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Bobby Thurston - Sweetest Piece Of Pie |
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 Fans
of classic soul music have reason to thank the British specialist label
Expansion records for two forthcoming releases. Bobby Thurston will be
familiar to the 80’s soul crowd for his anthem “Check out the
Groove”. The 1978 album
“Sweetest Piece of the Pie” pre-dates that track by 2 years and is
about to be re-released for those who want a change from the mechanical
and overproduced sound of much of today’s R&B. Washington-based producers Willie Lester and Rodney Brown were at that time mounting a challenge to Philadelphia International. This CD may not be as
well known as Philly hits of the time, but the elements of classic soul
tracks can be heard on the disc. The
nine tracks here feature the same string sounds, mellow brass and even a
drum sound reminiscent of Philly. The main attraction is
Thurston’s voice however, and it’s very strong whether singing
falsetto or lower in the range and a little more gritty.
The songs range from the very corny Flash
- aimed at the disco market of the time but streets behind the best
songs such as “Disco Lady” by Johnnie Taylor – to I
do love you which is a classy ballad in
the Stylistics mould. My
favourite track here is the opener Just ask
me. This CD is a trip down memory lane – if you think soul/R&B has moved on too much, you can take the trip as from August 13th. Reviewed by Chris Mann |
