"Rit/Rit 2" by LEE RITENOUR – May 1981 and November 1982 US Albums on Elektra Records featuring Harvey Mason on Keyboards and Percussion, David Foster, Greg Phillinganes, Richard Tee and Greg Mathieson on Keyboards, Abraham Laboriel on Bass, Chuck Finley on Trumpet, Jeff Porcaro on Drums and Eric Tagg on Lead Vocals with Johnny Mandel doing String Arrangements and more (October 2015 UK Robinsongs Compilation – 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD – Alan Wilson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Captain Fingers..."

Californian Ace Guitarist LEE RITENOUR ("Captain Fingers" to his fans) has probably graced more Audiophile albums than any other session player in living memory. But virtuosity and a wonderful deftness of touch on the old plankaroony are not necessarily what these albums are about. These two very commercial LPs from 1981 and 1982 (his 4th and 5th vinyl platters) went for the jugular of the AWB, Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Benson albums audience with an 80ts vengeance. Here are the zippy licks and slapped basses...

UK released October 2015 – "Rit/Rit/2" by LEE RITENOUR on Robinsongs WROBIN3CD (Barcode 5013929950320) offers 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD and plays out as follows (77:38 minutes): 

1. Mr. Briefcase [Side 1]
2. (Just) Tell Me Pretty Lies
3. No Sympathy 
4. Is It You?
5. Dreamwalk 
6. Countdown (Captain Fingers) [Side 2]
7. Good Question
8. (You Caught Me) Smilin'
9. On The Slow Guide
10. No Sympathy (Reprise Version)
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Rit" – released May 1981 in the USA on Elektra Records 6E-331 and June 1981 in the UK on Elektra Records K 52273. Peaked at No. 26 in the US album charts and No. 4 on the Jazz charts (didn’t chart in the UK). 

11. Cross My Heart 
12. Promises, Promises 
13. Dreamwalkin'
14. Keep It Alive 
15. A Fantasy 
16. Tied Up [Side 2]
17. Voices
18. On The Boardwalk 
19. Road Runner 
20. Malibu 
Tracks 11 to 20 are the album "Rit/2" – released November 1982 in the USA on Elektra Records 60186 and in the UK/Europe on Elektra Records 96.0186-1. Peaked at No. 99 on the US album charts and No. 5 on the Jazz charts (didn’t chart in the UK).  

Robinsongs is a subsidiary of England's Cherry Red Records and has been building up a solid and enviable rep with regard to Soul, Funk and Jazz Fusion CD Reissues (two quality albums Remastered onto 1CD and pitched at mid-price). The 12-page booklet is a pleasingly indepth affair with new liner notes from noted Jazz writer CHARLES WARING (Contributes to the Mojo Magazine) and photos of those Elektra Records labels as well as full musician credits. ALAN WILSON at Western Star has handled the Mastering and the Audio reflects the original Production Values – clear, polished and sophisticated (if not a little 'too' Eighties in places).
Each album features a huge plethora of quality musicians – "Rit" has Harvey Mason on Keyboards and Percussion, David Foster, Greg Phillinganes, Richard Tee and Greg Mathieson (all) on Keyboards, Abraham Laboriel on Bass, Chuck Finley on Trumpet, Jeff Porcaro on Drums and Eric Tagg on Lead Vocals with Johnny Mandel doing String Arrangements (to name but a few). 

"Rit/2" features Eric Tagg doing Lead Vocals on six of its ten compositions and co-wrote "Cross My Heart", "Promises, Promises", "Dreamwalkin'", "Keep It Alive" and "Voices". Vocalist Bill Champlin features on "Promises, Promises" and co-wrote the song with Ritenour and Tagg. Lee Ritenour plays Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocoder and Guitar Synthesizer throughout. Guests include Tom Scott on Saxophone and Larry Williams on Flute as well as many of the virtuoso types that played on "Rit". 

Proceedings open with the upbeat but throwaway "Mr. Briefcase" (a 12" on both sides of the pond) – better is the Earth, Wind & Fire slap-bass Funk of "(Just) Tell Me Pretty Lies". Things mellow out with "No Sympathy" which features his delicate fretwork before Eric Tagg gets all Chicago on the Vocals. Back to the George Benson "Give Me The Night" marketplace with the infectious "Is It You?" (an obvious single) - but my fave Funky groove has always been Side 2's Instrumental "On The Slow Glide" – finger-picked Bass with treated guitars...

"Rit/2" seems more RCA-period Average White Band than Columbia's Earth, Wind & Fire opening with the schlocky "Cross My Heart". Bill Champlin of Sons Of Champlin co-wrote the commercial synth Funk of "Promises, Promises" and can be heard in the backing vocals. 'Lurve' enters the scene with "Dreamwalkin' (Along With Me)" sounding like some movie soundtrack finisher as the happy couple walk off into the Malibu sunset with Pina Coladas in hand.  Far better is his superb fluid playing on the Funky yet slick Instrumental "Road Runner" – about as sweet as the album gets. 

Admittedly in 2015 - many might find the saccharine elements of the vocals on both records a tad too much to take nowadays – but those Funky Grooves, Wicked Instrumental flourishes and that gorgeous Audio make it a worthwhile purchase for the curious - and a must-have for fans... 

"Method To The Madness/Smokin'" by THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH - 1977 and 1979 US Albums on Whitfield Records (November 2015 UK Robinsongs Compilation - 2LPs Remastered onto 2CDs) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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70ts Soul, R 'n' B, Funk, Jazz Fusion
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"...Get Ready To Get Down..."

The American Seventies-Soul-Funk group THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH has been ill served for decades now by CD with only a few entries out there in the digital ether. I've already reviewed "Face To Face With The Undisputed Truth" – their 1972 album on Tamla put out by Universal in Europe in 2003 on one of their 'Original Funk LP Series' CDs. But at last - there's some really good news...

Normally the preserve of 'Hip-O Select' out of the USA who have had the run of all things Motown and Chess for years now – up steps 'Robinsongs' of the UK (part of Cherry Red's set of labels). 

Fast cementing a rep that's being building amongst Soul fans - Robinsongs have pulled off a bit of a Reissue Scoop here with this clever 2CD set. It gathers together the last two LPs the Soul/Funk group did with Producer Norman Whitfield in 1977 and 1979 on his own Whitfield Records (distributed by Warner Brothers) - the pair being sought-after vinyl pieces on the collector's market for years now. It helps too that both are utterly wicked slices of Seventies P-Funk/Soul. Here are the Cosmic Details y'all...

UK released Friday, 20 November 2015 - "Method To The Madness/Smokin'" by THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH on Robinsongs WROBIN2CDD (Barcode 5013929950221) is a 2CD set (no Bonus Tracks) and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (48:50 minutes):

1. Cosmic Contact [Side 1]

2. Method To The Madness

3. Sunshine

4. You + Me = Love

5. Hole In The Wall [Side 2]

6. Loose

7. Life Ain't So Easy

8. Take A Vacation From Life

9. Let's Go To The Disco

Tracks 1 to 9 are their 7th studio album "Method To The Madness" – released January 1977 on Whitfield WH 2967 in the USA and Whitfield K 56289 in the UK. Produced by NORMAN WHITFIELD – the band was JOE HARRIS, TAKA BOOM, TYRONE 'Lil Tye' BARKLEY and CALVIN 'Dhaakk' STEPHENSON with an array of various other musicians – mostly from ROSE ROYCE.

Disc 2 (40:46 minutes):

1. Show Time [Side 1]

2. Talkin' To The Wind

3. Atomic Funk

4. I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love

5. Space Machine [Side 2]

6. Tazmainian Monster

7. Sandman

8. Misunderstood

Tracks 1 to 8 are their 8th and last studio album "Smokin'" – released 1979 USA LP on Whitfield WHK 3202 and Whitfield K 56497 in the UK. Produced by NORMAN WHITFIELD – the band was JOE HARRIS, LLOYD WILLIAMS, MARCY THOMAS and MELVIN STEWART and an array of various other musicians – many of whom are ROSE ROYCE.

The 12-page booklet has succinct and informative liner notes from long-time Mojo contributor CHARLES WARING sided by album credits and label repros and discusses Norman Whitfield’s involvement with the group (freeing them from the tyranny of the 3-minute Motown tune imposed by Berry Gordy and letting them rip on socially conscious material about segregation, war and inner city poverty). The remasters are from licensed Warner Brothers tapes and were carried out by ALAN WILSON at Western Star Studios in Bristol. The Audio here rocks – this is fabulous layered funked up Soul from 1977 and 1979 – so the Production values are second-to-none - a gorgeous transfer (the cover to "Method" depicts a flying saucer beaming up the band for some cosmic probing - yum yum).

The influence of heavy-hitting P-Funk that dominated 1975's affectionately remembered "Cosmic Truth" continues on "Method To The Madness". It opens with a few minutes of synthesized nonsense - voices talking about beaming 'earthlings aboard' – aliens that question them and the group replies by saying "...we are The Undisputed Truth...and we've been waiting for a new world..." After that spoken cosmic claptrap – it's good to feel things return to slap-bass Funky normality with the brilliant title track "Method To The Madness" – a genius groove that feels like Graham Central Station firing on all sixes. We go mellow with the lovely "Sunshine" – a return to Whitfield's love-song roots of the early 70ts. But the Side (and indeed the whole album) is dominated by the near 11-minute Funkathon of "You + Me = Love" – a brilliant Rufus-like winner fronted by Chaka Khan’s sister Taka Boom (an edited version peaked at 37 on the American R&B charts in August 1976). What a blast this tune is...

Side 2 opens with another fantastic group effort – "Hole In The Wall" – where all four provide lead and harmony vocals behind a grooving guitar and brass Funk. With its 'dance all night long' mantra and wicked 'mother sucker' Chaka Khan shouts from Taka - it's the kind of neck-jerking dancer that used to have customers in Reckless run to the counter and demand to know 'whose playing!' The impossibly catchy "Loose" hits the same booty nerves - but another real crave of mine on this album is "Life Ain't So Easy" which returns to those deep-voiced Undisputed Truth masterpieces like "Smiling Faces Sometimes" in 1971. Mental smooch follows "Take A Vacation From Life (And Visit Your Dreams)" – a 'take a break from reality' mellow tune that Taka sings with tenderness while the backing vocals and acoustic guitar give it a beauty that makes you want to play it over and over again. It ends with commercial Funk on "Let's Go Down To The Disco" – a tune that is far better than its hip-with-the-dance-craze-of-the-moment title would suggest (great shared vocals).

After the high of "Method To The Madness" – thankfully "Smokin'" doesn’t let the side down. It opens with the near mine-minute shuffle Funk of "Show Time" – a typically brilliant groove written by Whitfield and fronted by the superlative vocals of (uncredited) Taka Boom (lyrics from it title this review). "Talkin' To The Wind" is very Rose Royce 'lurve' song fronted by the wonderfully expressive voice of long-standing band member Joe Harris. Equally good as the opener is "Atomic Funk" where Taka once again kicks the Funk ball out of the park (DOMU sampled this song for his "Springbreak" House 12" single on Tru Thoughts in 2009). 

We get a bit Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers CHIC slick with "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" - while the near seven-minutes of "Space Machine" is another brilliant builder of a song that feels like a cross between Soul and Rock (a wicked groove that plinks its way into your heart). "Tazmainian Monster" sees Whitfield get Prince dirty with the Funk - where wolf whistles assure us that wildly attired lady "...make all the other girls look like toys..." Gentle chimes lead in the love song "Sandman" written by Miles Gregory of Rose Royce – probably not the strongest tune on here. It ends on Marcy Thomas' "Misunderstood" which she sings with conviction and Soul and tried as a solo single years later.

It's a damn shame Robinsongs didn't include the two-part single edits of the brilliant "Show Time" as Bonus Tracks - as the 2011 Wounded Bird CD did. But apart from that minor moan – this is an exciting release – and for me a definite 'Soul CD Reissue Of 2015'.

THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH and the incredible contribution Norman Whitfield made to Sixties & Seventies Soul and Funk in general are long overdue a major Box set offensive – they really are. But until such time - I'll be grooving to this fabulous twofer from Robinsongs until my cosmic booty drops. And that can only be a good thing Space Peopleoids of Plutonia...

“H/Sign Of The Time” by BOB JAMES (2014 Robinsongs CD Reissue - 2LPs Remastered Onto 1CD) - A Review by Mark Barry…

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"...Dream Until Dawn..."

Robinsongs is a subsidiary label of Cherry Red Records who have picked up on the gaps in late Seventies and Eighties Jazz Fusion and Soul Funk albums. And this is a clever CD reissue....

UK released July 2014 – "H/Sign Of The Times" by BOB JAMES on Robinsongs CDMRED627 (Barcode 5013929162730) features two LPs on 1CD Remaster and plays out as follows (75:38 minutes):

1. Snowbird Fantasy

2. Shepherd's Song

3. Brighton By The Sea

4. The Walkman

5. Thoroughbred

6. Reunited

Tracks 1 to 6 are the album "H" - released 1980 in the USA on Tappan Zee JC 36422

7. Hypnotique

8. The Steamin' Feelin'

9. Enchanted Forest

10. Unicorn

11. Sign Of The Times

12. Love Power

Tracks 7 to 12 are the album "Sign Of The Times" - released 1981 in the USA on Tappan Zee FC 37495

The 12-page booklet gives us informative and detailed liner notes by LOIS WILSON (of the Mojo magazine) and ALAN WILSON at Western Star in Bristol has done the remaster. It's incredibly clean and has sweet muscular audio - reflecting the top quality production values at the time of recording and the great session men like Hiram Bullock, Steve Khan, Bruce Dunlap and Eric Gale all on Guitars, Liberty DeVito on Drums and of course James himself on all manner of keyboards.

Side One of "H" opens with the cheesy "Snowbird Fantasy" (complete with tweeting birdies) but things improve immeasurably with a one two of sweet and funky - the traditional air "Shepherd's Song" done in a moving and truly beautiful keyboard fashion (I'm always putting this instrumental on compilations that make for peaceful listening) followed by "Brighton By The Sea" (written by long time Saxophonist sidekick Grover Washington Jr) providing superb slow Jazz Funk. "The Walkman" is hardly memorable but a cover of the Peaches & Herbs 1979 smoocher "Reunited" ends the album on a Soulful fusion tip.

For me the best of the two albums here is the "Sign Of The Times" set - not least because three of its six Funky Fusion tracks are written by that Boogie genius ROD TEMPERTON of "Thriller" and HEATWAVE fame (his three are "Hypnotique", "The Steamin' Feelin'" and "Sign of The Times"). Bob James penned the other three with "Love Power" (lyrics above) impressing the most featuring Grover Washington Jr, Eric Gale and percussionist Airto. And I've loved the stepper groove and girly backing vocals of the title track "Sign Of The Times" - great stuff.

This is a rather cool little CD reissue of two forgotten BOB JAMES albums that deserve to be noticed again. It's not all genius of course but the goodies like the gorgeous "Shepherd's Song" are worth having...