Pop & Miscellaneous

Gladys Knight & The Pips ‎– Feelin' Bluesy (1968)

2019-03-15T10:42:00Z

Gladys Knight & The Pips ‎– Feelin' Bluesy (1968)


A1 	The End Of Our Road 	
A2 	That's The Way Love Is 	
A3 	Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby 	
A4 	The Boy From Crosstown 	
A5 	Ain't You Glad You Chose Love 	
A6 	I Know Better 	
B1 	Don't Let Her Take Your Love From Me 	
B2 	It Should Have Been Me 	
B3 	Don't Turn Me Away 	
B4 	What Good Am I Without You 	
B5 	Your Old Standby 	
B6 	It's Time To Go Now

Gladys Knight - vocals
William Guest - vocals
Merald “Bubba” Knight - vocals
Edward Patten - vocals

By then Knight & the Pips seemed to be locked in a "cutting contest" with several other Motown acts (Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Edwin Starr, even Jimmy Ruffin) as they were covering differing versions of songs producer/writer Norman Whitfield has in his catalogue. The best track here is a stunning rendition of Kim Weston's "It Should Have Been Me," given a glossy pop veneer that effectively contrasted Knight's grittiness. It was said that the group cut a series of tracks in a much rawer R&B idiom with writer/producer Ivy Joe Hunter early on their tenure, but save for a few album cuts, many of them were shelved and are still in Motown's vaults to this day. ---John Lowe, AllMusic Review

Gladys Knight and the Pips—brother Merald “Bubba” Knight and cousins Edward Patten and William Guest—are one of the most respected and longest-lived soul groups, with hits spanning four decades.

Of the longevity of Gladys Knight and the Pips, who are approaching half a century in the music business, Knight had this to say: “One reason we’ve been able to stick together is because we pray before each show—pray for the strength to stay humble, courage to keep pushing, and the ability to reach people with our message.” ---rockhall.com

Amerykańska wokalistka Gladys Knight zaczęła występować w bardzo młodym wieku i niemal do razu zaczął towarzyszyć jej zespół The Pips, w którym grał jej brat Merald, siostra Brenda oraz kilku kuzynów i przyjaciół.

Wokalistka urodziła się w 1944 roku w Atlancie i już w wieku 7 lat wygrała amatorski konkurs wokalny. Wśród jej pierwszych singli nagranych z grupą Pips znalazły się "Every Beat of My Heart", "Lester Full of Tears" i "Giving Up". W roku 1966 muzycy podpisali kontrakt z wytwórnią Motown i choć nigdy nie odnieśli takich sukcesów komercyjnych jak The Supremes, to wiele ich piosenek (między innymi "Friendship Train", "If I Were Your Woman", "It Should Have Been Me" nagrane pod okiem Normana Whitfielda) okazały się dużym sukcesem.

W kolejnych latach Gladys i jej muzycy przenieśli się do wytwórni Buddah, pod skrzydłami której nagrali takie przeboje jak: "Midnight Train to Georgia", "I've Got to Use My Imagination" i "Best Thing That Ever Happener to Me". W roku 1974 poproszono ich o nagranie ścieżki dźwiękowej do filmu "Claudine", zaś Gladys po rozstaniu z grupą nagrała solowe albumy, .m.in. "Miss Gladys Knight", "Gladys Knight", "Good Woman", "At Last". W 1989 roku nagrała piosenkę tytułową do filmu o Jamesie Bondzie - "Licencja na zabijanie".

W roku 1996 Gladys i jej zespół zostali wprowadzeni do Rock and Roll Hall of Flame. ---rmf.fm

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Gladys Knight - Many Different Roads (1998)

2018-08-20T12:43:47Z

Gladys Knight - Many Different Roads (1998)


1 	Mercy´s Arms 	
2 	Open Up Your Eyes 	
3 	Precious Lord 	
4 	Everybody 	
5 	Mr. Love 	
6 	What Would I Do Without You (Interlude) 	
7 	He Never Will 	
8 	Jesus' Love Is Like A River 	
9 	Good Morning Heavenly Father 	
10 	Many Different Roads 	
11 	With A Smile 	
12 	Saints Madley (Just A Little Talk With Jesus, By And By, When The Saints Go Marching In) 	
13 	Worship You (Interlude)

Incredibly gifted and prolific soloist Gladys Knight released her first inspirational album in 1998. While many of her past albums carried music of significance, rightfully earning her a place in the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this is the first album on which she focused entirely on the spiritual side of music. And yes, this is the same Gladys Knight as Gladys Knight & the Pips. As one would expect from a seasoned artist like Knight, the entire album is musically sound from a critic's standpoint, and the messages of the lyrics leave an indelible impression on the listener. One song stands out for its danceable music, but deeply important message -- "Everybody." She relates an experience of chatting with an ignored homeless man and sings the reminder: Everybody needs someone to hold on to/Everybody needs someone to love them true/Everybody needs someone to treat them right/How about you/How about you. The music on this album cannot be neatly confined to any one genre. It has a little bit of soul, a bit of rock, and a bit of gospel. And the result is an album that has a huge amount of appeal for not only her longtime fans, but for the new audience she attracted in 1997 when she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's representative of a new focus at that time of her life, but is not representative of her entire body of work. For a Christian seeking something a little less stodgy, this album will be a welcome addition to their collection. ---Dacia A. Blodgett-Williams, AllMusic Review

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Gladys Knight – Another Journey (2013)

2014-02-24T17:01:00Z

Gladys Knight – Another Journey (2013)


1. Old School
2. I Who Have Nothing
3. The Dream
4. All in Due Time
5. Settle
6. I L-O-V-E Y-O-U
7. I Hope You Dance
8. I Who Have Nothing (club Remix)
9. Searching for the Real Thing

Gladys is back. At 69 years of age her voice remains a crisp, steady, robust marvel. She still packs a powerful vocal punch. This effort finds her going after today's contemporary sounds with some mixed results.

The standout song is "I Hope You Dance"--originally covered by Gladys for the soundtrack to the film "The Family That Preys." That soundtrack was never released commercially, but here it is at last (perhaps in response to all those requests on youTube!) The tune fits her persona like a hand in glove and her recording simply soars with rich orchestration and a gospel feel.

"I (Who Have Nothing)," which GK recorded first in 1979 in standard ballad fashion, is updated here twice--once with a hip-hop tinged, head-bobbing beat and again with a disco feel, courtesy of the Leon Sylvers Remix version. Sylvers' take on the song is sleek, propulsive and danceable.

Elsewhere we find Knight continuing in the "I Hope You Dance" vein, with themes of determination, faith and patience. "The Dream" is a feel good, sing-along tune, featuring a Boys & Girls Club Choir and passionate shout-outs to inspiring personalities of past and present. "Settle," originally on the "For Colored Girls" soundtrack is a churchy, hand-clapper with explicit instructions to have faith in the Lord. Sylvers also contributes the sparse ballad "All In Due Time." I think the lyrics could have been a little less "on the nose" with this one, although one couplet about "a train with no tracks/a play with no acts" is memorable.

"Old School" (the title says it all--back in the day nostalgia) has a mellow groove and a nice hook, but not enough GK for me--instead we get a verse by Pip #1, Bubba Knight and a guest rapper appearance. "Searching For The Real Thing" puts Gladys back in the quest for romance mode. Her performance is feisty and energetic and the melody is fine, but the production is a bit gimmicky for my tastes. I prefer GK singing with instrumentation that has more of the human touch and fewer computerized sounds.

Another Journey is on the skimpy side---only 9 tracks in the CD era? The production doesn't exactly sound big-budget either, but this is not surprising with many veteran soul/pop artists no longer signed to major labels. ---New Yorker, amazon.com

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