"Songs/Hey Love" by ROTARY CONNECTION featuring MINNIE RIPERTON (October 1998 'Ace/Beat Goes Public' Reissue - 2LPs onto 1CD - Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...In The Sunshine Of Your Love..."

I've had this October 1998 CD by Ace Records/Beat Goes Public for years now and treasure it like its some sort of Soul Holy Grail. It features 2LPs Remastered on one disc - Rotary Connection's "Songs" (1969) and "Hey, Love" (1971).

The albums are a tale of two worlds - "Songs" is made up entirely of cover versions and features the combined talent of singers SIDNEY BARNES, the mercurial MINNIE RIPERTON and (the mysterious) JERIMIAH – all three being principal vocalists. "Hey, Love" from 1971 saw major line-up changes and for me a huge step up in the songwriting quality. Here are the connecting details...

UK released October 1998 - "Songs/Hey, Love" by THE ROTARY CONNECTION featuring MINNIE RIPERTON on Ace/Beat Goes Public CDBGPD 115 (Barcode 0296675111520) features 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD and plays out as follows (75:27 minutes):

1. Respect

2. The Weight

3. Sunshine Of Your Love

4. I Got My Mojo Working

5. The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp

6. Tales Of Brave Ulysses

7. This Town

8. We’re Going Wrong

9. The Salt Of The earth

"Songs" was originally US released in the summer of 1969 on Chess/Cadet-Concept LPS-322 and credited to ROTARY CONNECTION. Label boss MARSHALL CHESS and the visionary CHARLES STEPNEY co-produced the record.

JON STRICKLAND played a fuzz guitar as they laid into Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love", "We're Going Wrong" and "Tales Of Brave Ulysses", The Band's "The Weight" and "This Town" by Stevie Wonder. There are also stabs at Otis Redding's "Respect", Jimi Hendrix's "The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp", "Salt Of The Earth" by The Stones and "I've Got My Mojo Working" by Muddy Waters. “Songs” is not a slave-the-original album - the covers are tear 'em up re-workings and I love what they did. The fuzz guitar in "Mojo" is amazing. Sidney Barnes also had the most beautifully expressive voice - the velvet of Brook Benton meets the soulfulness of Marvin Gaye circa "What's Going On". But admittedly with its heavily laden string-arrangements and lush vocal backings (Minnie soaring into the octaves) - it may not be everyone's purist idea of Soul - but for me the better moments (the trio of radically re-worked Cream covers) make it so worthwhile. However, things moved on immeasurably and undeniably with the next record.

10. If I Sing My Song

11. The Sea & She

12. I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun

13. Hangin' Round The Bee Tree

14. Hey, Love

15. Love Has Fallen On Me

16. Song For Everyman

17. Love Is

18. Vine Of Happiness

I've always considered "Hey, Love" to be a bit of a masterpiece (see my separate review for the new 2013 remaster out of Japan on the "Chess Best Collection" series). Originally released on vinyl in the States on Chess/Cadet Concept CC 50006 in August 1971 and credited to THE NEW ROTARY CONNECTION - it features the hand of writer/arranger/player maestro CHARLES STEPNEY. Stepney was Chess's answer to Norman Whitfield - a man with a conscience and a way with a funky and soulful tune. The other attractions are MINNIE RIPERTON, KITTY HAYWOOD, SHIRLEY WAHLS and DAVE SCOTT all on Lead Vocals with Stepney playing a huge number of instruments as well as arranging. Top session-men include superb guitarists PHIL UPCHURCH (see my review of his stunning 1971 double-album "Darkness Darkness" also on Japanese CD) and the axework of PAT FERRERI. The album also featured RICHARD RUDOLPH (Minnie Riperton's husband of the time) - he solo wrote both "Hanging Round The Bee Tree" and "The Sea & She" and excepting one other - co-wrote the rest of the album with Stepney.

The album's big tune is the magnificent "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" which was rescued from obscurity by British/US Funksters NUYORCIAN SOUL featuring JOCELYN BROWN when they sampled and covered it in November 1997 on the Talkin' Loud label. They brought the song and Rotary Connection in general into the charts (to 31). Ace then reissued this CD the following year (Oct 1998) and there's been vinyl repros of the "Hey, Love" LP in the West End of London ever since - meeting the demands of those constantly searching for something cool and Soulful to rediscover.

Besides "Gold" there are 4 other masterpieces on here - the echoed and swirling vocals of "Hanging Round The Bee Tree" (graced many of my Reckless in-store play lists), the gorgeous and sunny upbeat title track "Hey, Love" followed by Kitty Haywood letting it vocally rip on the sublime "Love Has Fallen For Me" (covered by Chaka Khan on her "I'm Every Woman" LP). But the best for me is the lone TERRY CALLIER track (a songwriter Stepney was plugging) called "Song For Everyman" - it is just brilliant and sends me every time I hear it (lyrics from it title this review). We should also mention the sublime vocals of SIDNEY BARNES who never seemed to get the credit he so richly deserved. And what can you say about the voice of MINNIE RIPERTON who could make grown men cry by just hitting an octave most couldn’t reach…

The DEAN RUDLAND liner notes are superb (I've raved about his writing across so many Ace and Kent Soul reissues) and the remaster by Sound Mastering of London used the original master tapes (probably DUNCAN COWELL). It's lovely - full of presence and vocals swirling around your speakers – properly fab.

So why didn't they make it? I suspect that with all those hippy-dip lyrical references to helping out your brother and bombing others with love - the group was perceived as a poor man's Fifth Dimension - a sort of watered down gathering peddling a lame "Hair" musical. This of course did for them commercially and is just plain wrong as an assessment. Typically it took British Soul fans to reignite interest and a torrent of well-deserved praise has followed ever since.

Charles Stepney is a sort of underground cult figure now amongst aficionados - spoken about in hushed tones. Minnie Riperton went solo and produced a string of gorgeous Soul albums in the mid-Seventies only to sadly succumb to breast cancer at a criminally young age in 1979.Still - they all have this legacy to remind us. A fantastic CD – and one you need to discover...

PS: see also my in-depth review of the singular "Hey, Love" reissue out of Japan in 2013 as part of their "Chess Best Collection" Series - and a separate review for their first album just called “Rotary Connection”...

"Hey, Love" by The New ROTARY CONNECTION (2013 Japan Chess 'Best Collection Series' Reissue/Remaster on Their 1971 on Cadet Concept) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Try Expanding Your Understanding..." 

For years I've been looking for an excuse to review this fabulous and criminally neglected Soul Funk Gospel gem - and now I have one. It's been reissued in Japan as part of the "Chess Best Collection" CD series and its just arrived on my doorstep in time for a cool Yule y'all (sorry couldn't resist).

I've had the 1998 Ace/Beat Goes Public disc that offers two LPs on 1CD of Rotary Connection's "Songs" (1969) and "Hey, Love" (1971) (2LPs on 1CD) for years now and treasure it. But this Japanese reissue is listed as having 2013 DSD remastering in adverts - so I had to own it. Doesn't actually say that anywhere on the disc or liner notes nor the Obi - but it does sound stunning - if not a little clinically clean in places.

Released 11 Dec 2013 in Japan – "Hey, Love" by The New ROTARY CONNECTION on Universal/Chess UICY-75987 (Barcode 4988005792754 for the right issue) is a straightforward transfer of the 9-track American album (40:25 minutes). 

The OBI wraps around the outside of the jewel case. The 16-page booklet is the usual Japanese affair - front cover artwork on Page 1 with the rear LP art on the last page. In between there is a Japanese essay and the lyrics in English - naught else (nothing you can really get your teeth into). It's a budget release so its priced at below 1000 Yen which means that even including P&P it's below a tenner - and often only eight quid - a bit of a steal frankly.

1. If I Sing My Song

2. The Sea & She

3. I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun

4. Hangin' Round The Bee Tree

5. Hey, Love

6. Love Has Fallen On Me

7. Song For Everyman

8. Love Is

9. Vine Of Happiness

Originally released on vinyl in the States on Chess/Cadet Concept CC 50006 in August 1971 - it features the hand of writer/arranger/player maestro CHARLES STEPNEY - Chess's answer to Norman Whitfield - a man with a conscience and a way with a funky and soulful tune. The other attractions are MINNIE RIPERTON, KITTY HAYWOOD, SHIRLEY WAHLS and DAVE SCOTT all on Lead Vocals with Stepney playing a huge number of instruments as well as arranging. Top session-men include superb guitarists PHIL UPCHURCH (see my review of his stunning 1971 double-album "Darkness Darkness" also on Japanese CD) and the fuzzed up axework of PAT FERRERI. The album also featured RICHARD RUDOLPH (Minnie Riperton's husband of the time) - he solo wrote both "Hanging Round The Bee Tree" and "The Sea & She" and excepting one other - co-wrote the rest of the album with Stepney.

The album's big tune is the magnificent "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" which was rescued from obscurity by British/US Funksters NUYORCIAN SOUL featuring JOCELYN BROWN when they sampled and covered it in 1997 on the hip Talkin' Loud label. They brought the song and Rotary Connection in general into the charts (to 31). Ace then reissued that CD the following year and there's been vinyl repros of the "Hey, Love" LP in the West End of London ever since - meeting the demands of those constantly searching for something cool and Soulful to rediscover. Besides "Gold" there are 4 other masterpieces on here - the echoed and swirling vocals of "Hanging Round The Bee Tree" (graced many of my Reckless in-store play lists), the gorgeous and sunny upbeat title track "Hey, Love" followed by Kitty Haywood letting it vocally rip on the sublime "Love Has Fallen For Me" (covered by Chaka Khan on her "I'm Every Woman" LP). But the best for me is the lone TERRY CALLIER track (a songwriter Stepney was plugging) called "Song For Everyman" - it is just brilliant and sends me every time I hear it (lyrics from it title this review).

In truth - and I played both to hear the differences - the only thing I'd say about the supposed 'remaster' is that it is unbelievably clean - but perhaps I suspect a little over-compressed. You have to give the tracks a bit of wedge - but even if you do - the clarity is gorgeous (hiss gone) and I've loved re-hearing these tracks in such beautiful sound.

So why didn't they make it? I suspect that with all those hippy-dip lyrical references to helping out your brother and bombing others with love - the group was perceived as a poor man's Fifth Dimension - a sort of watered down gathering peddling a lame "Hair" musical. This of course did for them commercially and is just plain wrong as an assessment. Typically it took British Soul fans to reignite interest and a torrent of well-deserved praise has followed ever since.

Stepney is a sort of underground cult figure now amongst aficionados - spoken about in hushed tones. Riperton went solo and produced a string of gorgeous Soul albums in the mid-Seventies only to sadly succumb to breast cancer at a criminally young age in 1979. Still - they all have this legacy to remind us. I adore "Hey, Love" and its infectious Soul upbeat message vibe - reminds me of the same joy I feel when I hear a great Staples Singers album.

Get this disc into your life soonest - I believe its up for deletion June 2014...

PS: See also my online reviews for "Rotary Connection" (their 1968 debut) and "Songs/Hey, Love" (a 2LPs on 1CD) release in 1998 on Ace/Beat Goes Public – and the Terry Callier album "I Just Can't Help Myself" also in this Japanese series of reissues...

“Rotary Connection” by ROTARY CONNECTION (November 1996 MCA/Chess CD Reissue Of Their 1968 Debut Album - Michael Omann Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my

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"…Turn Me On…I Want To Know What It's All About…"

No less than six vocalists made up the American vocal group ROTARY CONNECTION - Bobby Simms, Sidney Barnes, Judy Hauff, Mitch Aliotta, Kenny Venagas and Minnie Riperton (Simms, Barnes and Riperton being the most well known). This - their debut album from 1968 - has often been cited as a Psychedelic or even Progressive record - but to me it's more 5th Dimension with a Pop-Soulful bent with some Psych seasoning on top.

Recorded in Chicago in October 1967 by Marshall Chess and Charles Stepney for Chess Records new label Cadet, “Rotary Connection” was released in early 1968 on Cadet Concept LPS-312 in the USA and sold well regionally - even picking up a Number 37 placing on the Billboard Album charts in March 1968. It also received a mid-1968 limited release on LP in the UK on Chess CRL 4538.

The debut album "Rotary Connection" by ROTARY CONNECTION has been something of a sought-after vinyl piece ever since and this equally desirable CD reissue of it put out Stateside in 19 November 1996 on Chess/MCA CHD-9365 (Barcode 076732936528) is in itself something of an expensive rarity too. Here's a breakdown (36:32 minutes):

1. Amen [Side 1]

2. Rapid Transit

3. Turn Me On

4. Pink Noise

5. Lady Jane

6. Like A Rolling Stone

7. Soul Man [Side 2]

8. Sursum Mentes

9. Didn’t Want To Have To Do It

10. Black Noise

11. Memory Band

12. Ruby Tuesday

13. Rotary Connection

Andy McKaie produced the reissue, the 6-page foldout inlay has affectionate and informative liner notes by Robert Pruter (author of the book "Chicago Soul") and MARK OMANN at MCA Music Studios handled the remastering. He did a fabulous job - superb sound quality - very clear and muscular - absolutely one of the highlights of this reissue. The clarity of piano, organ and bass on "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" is outstanding.

Musically - the album is a mixture of the great and the not so great. Of the 13 tracks, "Rapid Transit", "Pink Noise", "Sursum Mentes" and "Black Noise" are just 25 to 40 second musical 'mind-trip' snippets between songs ("Black Noise" rather naughtily uses the vocal refrain from the end of The Beatles "Hello Goodbye" without referencing McCartney/Lennon in the credits). Six songs are cover versions - radically reworked takes on the old Traditional "Amen", "Lady Jane" and "Ruby Tuesday" by The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone", Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" (written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter) and The Lovin' Spoonful's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" (written by John Sebastian). Of the three originals "Turn Me On" (lyrics above) is probably the best. It was often misconstrued as being about drugs when it was about a man talking to God. "Memory Band" is an instrumental peppered with irritating childish vocals - it's good rather than great. While the last track "Rotary Connection" spends most of its three-minute running time segueing bits of the songs that went before together with a tune eventually emerging about half way through it. It probably seemed like a cool idea at the time, but it makes for a very awkward listen now.

Another bit of a disappointment too is that you really don't get to 'hear' Barnes or Riperton to proper effect except in backing vocals, but you do get to marvel at Stepney's string arrangements (the largely instrumental take on "Like A Rolling Stone" is a brilliant interpretation of an overly familiar tune while "Soul Man" is completely changed into something far edgier). Alongside such noted talents as guitar player Bryce Robertson and ace bassist Phil Upchurch, Stepney also played keyboards. It's a strange and wonderfully eclectic record with Side One called "Trip I" and Side Two "Trip II" - and you can hear why it has such a cult status now.

Rotary Connection would go on to make 4 more albums (a Hip-O Select box set surely beckons) and one - "Hey, Love" from 1971 - is a balls-to-the-wall masterpiece. For those not sure - or put off by the high prices - I thoroughly recommend the 1999 "Black Gold" 2CD retrospective for a taster and a more rounded picture or the Ace/Beat Goes Public CD that clumps together “Songs” and “Hey, Love”.

But this is where it all that gorgeous vocal Soul with a dash of Sixties Psych started - and a lovely thing it is too…