Arm across, down, repeat.

This one has been getting a lot of spins at chez Darcy in recent days. A storming record that really packs a punch, and it’s a B side.

A few years ago I featured two of Syl Johnson’s albums he recorded for Hi (another May post – Syl is like apple blossom it seems!). I am sure when I bought those albums back in the Seventies I wouldn’t have known that Syl Johnson’s recording career had begun in 1959, when he had his first single released on Federal, and that he was far from just another product of the Willie Mitchell Hi stable.

Syl Johnson had been around the musical block at least once by the time Willie Mitchell finally took him to Hi in 1971. That must have been soon after the single here was released on Twinight. In all Syl had 15 singles released on the Chicago based Twinight (initially Twilight) label between 1967 and 1972, the final one being released after his first single had already appeared on Hi.

Syl Johnson – We Do It Together 1971

This track can be found on the magnificent 6 LP box set Complete Mythology issued by the Numero Group, from which these notes on Syl Johnson’s career are, I believe, taken.   

It's worth repeating

Slim pickings at the boots today but pleased with this one for the princely sum of 50p.

The Masqueraders were a great vocal harmony group that should have made it BIG.  

Isaac Hayes on production here on an album that was released in 1977. It's really only a one tracker but I've had "Modern Day Woman" on repeat this afternoon.

The Masqueraders – Modern Day Woman 1977

This will certainly do until one day I hopefully snag an affordable copy of James Shorter's original version which came out on La Beat in 1967. The Masqueraders were also signed to La Beat in 1967 and I believe they were providing some of the background vocals on the James Shorter release.

Interesting how the credits for the song completely changed in the 10 years between these two recordings:

1967: Bridges-Eaton-Knight

1977: Equehart-Shorter   

Easy does it

Life has been fairly hectic again these last few weeks but in amongst the general hurly burly Mrs Darce and I spent a very relaxing few days in Faro last weekend. The plan was to go with friends, as we usually do on these sort of jaunts, but a dodgy knee and flu respectively meant that neither of them could travel. So while they looked forward with dread to making an insurance claim we got on with the taxing process of enjoying three days of sunshine, good food, and each other’s company.

Neither of us are big on walking around museums and the inside of churches on such weekends away, preferring just to simply soak up the atmosphere of the place and enjoy the architecture – and many leisurely drinks and good food. Mrs Darce undoubtedly came out with the quote of the weekend: “I like the inside of a glass and the outside of a building”!

"Easy does it" was the perfect motto for our break and this one from Willie Hutch, a luscious B side which I picked up at a booty a few weeks ago, fitted the mood of our weekend perfectly.

Willie Hutch – Easy Does It 1978

(A bit worried about the sound quality on this, and a couple of other records I’ve been playing recently. The vinyl looks in excellent nick - the crackle at the beginning is a mystery.  I’m thinking it may almost be time for a new stylus – but surely not already, this one isn’t very old!)