DON'T get me started. Just ... don't. I love love love the Little Sister original version of the song and remain embittered about a nameless person who borrowed my copy of the Stone Flower 45 that I purchased in a wig shop and never returned it. One must move on. AND ... when I purchased the 3D lp 'Maybe' at the Korvettes on 34th street in Manhattan I virtually had to be resuscitated while standing in line at the checkout counter when I saw that 3D included their version of YTO on the lp. I had never seen this clip and, as always, salute you, Reese! In addition ... I find it annoying that this cut is never included in lists of early rap performances. HUH! Only you!
Last edited by PeaceNHarmony; 06-20-2021 at 08:31 PM.
We talked about this album on a recent thread. It is virtually one blockbuster after another. Their voices were never better and their choice of material on this album is flawless. It includes “MacArthur Park,“ “Stardust,“ “sugar on Sunday,“ and their rework of the early Chantels song “maybe“ which is produced by Richard Barrett as was the earlier version. One of the best albums ever which pointed the way towards a lot of the more dramatic, cover songs with spoken intros, along the lines of Margie Joseph‘s “stop! In the name of love“ and Laura Lee’s “ “Since I Fell for You.”
Their complete Roulette recordings are available on a double CD set and it is well worth seeking out.
THE THREE DEGREES - one of the most overlooked and underappreciated groups ever! They have a history of fantastic records!!!!!
I didn't know the group had even ever covered this song. Enjoyed the mess outta that
performance. I didn't follow the group's career as much as I did others. Still I had a
crush on Valerie for a minute. Laura Lee, that woman could sing, sang, coo, croon and growl. Scare the piss outta you too...I try to get all of her stuff but I know there's some
I've missed....
BTW, Peace, probably the reason this song like so many others, gets omitted in discussions
of early rap history is because it rapping was a technique employed occasionally in American popular music decades before kids adopted it as a completely distinct genre.
You can examples in Soul, Gospel, Jazz, Blues, Funk [[of course) and even country music.
If the Three Degrees had come out on stage and rapped through an entire set of songs
they'd have faced a walk out for sure back then....
Hey, no one needs any permission here to weigh in on the merits of any version over another...God knows I do it constantly without being asked!
I like both versions. Little Sister's of course is raunchier and funkier and the 3 Degrees' version is more polished and slicker. I think it's a great song and they both do well by it. I had the single by Little Sister and later the "Maybe" album on which it appeared by the 3 Degrees.
I can't believe Little Sister never had an album!
Yvonne Fair could have torn apart this song as well.
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