Coming on March 24 from P&C/Reel Music are two cracking seventies soul albums.
First up is Sisters Love’s With Love, the long, lost album of Motown soul and funk the glorious vocal quartet recorded for the label after its move out to California. Fans of the known singles, Give Me Your Love, Mr. Fix-It Man and their only UK release I’m Learning To Trust My Man will at last get to hear the original 10-track album as intended, plus five bonus tracks. Writers and producers include Hal Davis, Gloria Jones, Pamela Sawyer, Paul Riser and Willie Hutch.
Although Gwen Berry passed away some years ago, the other three members of the group, Jeanie Long, Lillie Fort and Vermettya Royster, have all been actively involved in this release.
Look out, too, for Lay It On Me: The Columbia Years, a compilation of the best music from rare groove queen Gwen McCrae’s stay at the label. The album brings together her five singles for the label, plus one unreleased gem in Clarence Reid’s Lovin’ In The Lay-A-Way. Originally recorded between 1970 and 1972, the tracks were released at a time when Gwen was pretty much on the only African American on the Columbia label and before the company became a powerhouse for R&B with major hits on PIR and Epic. Much of the music was recorded at American Group Studios and features The Memphis Horns on many songs.