Having dissed, discredited, and exposed many recordings and names here, suppose we pay tribute to some standouts, either well known or unknown. Here are four nominees that may have little in common, except for the fact that they are all wonderful.
#1. Dion, "The Wanderer", 1961. A classic oldie, perhaps overplayed and overlooked, but when a friend cued it up on "The Fabulous Dion" CD (Ace, made in France) I just about fell over. It sounds like it was recorded straight to 2-track, with very little compression, and all the gear working exactly right. (I'm not saying it was -- it just sounds that way.) The bass is fabulous, something the Protools kids should strive to achieve. The stereo mix has loads of separation, which I happen to like. Crystal clear -- wow. Now this is a GREAT rock and roll track!
#2. The Emotions, "So I Can Love You". Terry, did you record this one? I have the record somewhere but when the housekeeper was dusting, a lot of the old LP's got mixed up. Anyway, what a dynamite song. Those B3 glissando hooks are just addictive and the tambourine is undistorted, rare in a soul hit. (That's why I think you recorded it). This has always been one of my favorites and when I listened to it again tonight, it well stood the test of time. I wish I could mention some of the names, if only I could find the damned album. Anyone? A+++
#3. Dobie Grey, "Drift Away". Sometime in the early 70's. This perfect match of song and singer must have been one of those inspired accidents. Does anyone know the story behind this great song? Quite a lot of tape hiss during the intro -- maybe the engineer was too lazy to mute all the other tracks-- but nevermind. The strings fit in just beautifully, and the sonics are excellent. Was it on Decca? ABC? I'd sure like to know more about this hit. It's all about why we love music, hiss or not it sounds fantastic, and I'll never tire of hearing it.
#4. The Chi-Lites, "My Heart Just Keeps On Breakin'", 1973. Brunswick Records Ultra Range Sound Process. Written by Eugene Record (Record?) and Stank McKenney (Stank?) this is the perfect ying/yang, a contradiction in terms, one of a kind -- a soul/country-western track. It was on the "A Letter To Myself" album, which I think followed the monster hit "Have You Seen Her". The soulful harmonies, country fiddle, pizzicato strings, and doo wop chorus work perfectly together, strange as it may seem. And guess who engineered it? Bruce Swedien. The album art features the Chi-Lites in big afros and gigantic gauzy, flowing robes. iTunes doesn't have the song, but it's well worth seeking out.
So, those are MY four picks. I'd like to hear yours.