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"...Come
And Get Your Love..."
Preceding
September 1972's "Already Here" that opens this 3LPs-onto-2CDs 2017
reissue – REDBONE had already clocked up three albums.
First
came the double-opener "Redbone" in February 1970,
"Potlatch" followed in November 1970 and then came the real
breakthrough LP - "Message From A Drum" in February 1972. It
contained the monster hit "Witch Queen Of New Orleans" - a smash for
the Native American four-piece as far back as May 1971 (the LP didn't arrive
until early 1972). With the same track list but different artwork - the British
variant of the "Message From A Drum" LP was actually renamed
"The Witch Queen Of New Orleans" for UK audiences after the Epic
Records single became their first charter in Blighty as well – peaking at an
unprecedented No. 2 in late 1971.
But
to the matter in hand - what you get here in July 2017 are studio albums number
four, five and six from 1972, 1973 and 1974 remastered and presented in the
usual classy manner by England's BGO (Beat Goes On). In fact most people will
only really know Redbone through the movies - the American actor Chris Pratt
using their Seventies smash "Come And Get Your Love" on his Walkman
as he dances through an alien planet landscape in the opening sequence of the
huge "Guardians Of The Galaxy" movie in 2014 - giving the song and
the forgotten group another lease of life.
Their
music and sound fluctuated from their initial 1970/1971 Red Indian Swamp Rock
to 1972-1974 War-like Rock-Funk, Seventies Pop and even Santana-esque Soulful
flourishes and Return To Forever nine-minute whig-outs. But as the LPs
progressed and especially after the huge success of "Come And Get Your
Love" - you can hear the band leaving behind the interesting
experimentation of old and instead reach for that 'popular music for the
masses' handbook and most times come up trumps (though not all). Despite an
inevitable commercialization of their unique Native American Funk-Pop on the
weak third album presented here - this CD-twofer still makes for a hugely
enjoyable listen overall and also has you think – here is a band that and a
sound that genuinely deserves 'rediscovery'. To the details…drum rolls
please...
UK
released Friday, 14 July 2017 (21 July 2017 in the USA) - "Already
Here/Wovoka/Beaded Dreams Through Turquoise Eyes" by REDBONE on Beat Goes
On BGOCD 1277 (Barcode 5017261212771) offers 3LPs Remastered onto 2CDs and play
out as follows:
Disc
1 (52:52 minutes):
1.
Fais-Do [Side 1]
2.
Motivation
3.
Power (Prelude To A Means)
4.
Speakeasy
5.
Condition Your Condition
6.
Where Is Your Heart [Side 2]
7.
Good Enough For Jesus
8.
Poison Ivy
9.
Already Here (Brujo)
Tracks
1 to 9 are their fourth studio album "Already Here" - released
September 1972 in the USA on Epic Records KE 31598 and January 1973 in the UK
on Epic Records S EPC 65072.
10.
Wovoka [Side 1]
11.
Sweet Lady Of Love
12.
Someday (A Good Song)
13.
Liquid Teeth
14.
We Were All Wounded At Wounded Knee
Tracks
10 to 14 are Side 1 of their fifth studio album "Wovoka" - released
November 1973 in the USA on Epic Records KE 32462 and November 1973 in the UK
on Epic EPC 65500.
Disc
2 (52:32 minutes):
1.
Come And Get Your Love [Side 2]
2.
Day To Day Life
3.
Clouds In My Sunshine
4.
23rd And Mad
Tracks
1 to 4 are Side 2 of their fifth studio album "Wovoka" - released
November 1973 in the USA on Epic Records KE 32462 and November 1973 in the UK
on Epic EPC 65500.
5.
One More Time [Side 1]
6.
Suzi Girl
7.
Only You And Rock And Roll
8.
Blood, Sweat And Tears
9.
Cookin' With D'Redbone
10.
(Beaded Dreams Through) Turquoise Eyes [Side 2]
11.
Beautiful Illusion
12.
Interstate Highway 101
13.
I'll Never Stop Loving You
14.
Moon When Four Eclipse
Tracks
5 to 14 are their sixth studio album "Beaded Dreams Through Turquoise
Eyes" - released October 1974 in the USA on Epic Records KE 33053 and
October 1974 in the UK on Epic Records EPC 80429
REDBONE
was:
LOLLY
VEGAS - Lead Guitar and Lead Vocals
TONY
BELLAMY - Rhythm Guitar and Vocals
PAT
VEGAS - Bass and Vocals
ARTURO
PEREZ - Drums and Percussion on "Already Here" only
BUTCH
RILLERA - Drums and Backing Vocals on "Wovoka" and "Beaded
Dreams Through Turquoise Eyes"
Guests:
RED
RHODES of BAMBOO - Steel Guitar on "Speakeasy" on the "Already
Here" LP
TERRY
FURLONG of THE GRASS ROOTS - Slide Guitar on "Fais-Do" on the
"Already Here" LP
ELIJAH
HORN SECTION - Brass and Horns on the "Already Here" LP
JOE
SAMPLE of The Crusaders - Piano and Vibraphone on the "Wovoka" LP
SHIRLEY
WILLIAMS - Backing Vocals on the "Wovoka" LP
BONNIE
BRAMLETT, MERRY CLAYTON and CLYDIE KING - Backing Vocals on the "Beaded
Dreams..." LP
The
outer card slipcase lends these BGO reissues a very classy feel and the 20-page
booklet certainly lays on the credits, photos and musical assessments hard and
thick. NEIL DANIELS provides the affectionate and enthusiastic liner notes
which are dedicated to Lolly Vegas and Tony Bellamy - principal songwriters in
the band who sadly passed in 2010 and 2009 respectively. ANDREW THOMPSON once
again does the beautifully rendered Remasters from real tapes - great sound
that lifts up every song. To the music...
Across
three whole albums there is only one cover version – all other material are
original Lolly and Pat Vegas compositions with some contributions from Tony
Bellamy – an impressive feat. Even the 'you can look but you better not touch'
cover of the Lieber/Stoller-penned Coasters nugget "Poison Ivy" gets
a radical Funk-up so you're not hearing another slavish R&B interpretation.
The "Already Here" album retains much of that 'War' funk ethic with
the nine-minute title track being a sort of Return To Forever Jazz Fusion
whig-out that's actually a little indulgent. But tracks like the Funky "Motivation"
and the 'get your act together' message song "Condition Your
Condition" would do The Isley Brothers proud over on T-Neck Records. The
Pat Vegas ballad "Power (Prelude To A Means)" is really pretty and
with its Philly strings comes on like The Manhattans or even Bobby Womack with
a message for the ladies that will benefit them entirely. The other worthy
entry is the catchy and Soul-lovely Lolly Vegas shuffler "Where Is Your
Heart". It's amazing that Epic chose the lesser "Fais-Do" as a
lead off 7" single in August 1972 when I can't help feel this tune had
Soul and Pop crossover appeal.
After
the over-the-top 'Brujo' fusion work out of the title track to "Already
Here" - the deliberately commercial "Wovoka" LP is a Rock-funky
album coming from the 'land of spirits'. The title track is a fabulous
'dancing' funker that's got its Saxophone and Guitar heart firmly in the 'Witch
Queen' corner. Another shuffler comes with the very catchy "Sweet Lady Of
Love" and again this could be The Delfonics or The Dells getting their collective
vocal teeth into a deeply Soulful groove. You can hear why someone thought it
was a good idea to release "We Were All Wounded At Wounded Knee" as a
45 but it feels like a poor man's 'buffalo' and 'reservation' follow-up to
"Witch Queen" that never really ignites no matter how worthy its
historically uncomfortable lyrics are. Better is the joint Vegas/Bellamy song
of "Day To Day Life" where he and his common-law wife keep on
rocking. They go native chanting on the equally impressive snake rattles of "Clouds
In My Sunshine" – a strange mixture of Native American vibes mixed with
the second half of the song that goes pure Philly Soul. The near seven-minutes
of "23rd And Mad" comments on city life as it funks through the
‘great boom boom boom’ where all the girls are sexy temptations and the cafes
are full of dudes and pimps.
But
as good as all they are – the album belongs to one song. At five minutes and
one second - the full album cut of "Come And Get Your Love" starts
with an almost Gospel refrain before it goes into that familiar opener (edited
from the 7” single). It’s a damn shame BGO didn't include the 45-cut of 3:39
minutes that most people are familiar with from the Radio, Commercials and
Films as a Bonus Track. But it doesn't stop the Remaster of this fabulous slice
of Seventies joy from being a guilty pleasure I’m sure many listeners will
return to more than once on this reissue. A billion-dollar movie can't be
wrong. "Come And Get Your Love" indeed...
Reaching
No. 174 on the US Top 200 in early November 1974 - "Beaded Dreams Through
Turquoise Eyes" failed to capitalize on the "Wovoka" No. 66
chart placing the year previous. "One More Time" has clever
socially-conscious lyrics about not being able to pay the bills and people
saying they can kick that itch in their arms - but it gets lost in some obvious
"Come And Get My Love" identikit melodies that aren't as good as the
previous winner. The too-poppy "Suzi Girl" feels much the same.
Things improve with the hooky "Only You And Rock And Roll" - a clavinet-funky
little dancer with strings and an eye on the singles chart. "Blood, Sweat
And Tears" is a message song while the Sly & The Family Stone funky
"Cookin' With D'Redbone" tries hard and just about gets away with it.
Much of Side 2 is the same ever so slightly syrupy material with the Stylistics
dancer "I'll Never Stop Loving You" even being a possible Northern
Soul discovery.
To
sum up - the first album "Already Here" is very good,
"Wovoka" a total sweetie and that third "Beaded Dreams..."
set lets the side down a lot - a victim of chasing chart success without having
the tunes to achieve sales. Still with the great audio and fab presentation -
fans will need to own it and newcomers will find much to enjoy. Nice one...
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