I like this song a lot, and like ALL of major's releases, I bought it right away, after first hearing it. However, it isn't one of my favourite songs by him, like "Phyllis", Delilah, Hey Little Girl, The Monkey Time, The Matador, Um,Um,Um,Um,Um,Um, Rhythm, Everybody Loves A Good Time, Sweet Music, Little Young Lover, Think Nothing About It, Dark and Lonely, and Gonna Get Married. I like "Too Hot To Hold" quite a bit less than it's flip side, "Dark and Lonely". "Too Hot To Hold" is more Bluesy, and less sweet and happy sounding than most of his songs I like, most of which were written by Curtis Mayfield, and most have that Calypso mid-tempo rhythm that was Curtis' trademark, and that the Beach and Popcorn fans love.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE ALL Major's songs recorded in Chicago, and written by either Curtis Mayfield's staff, or Carl Davis' staff[[Davis, Billy Butler, Otis Leavill, Major, Gerald Sims, Eugene Record). After they stopped using Curtis Mayfield, and Carl Davis left Okeh Records and Columbia to run Brunswick Records, I didn't like the songs Major got from Columbia's New York office, and I didn't like their productions. His songs improved when he returned to Carl Davis by signing with Davis' Dakar Records, and after that, also back with Curtis at his own Curtom Records.
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