Genre: soul
Rating: 4 stars ****
Title: The O'Jays
Company: Bell
Catalog: 6082
Year: 1975
Country/State: Canton, Ohio
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: still in shrink; (torn), corner wear, 2" seam split along top right corner; lots of spider lines and occasional hiss, but plays without skips or pops
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5311
Price: $20.00
A quick slice of group history before I describe this surprisingly hard-to-find mid-1970s compilation ...
Growing up in Canton, Ohio Eddie Levert and Walter Willams started their musical collaboration singing in the same church choir. Attending the same High School (McKinley) in 1958 the pair decided to branch out into doo-wop, forming their own group with the addition of buddies Bill Isles, Bobby Massey and Williams Powell. Initially performing as The Triumphs, the quintet began to attract local attention via local parties and dances. Changing their name to The Mascots the following year the group continued plugging away on the local scene. They managed to attract the attention of King Records which went as far as recording a series of demos with the group (though they weren't released). The group also managed to score some work as background singers, but seemed unable to breakout.
Their initial breakthrough came in 1960 when they found a mentor in the form of Cleveland disc jockey Eddie O'Jay. Providing business, performance and musical guidance to the quintet, the group debuted with a 1960 single on the Apollo label ('Miracles' b//w 'I Can't Take It' (Apollo catalog number 759 A/B). The group repaid O'Jays' efforts by renaming themselves The O'Jays. Things subsequently began to move for the group, including a short term deal with Little Star. 1963 saw them signed to H.B. Barnum's Imperial, followed by stints on Minit, Gamble and Huff's pre-Philly International Neptune, and Bell.
With The O'Jays wiping up the charts on Philadelphia International it was only natural that former label Bell would be anxious to cash-in on the market. The company's attempt came in the form of 1975's "The O'Jays". Technically this was little more than a compilation of earlier material the group had released, including a number of 1967-69 singles. That said, the album was curious on at least two counts. Musically all twelve performances were wonderful. Tracks like 'Going, Going, Going' and 'Look Over Your Shoulder' may have been a little rawer than their collaborations with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, but the differences were modest, making you wonder why it took so long for radio and the buying public to discover The O'Jays. Hard to pick favorites, though 'I Dig You Act', 'Four for the Price of One' and 'Love Is Everywhere' were all killer. Even weirder was Bell's decision to add crowd noise at the start of the set and in-between the tracks, almost as if to give you the impression this was a live release. The post-production efforts (blame producer George Kerr) were simply inept. Add to that the decision to package the album in what may have been the year's ugliest cover certainly did little to support sales.
"The
O'Jays" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I was Today) (P. Poindexter - S. Poindexter - E. Thomas - J. Members) - 2:45
2.) I'm So Glad I Found You (George Kerr - L. Roberts - V. Kerr) - 2:57
3.) Going, Going, Going (P. Poindexter - S. Poindexter - J. Members) - 2:40
4.) That's Alright (Walter Williams - G. Baxter) - 2:28
5.) I Dig You Act (P. Poindexter - S. Poindexter - J. Tibbs) - 2:12
6.) Look Over Your Shoulder (George Kerr - L. Roberts) - 2:45
(side
2)
1.) You're Too Sweet (P. Poindexter - S. Poindexter -
C.Harper) - 2:58
2.) Just Another Guy (George Kerr - G. Harris - L.Gross) - 2:40
3.) Four for the Price of One (L. Williams - J. Watson - D. Mundy) - 3:49
4.) Love Is Everywhere (P. Poindexter - S. Poindexter - R.Lewis - C. Harper) - 2:42
5.) Now That I've Found You (Walter Williams - G. Baxter) - 2:21
6.) I'll Be Seeing You (I. Kahal - S. Fain) - 2:24)
