Genre: soul
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Kid Cashmere
Company: Guinness
Catalog: GNS
36081
Year: 1977
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: minor ring wear
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5709
Price: $125.00
One of the last releases on the tax scam Guinness label and another one with little or no documentation. As usual there's little in the way of credits - all seven song were credited Robert Delvey (?), but that's about the extent of information ... no production or performance details. (It also sports one of the uglier covers ...)
Musically "Kid Cashmere" offered up a strange mix of funk, rock, and soul moves. Hard to adequately describe, tracks like 'Rock 'n' Roll' and 'Lonely People' melded nice hard rock guitar moves, preening vocals, with a funky rhythm section - the anonymous bass player was quite good. There were two lead singers; one with a likeable gruff delivery, the other had a habit of falling into a piercing falsetto. The combination of vocal styles wasn't immediately attractive, but grew on you if given a chance - check out the rocker 'Something's Happening'. At their best these guys occasionally sounded a little bit like early Prince. The ballad 'I Love You' was a pretty good example. The first half of the song didn't do all that much with the pair aimlessly trading off vocals. Luckily, the second half of the song serves to showcase their first-rate lead guitarist. He saved the track without even breaking a sweat. Unfortunately at the other end of the spectrum these guys occasionally tried so hard they came off sounding like a bunch of white guys trying to halfheartedly sound funky. Think Wild Cherry (the guys responsible for the hideous 'Play that Funky Music White Boy') and you'd get a feel for 'Funky Nine' and the title track (which they pronounce 'caz-mere' - no 'h' as in the material). Odd even for the eclectic Guinness catalog, but endearing in kind of a weird way.
"Kid
Cashmere" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Rock 'n' Roll (Robert Delvey) - 5:30
2.) Funky Nine (Robert Delvey) - 4:55
3.) Lonely People (Robert Delvey) - 6:32
(side
2)
1.) Cashmere Strut (Robert Delvey) - 4:47
2.) I Love You Baby (Robert Delvey) - 7:05
3.) Something's Happening (Robert Delvey) - 2:43
4.) Good Thing Slide (Robert Delvey) - 2:57