded like 1976, and I find it amusing that they’re so apologetic about going to a disco. Really, fellas, just shake your booties and move on. I’ve used the album version of Linx’s wonderful “You’re Lying” before. This is from the 12-inch that is significantly different and quite nice. No one expected a disco comeback from Garnet Mimms, but there he was with “What It Is” which didn’t make a dent at all. Booker T. didn’t make a dent either with his classy, subtle “I’ll Put the Love Back,” but I love it nevertheless. And Joe Simon is just all sex with “Love Vibration.” Oh yes, I feel the tingle.
I’ll Put Some Love Back in Your Life – Booker T. Jones ’78 Ƨ Your Sweetness Is My Weakness – Barry White ’78 Ƨ Love Vibration -- Joe Simon ’78 Ƨ Get Down – Spyder Turner ’78 Ƨ You Can Do It – Arthur Prysock ’77 Ƨ Devotion – Frank Hooker and Positive People ’81 Ƨ Ain’t Nothing Wrong in Going to a Disco – The Energetics ’79 Ƨ A Fim De Voltar – Tim Maia ’78 Ƨ You Don’t How Hard It Is to Make It – Keith Barrow ’77 Ƨ Unforgettable – LeRoy Hutson ’79 Ƨ You’re Lying – Linx ’81 Ƨ Why’d You Lie? – The Originals ’75 Ƨ Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder – Mirage ’78 Ƨ What It Is -- Garnet Mimms ’77 Ƨ I’ll Go Where Your Music Takes Me – Jimmy James and the Vagabonds ’76
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