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70ts Soul, R'n'B, Funk, Jazz Fusion
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters
70ts Soul, R'n'B, Funk, Jazz Fusion
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters
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"...Show Me Love..."
Classy, beautiful, one of a kind and still relevant over a quarter of a century after its first issue - in truth, there aren't a lot of 'big' CD Box Sets you can say that about.
Rhino USA did the career-chronicle business by the mighty Curtis Mayfield when they issued this gorgeous homage in February 1996 to one of Soul's true giants. Across 3CDs and 51-Tracks that include his Harmony Group Soul beginnings with The Impressions up to duets with Linda Clifford – you get all points between September 1961 and June 1990. Some are full album versions whilst others are rare single-edits – and all of it, deeply impressive.
In fact "People Get Ready!..." would have been perfection bar none had it included tracks from his astonishing comeback album "New World Order" of September 1996 that showed Curtis was still firing on all sixes despite being literally crippled by injury. That niggle withstanding, from my vantage point of March 2021 (a full 25 years after its release) - "People Get Ready!..." is still the best Curtis Mayfield career retrospective ever afforded his legacy. Choices of colours indeed, let's get to them...
US released 27 February 1996 - "People Get Ready! The Curtis Mayfield Story" by CURTIS MAYFIELD on Rhino R2 72262 (Barcode 081227226220) is a 3CD 51-Track Long Box Set of Remasters covering 1961 to 1990 that plays out as follows:
CD1 (78:59 minutes):
1. Gypsy Woman – THE IMPRESSIONS (September 1961, ABC-Paramount 45-10241, A-side)
2. It's All Right - THE IMPRESSIONS (September 1963, ABC-Paramount 45-10487, A-side)
3. I'm So Proud - THE IMPRESSIONS (March 1964, ABC-Paramount 45-10544, A-side)
4. Keep On Pushing - THE IMPRESSIONS (May 1964, ABC-Paramount 45-10554, A-side)
5. Amen - THE IMPRESSIONS (Full-Length Version from the July 1964 US LP "Keep On Pushing" on ABC-Paramount ABCS-493 in Stereo)
6. People Get Ready - THE IMPRESSIONS (January 1965, ABC-Paramount 45-10672, A-side)
7. Woman's Got Soul - THE IMPRESSIONS (March 1965, ABC-Paramount 45-10647, A-side)
8. We're A Winner - THE IMPRESSIONS (November 1967, ABC-Paramount 45-11022, A-side)
9. I Loved And I Lost - THE IMPRESSIONS (Full-Length Version from the February 1968 US LP "We're A Winner" on ABC-Paramount ABCS-635 in Stereo)
10. Fool For You - THE IMPRESSIONS (August 1968, Curtom CR 1932, A-side)
11. This Is My Country - THE IMPRESSIONS (November 1968, Curtom CR 1934, A-side)
12. Choice Of Colors - THE IMPRESSIONS (May 1969, Curtom CR 1943, A-side)
13. The Makings Of You (October 1970, Curtom CR 1955, B-side of "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go" - see also Track 14)
14. (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Full-Length Version from the September 1970 US LP "Curtis" on Curtom CRS 8005 - an edited version of Track 14 was issued as the A-side to the 45-single for Track 13 – not included here)
15. Move On Up (Full-Length Version from the September 1970 US LP "Curtis" on Curtom CRS 8005)
16. We People Who Are Darker Than Blue (Full-Length Version from the September 1970 US LP "Curtis" on Curtom CRS 8005)
17. Check Out Your Mind (from the May 1971 US LP "Curtis/Live!" on Curtom CRS 8008)
18. Mighty Mighty (Spade And Whitey) (from the May 1971 US LP "Curtis/Live!" on Curtom CRS 8008)
19. Stone Junkie (from the May 1971 US LP "Curtis/Live!" on Curtom CRS 8008)
CD2 (76:24 minutes):
1. Beautiful Brother Of Mine (Edit) (June 1971, Curtom CR 1960, A-side 45-single - reissued April 1972, Curtom CR 1972)
2. Get Down (Full-Length Version from the October 1971 US LP "Roots" on Curtom CRS 8009)
3. We Got To Have Peace (Full-Length Version from the October 1971 US LP "Roots" on Curtom CRS 8009)
4. Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") (Full-Length Version from the July 1972 US Soundtrack LP "Superfly" on Curtom CRS 8014-ST)
5. Superfly (Full-Length Version from the July 1972 US Soundtrack LP "Superfly" on Curtom CRS 8014-ST)
6. Give Me Your Love (from the July 1972 US Soundtrack LP "Superfly" on Curtom CRS 8014-ST)
7. Pusherman (from the July 1972 US Soundtrack LP "Superfly" on Curtom CRS 8014-ST)
8. Future Shock (Edit) (June 1973, Curtom CR 1987, A-side US 45-single)
9. If I Were Only A Child Again (September 1973, Curtom CR 1991, A-side US 45-single)
10. Can't Say Nothin' (Edit) (November 1973, Curtom CR 1993, A-side US 45-single)
11. Kung Fu (Edit) (May 1974, Curtom CR 1999, A-side US 45-single)
12. Sweet Exorcist (September 1974, Curtom CR 2005, A-side US 45-single)
13. To Be Invisible (from the May 1974 US LP "Sweet Exorcist" on Curtom CRS 8601)
14. Mother's Son (Edit) (December 1974, Curtom CR 2006, A-side US 45-single)
15. Billy Jack (from the May 1975 US LP "(There's No Place Like) America Today" on Curtom CU 5001)
16. So In Love (Edit) (July 1975, Curtom CMS 0105, A-side US 45-single)
CD3 (70:43 minutes):
1. Only You Babe (Full-Length Version from the June 1976 US LP "Give, Get, Take And Have" on Curtom CU 5007)
2. Party Night (October 1976, Curtom CMS 0122, A-side US 45-single)
3. Mr. Welfare Man (from the June 1976 US LP "Give, Get, Take And Have" on Curtom CU 5007)
4. Show Me Love (Edit) (April 1977, Curtom CMS 0125, A-side US 45-single)
5. Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here (from the September 1977 US LP "Short Eyes" on Curtom CMS 0131)
6. You Are, You Are (March 1978, Curtom CR 0135, A-side US 45-single)
7. Do It All Night (Edit) (September 1978, Curtom CMS 0141, A-side US 45-single)
8. You're So Good To Me (Edit, credited to Curtis Mayfield only) (July 1979, RSO/Curtom RS 941, B-side to "Between You Baby And Me" - see Track 9)
9. Between You Baby And Me [credited to Curtis Mayfield And Linda Clifford] (Full-Length Version from the July 1979 US LP "Heartbeat" on RSO/Curtom RS-1-3053)
10. Love's Sweet Sensation [credited to Curtis Mayfield And Linda Clifford] (April 1980, RSO/Curtom RS 1029, A-side)
11. Love Me, Love Me Now (Edit) (June 1980, RSO/Curtom RS 1036, A-side US 45-single)
12. Tripping Out (Edit) (August 1980, RSO/Curtom RS 1046, A-side US 45-single)
13. She Don't Let Nobody (But Me) (August 1981, Boardwalk NB7-11-122, A-side US 45-single)
14. Baby It's You (August 1985, CRC Records 85-001, A-side US 45-single)
15. Homeless (Full-Length Version from the March 1990 US Album "Take It To The Streets" on Curtom CUR 2008)
16. Do Be Down (June 1990, Curtom 7 CUR 107, A-side UK 45-single)
I suppose the downside with 'Long Box' sets is the sheer size and awkward bulkiness, but you also get to see the 60-page colour booklet spread out pictorially in ways that CD-sized ones simply can't. Compiled by DAVID LEES and after testimonials from people as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, George Clinton and Chuck D. - there are a few pages by R&B and Social Politics expert WAYNE EDWARDS on the impact of Curtis' deeply messaged music. That's followed by the 'British Ambassador Of Soul' DAVID NATHAN who goes deep into CM from Pages 12 to 39 with loads of period photos breaking up the text. A smart move too is to allow CM his own comments in the final pages (based on a 1994 interview with Alan Warner) followed by track-by-track listings, a thoroughly extensive Singles and Albums Discography and of course detailed compilation credits. The three jewel-case CDs are contained within ribboned trays with the booklet sat atop - the whole thing feeling substantial and classy.
But the big news is the gorgeous transfers by long-time Audio Engineers to Rhino - BILL INGLOT and DAN HERSCH (done at Digiprep). Anyone who has had interest in The Impressions or Curtis' solo career from 1970 onwards (largely on his own Curtom Records) will know that his music was recorded and kept well. I have reviewed the "Definitive Impressions" Volume 1 and 2 from Ace’s Kent Soul – beautifully transferred too – and Rhino’s superb 1997 25th Anniversary 2CD set for the big one - "Superfly". This Box set is up there with all of it, and more.
So as you lay into the near perfect run of Tracks 1 to 12 by The Impressions on CD1, you're hammered by songs and productions, which shimmer with brilliance and fidelity. And of course it only gets better as we play through 70ts masterpieces like "Curtis" (1970), "Roots" (1971), "Superfly" (1972) and "Back To The World" (1973) and so on. A really great job done and proper attention paid. To the music...
There are no complaints about skimpy playing times on any of the discs because Rhino has cleverly (and rightly) chosen 'Full-Length' Album Versions (instead of Single Edits) of such biggies as his positivity anthem "Move on Up" and social-awareness warning "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going to Go". Those full LP cuts extend to huge fan faves like "Get Down", "We Got To Have Peace" and the No. 2 R&B hit "Freddie's Dead".
It's been an age since I revisited the "Sweet Exorcist" and "(There's No Place Like) America Today" albums and I'd forgotten how good "To be Invisible" and "Billy Jack" were. And somehow common consensus tells us that 1972's Blaxploitation Movie Soundtrack "Superfly" marked a zenith for Curtis Mayfield's music, but if anything this Box set nails that untruth with a CD3 that surprises way more than you would expect (it begins in 1976). And on it goes, his voice deepening into the 80s and 90s.
Chicago’s finest was a musician of love and conscience who influenced so many in every genre and the "People Get Ready!" Box Set is a joyous Audio and Presentation winner worthy of him. You want the best Beautiful Brother Of Mine - then look no further...
