Now youre talking! Lydia and Cold Blood could really bring it. The opening to I just want to make love to you has to be the coolest intro Ive ever heard. While Janis was great, I preferred Lydias voice which had a touch more smooth and richness. Another under the radar singer from the 70s who could blow your face off and melt your heart at the same time was Joyce Kennedy (Baby Jean) of Mothers Finest. What an eclectic group they were. Rock drums and guitar combined with funk bass and keyboards coupled with soaring raw soulful vocals. They were too hard-rock for black radio and had too much flava for white radio. No band Ive ever heard played and sang with as much musical power as MF. Probably not an Audiogoner favorite:)
Rediscovering Cold Blood
I noticed Cold Blood "Thriller" in my collection a week ago, which I hadn't played in a year or so. Damn, I forgot just how good that disc is....the incomparable Lydia Pence, a rhythm section tighter than the jeans you wore in high school, sophisticated arrangements that build and progress until you can hardly keep from dancing in the living room. Tons of fun for fans of Janis Joplin, funk/rock/blues, horn section dynamite and a drum/bass groove as solid as Bobby Colomby and Jim Fielder.
Showing 2 responses by eleet
Thanks for sharing Maxnewid. I think youre on the mark with your CD suggestions; although, I would throw Mother Factor in the mix as well. Also, the first CD Mothers Finest is only available as a double release paired with their other first-release album and the sound quality is pretty sub-par. For starters, I would recommend the best-of titled Very Best Of: Not Yer Mother's Funk. It has a good selection, as far as best-ofs are concerned, and has acceptable sound quality
.of course, any MF on LP will sound MUCH better. Chazro Thanks also for your suggestions. Im familiar with Bill Champlin from his early days in the SF area and, of course, his time with Chicago. Good to know hes still going strong a very talented singer and songwriter. However, the Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns are new to me. My ears have been stuck mainly in Jazz the last seven years or so. These cats are pretty good. I read TOP gave them a seal of approval so a definite thumbs-up from me. As far as Mothers finest is concerned, the best way to find out what theyre about is to follow the youtube link below. If it doesnt work (or is not allowed), then enter the following in the youtube search: Mother's Finest - Give You All The Love - Live 77 Just to prep you, MF music doesnt have the smoothness of groups like the Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns and the Sons of Champlin; they play in your face hard-rock funk. As such, theyre not everybodys cup of tea. But, like them or not, I think youll be able to appreciate their uniqueness as well as the prodigious voice of Joyce Kennedy. Mothers Finest |