"Freedom Means" by THE DELLS with Larry Wade, Terry Callier & Charles Stepney (2015 Caroline CD Reissue - Nick Robbins Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Heed The Call!" 

1971 was a huge year for Soul Music - especially American Soul. Marvin Gaye's staggering "What's Going On" on Tamla (which many argue is the greatest LP every made in any genre and they might be right) - Aretha Franklin's right-on Grooveathon "Aretha Live At Fillmore East" and the Blaxploitation big daddy of them all (with a dose of extra bling) - Isaac Hayes' "Shaft". All of them went to the coveted No. 1 spot on the US R&B charts in 1971. Even Curtis Mayfield's socially conscious inner city opus "Curtis" on Curtom Records proved to have extended legs from its release in October 1970 when it too went all the way - eventually hitting the No. 1 spot in February 1971 and staying there for 5 weeks.

But I'd argue it was a stunning and pivotal year because of those 'other' albums you hear about in hushed tones and deep Soul-worshiping circles. I'm talking about Bobby Womack's "Communication" on United Artists - Earth, Wind & Fire's eponymous debut on Warner Brothers – The Isley Brothers doing Rock in a Soulful way on their awesome covers album "Givin' It Back" on T-Neck and Gil Scott-Heron's beat poetry vs. music mash-up "Small Talk At 125th And Lennon" on Flying Dutchman (I've reviewed most). I'd like to add my further penny's worth with Minnie Riperton's "Come To My Garden" on GRT Records - The (New) Rotary Connection's "Hey, Love" on Cadet - and released in the same month of August 1971 and on the same label - the wonderful "Freedom Means" by The Dells. All of the last three mentioned have a connection – they were Arranged and Produced by the genius that was CHARLES STEPNEY.

Stepney is a big name in small circles and I've been singing his praises in my SOUNDS GOOD e-Book on 'Soul, Funk and Jazz Fusion' for years (he was sadly lost to us in May 1976 aged only 46). But what puts "Freedom Means" up there is the alliance on the same record with Stepney and Soul Boys/Songwriting Heroes - Larry Wade and Terry Callier. This dynamic-duo provided six of the nine songs on the LP and man you hear it. Which brings us to this 2015 Reissue...

Caroline International/SoulMusic Records are part of the Cherry Red network of UK labels and they are clearly pleased with their very cool and lovely Remaster. This is a beauty and they know it. Let's get to the music and the meaningful details...

UK released December 2015 - "Freedom Means" by THE DELLS on Caroline International/SoulMusic Records CAROLR 033CD (Barcode 600753663097) is a straightforward CD Reissue/Remaster of the 1971 US album that plays out as follows (40:28 minutes):

1. Freedom Means [Side 1]

2. Rather Be With You

3. The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)

4. One Less Bell To Answer

5. It's All Up To You

6. Medley: If You Go Away/Love Story [Side 2]

7. Make It With You

8. Free And Easy

9. Melody Man

10. Freedom Theme

Tracks 1 to 10 are their album "Freedom Means" - released August 1971 in the USA on Cadet Records CA 50004 (no UK issue). Produced and Arranged by CHARLES STEPNEY - it peaked at No. 4 on the US R&B charts and No. 81 on the Pop charts.

NOTE: There are only 9 actual songs on the album - "Freedom Theme" at the end of Side 2 (credited to Charles Stepney) was merely a 20-second segment of silence (a statement of sorts on the times). To keep the integrity of the whole album - Caroline have included it here anyway.

THE DELLS were:

JOHNNY CARTER and VERNE ALLISON – Tenor Vocals

MARVIN JUNIOR and MICKEY McGILL – Baritone Voices

CHUCK BARKSDALE – Bass Vocals

Musicians:

Guitars – Phil Upchurch, Terry Callier and Patrick Ferreri

Trombones – John Avant and Morris Ellis

Trumpets – Arthur Hoyle and Murray Watson

French Horns: Ethel Merker and Richard Olberg

Piano – Charles Stepney

Harp – Edward Druzinsky

Bass – Sidney Simms and Phil Upchurch

Percussion – Morris Jennings, Sheldon Elias and Donny Simmons

Violins, Cellos and Violas – Various

In a sumptuous 16-page booklet – A. SCOTT GALLOWAY gives us superb liner notes that feature newly arranged interviews with surviving singer Mickey McGill as well as reminiscences down through the years from Callier, Wade and even Stepney himself. There's a great photo of Larry Wade with Terry Callier in 2000 looking like two elder statesmen of Soul – label repros of Side 1 and 2 for the Cadet CA 50004 LP as well as repros of the desirable Cadet/Checker US 7" singles for the two singles lifted off the album - "The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)" b/w "Freedom Means" on Cadet CA 5683 (July 1971) and "It's All Up To You" b/w "Oh, My Dear" on Cadet 5689 (January 1972). It's really well done and gives genuine insight into facts around the songs and the recordings - insider info that was all but mystery only a few years ago.

But the big news is the Audio – a truly stunning NICK ROBBINS Remaster from original tapes. Nick has done literally hundreds of CDs for Ace Records of the UK and especially their beloved Kent-Soul imprint. This is a guy who knows his way around a Soul Record and a master box. The full lushness of Stepney's arrangements (there's fifteen players for Violins, Cellos and Violas in the booklet credits alone) and the other great musicians and their obvious skills is now in proper evidence. I had a few of these tracks on the Dells double-CD "Standing Ovation: The Very Best Of 1966-1988" from Universal in 2007 (see separate review) – they were remastered by the mighty Erick Labson and were uniformly stunning. But somehow, somewhere - Robbins has managed to wrench more. Fans of the album and Stepney-orientated material will love this.

Written by Wade, Stepney and Callier and somehow reflecting the heady days of blacks and whites finally coming together in some kind of shared bond - the album opens with the upbeat message song "Freedom Means". A spoken intro advises that speaking right out - finding space in time - working it all out together - is where it's at (man). The smooch vocals soon turn into a righteous groove with the little guitar flicks of Phil Upchurch subtly evident. Wade, Stepney and Callier song number two is the busy "Rather Be With You" - a love song with a pulse. Callier would return to the song almost two years later (as "I'd Rather Be With You") for release on his "What Color Is Love" album (Cadet CA 50019 in March 1973). Callier's later cut is a leaner version - his gorgeous voice carrying the melody yet again. The Dells version of "Rather Be With You" initially features the huge Bass lungs of Chuck Barksdale singing sexily into his lady's ears only to be joined by Bacharach type brass and the complimentary Tenor voice of Johnny Carter. It's a hugely romantic song and with Barksdale's deep timber has more than a shade of Brook Benton over on Atlantic Records.

Magic then wallops you in the proverbial goolies – the sensational "The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)". Marvin Junior gets a lion's share of the passionate outbursts - but all five voices are up there harmonising like pros to make a sublime cohesive whole. This song alone makes the album five-stars and is surely one of the loveliest examples of Harmony Soul out there (the public took it to heart too over the months eventually putting it up to No. 8 on the R&B charts and even giving it a No. 30 placing on the normally resistant Rock and Pop charts). "One Less Bell To Answer" is the first of three cover versions - a Burt Bacharach and Hal David creation made famous by The 5th Dimension who put their version on Bell 940 on the No. 2 spot in late 1970. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of this overly busy song - or the Jacques Brel/Rod McKuen combo of "If You Go Away/Love Story" - the second cover on the LP. Both may have some reaching for the word 'cheese' and the remote control's forward button. Better is the very Terry Callier "It's All Up To You" which feels 5th Dimension but in a more genuinely joyful way.

Their 3rd cover is the David Gates Bread classic "Make It With You" which The Dells radically rearrange into a Funky Stroller with Brass. Galloway's liner notes reckon it's a rare misstep - but I love it better than the supposed wonder of that "Love Story" talking-schlock. But they fade into memory as I totally trip out on another fave-rave of mine  - the stunning groove of "Free And Easy" - where Phil Upchurch finally gets to shine for close on five minutes. The voices swing and sway and there he is - flicking away on the frets - complimenting the very 'California Soul' groove in the melody. Apparently Stepney had charts for Upchurch to play - but he also knew that the virtuoso guitarist liked to improvise and 'feel it' (like all great Jazzers) - so that's what he let Upchurch do (this is why so many musicians wanted to work with CS - he understood how to get the best out of them). The lead vocals are also just stunning - one for that cool 70ts Soul CD-R you need to impress pals with. "Melody Man" brings it home and the 20-seconds of "Freedom Theme" feels like an eerie ghost somehow trying to tell us something important from the past...a quiet and 'be still' moment...

Barksdale wisely commented once - "...God allotted Charles Stepney just so much time to be here...that was time exquisitely spent..."

Spend some of your cash on this exquisitely realised CD Reissue/Remaster. 

And well done to all at Caroline International and more from the criminally ignored Cadet/Checker labels purlease...