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"...Finally Got To Me..."
Like many Soul and Funk fans
I’ve been waiting for Big Break Records of the UK to have a proper go at the
superb Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson catalogue on Warner Brothers
Records having had to do with the Warner Bros 2CD set Rhino put out a few years
back (2008). And here BBR comes with "Is It Still Good To Ya" from
1978 (see separate review) and this - “Stay Free” from 1979 – both Remastered
and Expanded to perfection with a decent cache of cool bonus mixes. Found A
Cure indeed - here are the details...
UK released 31 July 2015
(August 2015 in the USA) - "Stay Free" by ASHFORD & SIMPSON on
Big Break Records CDBBRX 0325 (Barcode 5013929062535) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Version
with 4 Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (62:37 minutes).
1. Found A Cure
2. Stay Free
3. Dance Forever
4. Nobody Knows [Side 2]
5. Crazy
6. Finally Got To Me
7. Follow Your Heart
Tracks 1 to 7 are the album
"Stay Free" – released September 1979 in the USA on Warner Brothers
HS-3357 and in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56703
BONUS TRACKS:
8. Found A Cure (Single
Version)
9. Nobody Knows (Single
Version)
10. Stay Free (Mike Maurro
Groove Mix)
11. Found A Cure (Single
Version)
There’s a 16-page booklet
with liner notes by a veteran of these releases CHRISTIAN JOHN WIKANE - along
with photos of US Warner Brothers 45s and those sought after American Promo
12" singles ("Nobody Knows" on PRO-A-437 and "Found A Cure"
on DWBS 8874). There are rare 7" pictures sleeves for "Found A
Cure" (a huge Number 2 hit at the time) and "Nobody Knows" as
well as in-the-studio shots and other quality publicity photos. The remaster is
by BBR's own WAYNE A. DICKSON with additional work from the vastly experienced
NICK ROBBINS (does tons of work for Ace and other labels). The audio is
fabulous – full of power and the amazing Production values afforded the album
in the first place. Fans are going to love those 7" single mixes after the
extended workouts of the album versions...
While both the slick Bass
and Piano Funk of "Found A Cure" and the mega dancefloor filler of
"Nobody Knows" (what a tune and one that DJs still spin today)
dominated the charts at the time (they reached No. 2 and 19 in July and
December 1979 on the US R 'n' B singles charts) – album cuts like the brilliant
strings and Soul-Funk of "Stay Free" and the pretty mid-tempo ballad
of "Crazy" (played in bedrooms everywhere in 1979) will thrill fans
of this criminally forgotten A&S album. I remember the LP built strongly on
the good stuff from "Is It Still Good To Ya" record from the year
previous - to a point where Ashford & Simpson seemed to be on every
dancefloor everywhere at the end of that eventful decade. There's fabulous
Audio too on another fave of mine – "Finally Got To Me" – beautifully
handled and full of punch (I'd honestly forgotten how good this song is). The
7-track LP ends of the pretty "Follow Your Heart" – all swooning
strings, rolling piano keys and breathy Valerie Simpson vocals.
The 7" single mix of
"Found A Cure" runs to 3:47 minutes and comes as a punchy shock
having been so used to the longer album version (all these years). The 3:51
minutes of "Nobody Knows" is the same. Another sweet surprise the 6:23
minute mix of "Stay Free" by ace mixer Mike Maurro who accentuates
the slap bass lines and strings (very smartly done). As much as I know his
revered reputation amongst Disco and Soul fans – I'm not so sure I'd want to
wade through the 10:30 minutes of Tom Moulton's Remix of "Found A
Cure" again – too much of a good thing methinks...
So there you have it. Great
sound and tasty presentation – another winner from BBR and one that fans of
this long-lasting Soul/Funk/R&B duo will need...
PS: Big Break Records (BBR)
CD Remasters I’ve reviewed:
1. Send It – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1977)
2. Is It Still Good To Ya –
ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1978)
3. Stay Free – ASHFORD and
SIMPSON (1979)
4. Central Heating –
HEATWAVE (1977)
5. Hot Property - HEATWAVE
(1979)
6. Candles - HEATWAVE (1980)
7. Turnin' On - HIGH INERGY
(1977)
8. Harvest For The World -
THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1976)
9. Go For Your Guns - THE
ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)
10. In The Heart – KOOL
& THE GANG (1983)
11. I Hope We Get To Love On
Time - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)
12. I Miss You [known as
"Harold Melvin The Blue Notes" in the UK] - HAROLD MELVIN & THE
BLUE NOTES (1972)
13. Black & Blue -
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1973)
14. Love Is The Message -
MFSB (1973)
15. Universal Love – MFSB
(1975)
16. All The Faces Of... -
BUDDY MILES (1974)
17. For The First Time –
STEPHANIE MILLS (1975)
18. I Can See Clearly Now -
JOHNNY NASH (1972)
19. In Philadelphia - O'JAYS
(1969)
20. Back Stabbers - O'JAYS
(1972)
21. Ship Ahoy - O'JAYS
(1973)
22. Down To Love Town – THE
ORIGINALS (1977)
23. Ebony Woman - BILLY PAUL
(1970 and 1973)
24. 360 Degrees Of Billy
Paul - BILLY PAUL (1972)
25. War Of The Gods - BILLY PAUL
(1973)
26. Platinum Hook – PLATINUM
HOOK (1978)
27. Love For What It Is -
ANITA POINTER (of The Pointer Sisters) (1987)
28. Live: Stompin’ At The
Savoy – RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN (1983)
29. Summernights – SILVER
CONVENTION (1977)
30. Smoked Sugar - SMOKED
SUGAR (1975)
31. Spinners – SPINNERS
(1973)
32. Soul Master – EDWIN
STARR (1968)
33. Involved - EDWIN STARR
(1971)
34. Switch - SWITCH (1978)
35. Watercolors – THE WATERS
(1980)
36. Just As I Am - BILL
WITHERS (1971)
37. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH
& PEOPLES (1983)
