PeaceNHarmony
03-17-2017, 08:52 PM
‘Sweet As Funk Can Be’ is The Dells’ 9th LP overall and the 7th LP issued during the group’s glory years at Cadet Records. Produced, arranged, and conducted by the under-recognized Charles Stepney, this 1972 release proved to be somewhat of an underperformer after the group’s masterwork ‘Freedom Means’and its extraordinary [[though admittedly odd …) follow-up ‘The Dells Sing Dionne Warwicke’s Greatest Hits’.
Stepney viewed the ultra-talented Dells as a unit that could take the hit-single-and-filler r&b LP to a higher artistic level. ‘SAFCB’ forwards his vision into a suite of 7 original songs by Terry Callier and Larry Wade with 1 cover [[Bacharach & David’s ‘The Look Of Love’) interspersed with a prologue and 7 ‘segues’ written by Callier and Stepney, featuring spoken word raps and vocalizations bythe group. These pieces rather weigh the listening experience down these 40+ years later but in no way take away from the glory and vocal majesty that is The Dells at their best.
There are utterly heart-stopping ballads on this release[[‘Do What You Gotta Do Babe’ and ‘Just As Long As We Have Love’ being the standouts that shoulda-been major hits) as well as the great up-tempo ‘Windy City Soul’. There’s really not a bad, or even minor, song on this LP and the vocal dynamics between leads Marvin Junior and Johnny Carter, perhaps the major under-rated vocal dynasty of the R&R era, remain unparalleled - and the Stepney arrangements are superb as always.
“Sweet As Funk Can Be’ is a 2016 release by Playback Records and its purchase is HIGHLY recommended! Can ‘Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation’ be next?? One can hope!
Stepney viewed the ultra-talented Dells as a unit that could take the hit-single-and-filler r&b LP to a higher artistic level. ‘SAFCB’ forwards his vision into a suite of 7 original songs by Terry Callier and Larry Wade with 1 cover [[Bacharach & David’s ‘The Look Of Love’) interspersed with a prologue and 7 ‘segues’ written by Callier and Stepney, featuring spoken word raps and vocalizations bythe group. These pieces rather weigh the listening experience down these 40+ years later but in no way take away from the glory and vocal majesty that is The Dells at their best.
There are utterly heart-stopping ballads on this release[[‘Do What You Gotta Do Babe’ and ‘Just As Long As We Have Love’ being the standouts that shoulda-been major hits) as well as the great up-tempo ‘Windy City Soul’. There’s really not a bad, or even minor, song on this LP and the vocal dynamics between leads Marvin Junior and Johnny Carter, perhaps the major under-rated vocal dynasty of the R&R era, remain unparalleled - and the Stepney arrangements are superb as always.
“Sweet As Funk Can Be’ is a 2016 release by Playback Records and its purchase is HIGHLY recommended! Can ‘Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation’ be next?? One can hope!