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"...Saw My Flower Child..."
When
DAVID RUFFIN stepped out of the shadows and up to his debut solo LP (Lead
Vocalist with The Temptations) – he enlisted some of Motown's most gifted
writers and produced a classic Soul LP that raced to the coveted No. 1 spot on
the US R&B charts in 1969. And God does it still stand up - both as a great
example of quality Sixties Motown Soul but as a wet dream for Northern Soul dancers
gagging to flick talcum powder on the kitchen Lino. Which brings us to this
superb reissue...
This
2016 CD Remaster is part of a European Reissue Series from Universal Spain
distributed in the UK by Elemental Music – a reissue label specialising in
Disco, Soul, Funk and Fusion LP titles that are long out of print on both vinyl
and CD. With access to the vast back-catalogue of Universal - you get mainly US
rarities and obscure albums originally on Polydor, Chess, Cadet, People,
Mercury, Capitol Records and of course the huge Motown repertoire including
Rare Earth, Soul, Tamla and Gordy (see list below). They’ve been releasing
titles steadily since November 2015 and into 2016...
Each
CD Reissue is housed in a gatefold LP replica card sleeve with an Inner (a
limited edition). It doesn't say anywhere on their glossy packaging (inners or
CDs) who or even where these were transferred or remastered despite the claims
of such on the stickers on the outer shrink-wrap. Having said that the repro
sleeves are accurate - tactile to touch - all coming with a gatefold artwork
when most of their original album covers were single sleeves - and best of all
have superb Audio care of Universal UMC. If was to hazard a Remaster Engineer
guess - it sounds like the work of Gary Moore or Kevin Reeves - both of whom
have handled huge numbers of these genre albums for Universal in their
extensive 200+ 'Originals' Series. Here are the details...
UK/Europe
released November 2016 - "My Whole World Ended" by DAVID RUFFIN on
Universal Spain/Motown/Elemental Music 88527 (Barcode 8435395501542) is a
straightforward CD Remaster of the 1969 12-track STEREO LP originally on Motown
Records and plays out as follows (minutes):
1.
My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)
2.
Pieces Of A Man
3.
Somebody Stole My Dream
4.
I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved
5.
Everlasting Love
6.
I've Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby
7.
The Double Cross [Side 2]
8.
Message From Maria
9.
World Of Darkness
10.
We'll Have A Good Thing Going On
11.
My Love Is Growing Stronger
12.
Flower Child
Tracks
1 to 12 are his debut LP "My Whole World Ended" - released May 1969
in the USA on Motown MS685 (Stereo) and September 1969 in the UK on Tamla
Motown TML 11118 (Mono) and Tamla Motown STML 11118 (Stereo) – the STEREO mix
is used for this CD Remaster. Arranged and Produced by HARVEY FUQUA and JOHNNY
BRISTOL - it peaked at No. 1 in the USA on the R&B charts (No. 31 on the
Pop). David Ruffin - Lead Vocals and Piano - Backing Singers are The Originals
(Freddie Gorman, Walter Gaines, Hank Dixon and C.P. Spencer) with Female
backing Singers - The Andantes - Rhythm Section by The Funk Brothers
The
glossy black and white inner gatefold starts the lyrics at Song 1 and ends on
Song 8 only to continue on one-side of the inner sleeve for Songs 9 to 12 (the
flipside of the inner has track details, musician credits and other discography
info - see photos attached). The CD label is Motown Stereo and the Remastered
Audio is beautifully clear – sounding a lot like the versions done by KEVIN
REEVES for the 2005 Hip-O Select sets out of the USA - in fact the annotation
is almost identical. With those 5000-only Hip-O Select sets now costing silly
money - this is s welcome reissue...
Ruffin
surrounded himself with great songwriters for his debut - legends behind the
scenes. HARVEY FUQUA had formed the famed Vocal Group The Moonglows in the
early Fifties and had a history with Motown stretching right back to their
first release for Barrett Strong that Fuqua distributed on his own Anna
Records. He'd guided Marvin Gaye to Tammi Terrell and co-written the monster
Miracles No. 1 "Tears Of A Clown". His hands are on three songs - the
big single and its B-side "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left
Me)" b/w "I've Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby": which the
label put out prior to the album's release in late January 1969 on Motown 1149
which rose to No. 2 R&B (No. 9 Pop) - and the third being "World Of
Darkness" - a co-write with Thomas Kemp who'd written hits for other
Motown acts like The Spinners, The Isley Brothers and Marvin and Tammi. The other
huge force on the LP is future Disco legend JOHNNY BRISTOL who co-pens six of
the twelve songs on here - "My Whole World Ended (The Moment I Lost
You)", "Pieces Of A Man", "I've Lost Everything I've Ever
Loved", "I've Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby", "My
Love Is Growing Stronger" and "Flower Child" - most of which are
very upbeat Northern Soul dancers and display his uncanny knack for a hooky
tune.
Penned
by Buzz Carson and Mac Gayden - "Everlasting Love" is the kind of
infectious love song that has legs everywhere and for everyone - Robert Knight
first aired it in 1967 (Rising Sons RS 705) - The Love Affair put it at No. 1
in the UK on CBS Records in January 1968 (CBS 3125) while Carl Carlton returned
to it in October 1974 on Back Beat Records and got a US R&B No. 11. Here
David takes the hooky little sucker and simply adds some Motown Soul to The
Love Affair dancing version. Other winners include "The Double Cross"
and "We Have A Good Thing Going On" - both penned by the duo of Allen
Story and George "Horgay" Gordy. Motown's second single off the album
was "I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved" which they paired with
"We'll Have A Good Thing Going On" in September 1969 (Motown 1149) - gaining
them a more modest R&B placing of No. 11 (No. 59 Pop). The album ends on
the very wordy and contemplative "Flower Child" - a mid-tempo message
song about a daughter making the writer's pain melt away.
David
Ruffin's "My Whole World Ended" is a five star winning debut. He'd
follow it with the less-convincing "Feelin' Good" album only months
later in November 1969 (April 1970 in the UK on Tamla) – but that felt like sloppy
seconds for the most part. This is the one - and resplendent here with sexy
repro presentation and lovely Audio - fans should dive in and get tearful once
again with the mighty Ruff...
Titles in the 2015/2016 'Universal/Elemental Music' CD Reissue Series are:
1.
Hang On In There Baby (1974 LP on MGM Records) - JOHNNY BRISTOL
(Universal/Elemental 88518 - 8435395501153)
2.
The Original Disco Man (1979 LP on Polydor) - JAMES BROWN (Universal/Elemental
88523 – Barcode 8435395501450)
3.
Music To Make Love By (1975 LP on Chess) - SOLOMON BURKE (Universal/Elemental
88528 – Barcode 8435395501627)
4.
Hot On The Tracks (1976 LP on Motown) – THE COMMODORES (Universal/Elemental
88511 – Barcode 8435395500965)
5.
Breakin' Bread (1974 LP on People) – FRED (WESLEY) & THE NEW JB’S
(Universal/Elemental 88522 – Barcode 8435395501252)
6.
Doing It To Death (1973 LP on People) - THE JB'S [with James Brown]
(Universal/Elemental 88517 – Barcode 8435395501146)
7.
People...Hold On (1972 LP on Tamla) – EDDIE KENDRICKS (Universal/Elemental
88501 – Barcode 8435395500569)
8.
Mother Nature's Son (1968 Stereo LP on Cadet, Charles Stepney Production) – RAMSEY
LEWIS (Universal/Elemental 88504 – Barcode 8435395500590)
9.
Them Changes (1970 LP on Cadet) - RAMSEY LEWIS (Universal/Elemental 88516 –
Barcode 8435395501139)
10.
Fire (1974 LP on Mercury) - THE OHIO PLAYERS (Universal/Elemental 88506 –
Barcode 8435395500973)
11.
Skin Tight (1974 LP on Mercury with 1 Bonus Track) - THE OHIO PLAYERS
(Universal/Elemental 88510 – Barcode 8435395500958)
12.
Get Ready (1969 LP on Rare Earth) – RARE EARTH (Universal/Elemental 88505 –
Barcode 8435395500866)
13.
Soulin' (1966 Stereo LP on Capitol) - LOU RAWLS (Universal/Elemental 88515 -
8435395501122)
14.
Smokey (1973 LP on Tamla) – SMOKEY ROBINSON (Universal/Elemental 88503 –
Barcode 8435395500583)
15.
My Whole World Ended (1969 Stereo LP on Motown) - DAVID RUFFIN (Universal/Elemental
88527 – Barcode 8435395501542)
16.
The Groove Governor (1970 LP on Soul) – JIMMY RUFFIN (Universal/Elemental 88513
– Barcode 8435395501108)
17.
Still Waters Run Deep (1970 LP on Tamla) – THE TEMPTATIONS (Universal 88502 –
Barcode 8435395500576)
18.
Face To Face With... (1971 LP on Gordy) – THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH
(Universal/Elemental 88509 – Barcode 8435395500941)
19.
Together Brothers O.S.T. (1974 2LPs on 20th Century, Single CD) – BARRY WHITE
and THE LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA (Universal/Elemental 88507 – Barcode
8435395500880)
