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This
remaster is a straightforward reissue of a long-out-of-print US LP by Soul-Funk
man LEROY HUTSON. “Paradise" was issued on Elektra 9 60141-1 - E1 60141 in
July 1982 and is reissued here on CD in October 2007 in the UK. When I first reviewed this title in 2008, it was easily available, but here in November 2023 it has been deleted years and has gained a price tag.
It has remastered sound and a detailed booklet but unusually - and unlike most of the other CDs in this series - Rhino 8122-76432-2 (Barcode 081227643225) has no bonus tracks (39:00 minutes).
1. Classy Lady (5:30 minutes) - Side 1
2. Nice And Easy (4:27 minutes)
3. You Make It Happen (4:55 minutes)
4. Paradise (5:38 minutes)
5. She’s Got It (7:57 minutes) – Side 2
6. Nobody But You (4:44 minutes)
7. Stay At It (5:31 minutes)
Co-Produced by Hutson with Nicholas Caldwell, "Paradise" is very much of the time – spring and summer 1982 Kool And The Gang sounding keyboards punctured with Earth, Wind and Fire brass fills - all of it underlined by slappy bass lines. The shadow of Chic's "Risqué", George Benson's "Give Me The Night" and Change's "The Glow Of Love" loom over the whole recording - and you can 'so' hear where acts like Maxwell and D'Angelo got their sound and style from.
Highlights include the party opener of "Classy Lady", the Grover Washington Jnr's "Winelight" feel of "Paradise" and the almost Kid Creole & The Coconuts salsa funkiness of "Nobody But You". There's also the Jerry Butler co-written "You Make It Happen" and "Nice & Easy" - a pair of sweet mid-tempo smoochers. But it's not all good of course. "She's Got It" opens with a telephone ringing, then a toilet flushing (I kid you not) then a deep Barry White type voice goes into loverman spiel - it's awful. A shame that, because the groove of the tune is actually quite good. The dance floor funk of "Stay At It" sounds a little dated too.
Long time tape supremo BILL INGLOT has remastered the album and the sound is great - funky and muscular.
Like so many albums of the time, this is superb in places, and only ok in others - it's an old-school soul/funk classic given a new lease of life - just shame about the lack of extras though - as it makes it feel a little threadbare.
PS: This release is part of Rhino's "CLASSIC SOUL ALBUM - REMASTERED & EXPANDED" Series. Most titles are first time onto CD and are rare soul albums from the Warner/Atlantic/Cotillion/Elektra vaults. I have reviewed all but the two Gwen McCrae titles listed below:
1. Ace Spectrum - "Inner Spectrum"
2. Blue Magic - "Blue Magic"
3. Donny Hathaway - "Come Back Charleston Blue O.S.T."
4. Leroy Hutson - "Paradise"
5. Gwen McCrae - "Gwen McCrae"
6. Gwen McCrae - "On My Way"
7. Prince Phillip Mitchell - "Top Of The Line"
8. Prince Philip Mitchell - "Make It Good"
9. The Voices Of East Harlem -"Right On Be
Free"
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