Musicians on Album: Patrice Rushen (vocals, arrangements, production, piano, synths, percussion), Charles Mims Jnr (production, arrangements assist, handclapper), Freddie Washington (Bass guitar), David T. Walker (Guitar), Wali Ali (Guitar), Paul M. Jackson Jnr (Guitar), Marlo Henderson (Guitar), Gerry Brown (Drums), James Gadson (Drums), Leon Chancler (Drums), Charles Veal Jnr (Concertmaster), Rosemary Veal McLean (contractor), Israel Baker, Arnold Belnick, Assa Drori, Frank Foster, Endre Granat, Bob Sanow, Sheldon Sanow, Marcia Van Dyke, Dorothy Wade, Kenneth Yerke (Violin), Rollice Dale, Denyse N. Buffum, Virginia Majewski, Barbara Thomason (Viola), Paula Hochhalter, Nils Oliver (Cello), Raymond Lee Brown (Trumpet, Flugelhorn), Oscar Brahear (Trumpet, Flugelhorn), Don Myrick (Alto Sax), Bill Green (Tenor Sax), Glay Lawrey (Trombone and Baritone Horn), Maurice Spears (Bass Trombone), Kevin R. Carter Snr, Ulysses Nakayo Dupree, Tony Lewis, Lindsay Redmond, Larry Robinson (Handclappers)----SO MANY
Patrice Rushen : Posh Year Released : 1980 (2020) repress hand numbered 380/500 Produced by Charles Mims Jnr and Patrice Rushen Label: Elektra/Asylum Records/Strut Price Range: $50+AUD Speed: 33 1/3 RPM Album Before : Pizzazz (1979) Album After :Straight From The Heart (1982) Further Listening :Prelusion - Patrice Rushen (1974) LP : 1 x Orange LP Mood for enjoying: I enjoy putting this record on when you require music to soothe and relax. If your day or week isn't going so well and you need a bit of rest and relaxation, this one is an ideal choice. It has upbeat numbers and who doesn't like the funk! Track Listing:
LP Side A
Never Gonna Give You Up - 6:50
Don't Blame Me - 6:31
Look Up! - 3:41
I Need Your Love - 4:25
Side B Time Will Tell - 5:09
The Dream - 4:54
The Funk Won't Let You Down - 7:35
This Is All I Really Know - 4:41
What's in the Sleeve ? 1 x Orange LP, number 380/500 hand numbered copies. Lyric booklet included
"Working hard and long since dawn. Gonna call it a day. I need to be right by your side, Got so much to say" ~ I Need Your Love - Side A
Welcome to Spin #26 - Patrice Rushen - Posh
I hope that you all have been having a nice relaxing week and settled in nicely to read our Spin #26 on this fine Sunday afternoon. I have chosen the feel good album by Patrice Rushen, 'Posh'. I'd heard a couple of her songs before purchasing 'Posh' on a whim and I am so glad that I did, as she is a fantastic artist.
For the review I have used the turntable set-up in our front sun room so I can play it loud and enjoy the warmth coming in through the windows. This system is the Audio Technica AT-LP60XBT and the Marshall Woburn II speaker. Plus our 3 1/2 year old son and 1 year old daughter get a chance to listen and dance along whilst playing.
Photo of Charles Mims Jnr and Patrice Rushen in the studio
Drop the Needle (of course means place the stylus nicely on your wax):
Another standout in the quality department when it comes to Vinyl Me, Please releases. I managed to pick up a copy of 'Posh' as I liked what I heard via steaming services. I didn't realise at the time of purchasing this album but there were only 500 pressed and the back of the record shows that I have #380 (handwritten). Now before stumbling across this album I didn't know a lot about Patrice Rushen other than Will Smith used one of her songs for Men In Black, 'Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) and that Prince had a crush on her.
The orange LP matches the dream like sequence on the front cover of this record which has Rushen standing by the window and fireplace. It's one of those albums that you open up the provided lyric book and follow along with a nice drink in hand. Has a similar feeling whilst listening to Spin #4 Lionel Richie - Can't Slow Down or Spin #17 Mavis Staples - Self-titled.
Now that I have found a comfortable spot on the chair by the sunny window, I hear the stylus hitting the grooves of first track, 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. From the first sounds of this opener you can tell that you are in for a funky time as Rushen's delightful and easy to listen to voice comes through the Woburn II speaker. I enjoyed the back and forth from Rushen and bassist Freddie Washington. Check out the performance they did on Soul Train here. 'Never Gonna Give You Up' has a drawn out orchestral section that invites you up on your feet and start dancing. Don't be shy if you are dancing whilst reading this one as it happened to us.
First word that pops into my head whilst the second track on the album plays is sultry. 'Don't Blame Me' has that funky bassline of Washington supporting Rushen as she navigates her way nicely through this track. You can really feel the relationships between all involved and there is a nice moment where Rushen takes control with the electric piano. You can tell that she has a lot of tools in her belt when it comes to the vision of this album, just by the cohesiveness and production quality. You can hear the instruments so clearly on all levels during this pressing and nothing is muddled. I feel that so many pressings lately have failed in the QC department, whether that is sound or physical issues with the record. There is just huge demand these days for artists to press their records but not enough equipment being invested into.
If I won the lottery my first purchase would be shares into pressing plants. Back to the album and a thought comes to mind whilst hearing Rushen play piano - Herbie Hancock would be impressed with her level of playing. Rushen returns to from the piano to the mic as this one fades out -"Don't 'cha blame me...".
Something that sounds refreshing as soon as it hits your ears is the third song, 'Look Up!'. Such a motivational song that could also be a good working out song with lyrics such as , "If Life's got you under the weather you pock it up and get higher. No one else can do it". Little bit of trivia on this track is that Rushen is playing the bass and Mims Jnr is playing the piano.
I suppose when your parents enrol you into music classes at the age of 3, it gives you the upper hand in learning lots of different instruments. Would be an interesting collaboration between Rushen and the King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard crew, as they can basically play every instrument known to man and alien. I guess our son has started playing the guitar around the house, also drums but no forced classes yet for our little musical prodigies.
"Working hard and long since dawn, gonna call it a day. I need to be right by your side, Got so much to say" is the opening lines of the last song on Side A - 'I Need Your Love'. This one is my favourite track on the album and I think its slowness, lyrics and also that flugelhorn solo are the reasons why. This is a nice track to listen to while you take in the moment - children playing nicely, Night Kat Kiz (wife) sitting there with the warm sun shining on her and not having a care in the world for 4 minutes and 29 seconds. It's now time to flip the LP over and start playing Side B.
The mood is instantly lifted on the start of Side B with the high energy beats of 'Time Will Tell'. It has all the trademarks of a classic 80's song and the handclapping and harmonies really make this one instantly catchy. At this stage I really can't find anything to fault on this record. The sombre sounds of 'The Dream' now come through as the stylus moves its way across the grooves. Instantly makes me think of an old movie or Broadway musical with the "dream like" introduction. "Looking inside of a silent dream, seeing a love just like I've never seen, In my life.....love's dream". Rushen has created a very palatable album so far and I hope that it received high praise upon it's release in the 80's.
I did read somewhere that Rushen never really wanted to be a solo artist but I'm so glad that she did. Especially when the bassline of 'The Funk Won't Let You Down" jam-a-thon comes through the Woburn II speaker. "You need something strong, to take your cares away. You work all day long, and now you want to play". It's the longest song on the album, coming in at a whopping 7 minutes and 35 seconds long but you won't be watching the time tick away once the songs starts.
Our children are both little groovers and our 1 year old daughter isn't too far off walking these days. She is so cheeky now and her personality is definitely shining through as she says "dud-dud" to everything now. It works on this song as Rushen and the other backing vocalists get into it singing, "dum di dum dum dum dum dum". Snake hips Jnr. (our 3 1/2 year old) is working the room like he is Mick Jaggar at a Stones concert in the 70's. It's nice when we are all at home and he comes up to me pointing at the record player , "Music Daddy". Basically telling me to put a record on Rylo!
Well I can honestly say the Funk did not let us down and I can't think of a funk song that ever has. The last track on 'Posh' is a softer song that is similar to Lionel Richie singing his heart out. It is also the second favourite song on the album and I've realised that the slower songs have drawn me in a lot more that the upbeat ones. Strange. 'This Is All I Really Know ' starts with Rushen on the piano and singing, "Once I was lost, scared and confused. Fear in my heart, doubt in my mind. Something happened that changed my life, A better way, all things come in time". The backing vocals of Lynn Davis, Roy Galloway and Jim Gilstrap take carriage of the chorus as they sing, "This is all I really know, Something just wont let me go astray". Let me know if this song resonated with you more so than any other song on the album in the comments below.
The final sounds of Side B come to an end and we are released from this dream-like-sequence that Rushen had over us. Never forget to take the time each week to check out on a personal level. You need something to look forward too, no matter how big or small, that will give you positive endorphins. For us here at R'nR with Rylo, it is seeing the happy faces of our children as we enjoy music. Please head on over to our social pages and give us a like or get involved in our weekly guessing game that is the MWSP.
Until our next Spin, be Kind to people born in the 80's and be Kind to your Wax!
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