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"…Yesterday I Had The Blues…"
Released October 2010 in the UK -
this CD reissue of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ 1972 classic debut album
“I Miss You” on Philadelphia International is a peach - properly fabulous
Seventies Soul - and its bolstered up with 4 excellent bonus cuts too.
Here are the sensual details for
"I Miss You" by HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES on Big Break
Records CDBBR 0018 (Barcode 5013929031821) - an 'Expanded Edition' CD that
plays out as follows (51:49 minutes):
1. I Miss You [Full Album Version]
2. Ebony Woman
3. Yesterday I Had The Blues
4. If You Don’t Know Me By Now [Side
2]
5. Be For Real
6. Let Me Into Your World
7. Let It Be You
Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "I
Miss You" released September 1972 in the USA on Philadelphia International
KZ 31648 and February 1973 in the UK on CBS Records S 65350 as "Harold
Melvin & The Blue Notes" (with the same track list). It was reissued
again in 1974 as “Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes” on Philadelphia
International S PIR 65934 in the UK.
BONUS TRACKS:
8. I Miss You (Part 1) (7" Single Edit
Version)
9. Yesterday I Had The Blues (7" Single
Edit Version)
10. Be For Real (7" Single Edit Version)
11. If You Don't Know Me By Now
(Live In San Francisco, 1973) - this version (featuring Teddy Pendergrass)
first appeared on the 2004 Legacy reissue of the album as a previously
unreleased bonus track
At the time of release the album
produced 3 singles in the USA and 2 in the UK with an album track edit of
"Be For Real" later used as a B-side in 1975. There were also
reissues of the two big hits "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and
"I Miss You (Part 1)" in 1974 and 1975 on both sides of the pond.
This reissue will allow fans to sequence on CD all of these 7" single
tracks for the first time:
USA:
1. I Miss You (Part 1) b/w (Part 2)
(May 1972, Philadelphia
International ZS7 3516)
2. If You Don't Know Me By Now b/w
Let Me Into Your World
(September 1972, Philadelphia
International ZS7 3520
- also issued on Epic 8453 with a Picture
Sleeve)
3. Yesterday I Had The Blues b/w
Ebony Woman
(March 1973, Philadelphia
International KS7 3525)
4. Hope That We Can Be Together Soon
b/w Be For Real
(October 1975, Philadelphia
International ZS8 3569)
5. If You Don't Know Me By Now b/w I
Miss You (Part 1)
(1975 Reissue on Philadelphia
International ZS8 3752)
UK:
1. If You Don't Know Me By Now b/w
Le Me Into Your World
(January 1973, CBS Records CBS S
8496)
2. I Miss You (Part One) b/w (Part
Two)
(April 1973, CBS Records S CBS 8291)
3. If You Don't Know Me By Now b/w
Let Me Into Your World
(1974 reissue on Philadelphia
International S PIR 2210)
Some history on the original LP is
needed. The title of this release and its artwork will seem unusual even to the
most ardent of soul fans - that's because this BBR CD reissue cleverly uses the
original US album artwork for the first time. The story goes like this -
released in August 1972 as "I Miss You" with the smiley faces cover
presented here - the breakthrough single "If You Don't Know Me By
Now" finally charted big in October of that year and was essentially the beginning
of success for Gamble and Huff's heavily subsidized Philadelphia International
label. The torch ballad's classy soulful feel caught the public's attention and
affections immediately - eventually rising to Number 1 on the US R'n'B charts
(it reached No 9 in the UK Pop charts in January 1973 also). On the back of
this success both nationally and internationally - and to present a more
sophisticated front - the album's name was changed to simply "Harold
Melvin & The Blue Notes". The reissue however (released November 1972
using the same US catalogue number) came in a new sleeve - the far-better and
now familiar 'blue' photo artwork where the boys stand in classier suits and
stare out at us in a more sombre and soulful way. The 'blue' sleeve artwork (which
the British issue only ever used) is featured on the inside flap of the
booklet. It's a nice touch...spot-checking the original....
The 12-page booklet has an
informative and detailed essay on the album and the beginning of the
Philadelphia International label by STUART WEST. In between text is pictures of
US 45's, band photos and full discography info. It's very well done and the
jewel case is one of those new rounded-corner affairs - very tasty. But the
really great news is the SOUND...
As with other BBR releases - this
remaster uses the 'original tapes' and has been carried out by WAYNE A. DICKSON
at the BBR Studios. The results are wonderful. I've had the 2004 Legacy issue
to have the music - but this transfer is 'so' much better. There is slight hiss
on the opener "I Miss You" but it's absolutely negligible because
once into the lengthy ballad - the AUDIO IS GORGEOUS. And of course the
virtually uncredited presence of TEDDY PENDERGRASS on Lead Vocals lifts the
Gamble & Huff songs and lush production values into the stratosphere (six
of the 7 songs are penned by them). His monologue on "Be For Real"
about social inequality and inner city divides - feels very Marvin Gaye circa
"What's Going On" - but with that Philly string sound thrown in.
In fact it should be mentioned that
two of the 3 songs on Side 1 - the big smoochers "I Miss You" and
"Yesterday I Had The Blues" (lyrics above) - are 'Full Album
Versions' which stretch out to 8:39 and 7:33 minutes respectively. For me, they've
always overstayed their welcome a bit too much - so it's a blast to get their
7" single edits for the first time as bonus tracks. They are so lovely -
and without the overkill of the LP versions.
So there you have it - another
winner in an impressive cannon of reissues for Big Break Records. Fans of the
band and the Philly Sound will need to own this. And from here you go straight
to the albums "Black And Blue" (1973) and "Wake Up
Everybody" (1975) - two more gems from that extraordinarily creative team
and time period (see reviews).
To sum up - I'm glad to say that the
dedication in the liner notes by BBR staff to their Soul heroes - Harold Melvin
and Teddy Pendergrass - is genuine - and Big Break have honoured their musical
legacy with this superb sounding CD…
PS: Other Big Break Records (BBR) CD
Remasters I’ve reviewed:
1. Is It Still Good To Ya – ASHFORD
and SIMPSON (1978)
2. Stay Free – ASHFORD and SIMPSON
(1979)
3. Central Heating – HEATWAVE (1977)
4. Hot Property - HEATWAVE (1979)
5. Candles - HEATWAVE (1980)
6. Turnin' On - HIGH INERGY (1977)
7. Harvest For The World - THE ISLEY
BROTHERS (1976)
8. Go For Your Guns - THE ISLEY
BROTHERS (1977)
9. In The Heart – KOOL & THE
GANG (1983)
10. I Hope We Get To Love On Time -
MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)
11.
I Miss You - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1972) [known as
"Harold Melvin The Blue Notes" in the UK]
12. Black & Blue - HAROLD MELVIN
& THE BLUE NOTES (1973)
13. Love Is The Message - MFSB
(1973)
14. Universal Love – MFSB (1975)
15. All The Faces Of... - BUDDY
MILES (1974)
16. For The First Time – STEPHANIE
MILLS (1975)
17. I Can See Clearly Now - JOHNNY
NASH (1972)
18. In Philadelphia - O'JAYS (1969)
19. Back Stabbers - O'JAYS (1972)
20. Ship Ahoy - O'JAYS (1973)
21. Down To Love Town – THE
ORIGINALS (1977)
22. Ebony Woman - BILLY PAUL (1970
and 1973)
23. 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul -
BILLY PAUL (1972)
24. War Of The Gods - BILLY PAUL
(1973)
25. Platinum Hook – PLATINUM HOOK
(1978)
26. Love For What It Is - ANITA
POINTER (of The Pointer Sisters) (1987)
27. Live: Stompin’ At The Savoy –
RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN (1983)
28. Summernights – SILVER CONVENTION
(1977)
29. Smoked Sugar - SMOKED SUGAR
(1975)
30. Spinners – SPINNERS (1973)
31. Soul Master – EDWIN STARR (1968)
32. Involved - EDWIN STARR (1971)
33. Switch - SWITCH (1978)
34. Watercolors – THE WATERS (1980)
35. Just As I Am - BILL WITHERS
(1971)
36. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH &
PEOPLES (1983)
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