Search - Honey Cone :: Soulful Tapestry

A Soulful Tapestry from the Honey Cone

C. A. Moore | Memphis, TN USA | 09/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here's a strong example of music made in Detroit that didn't come out of the famed Hitsville Studios.

The Honey Cone was the answer to Motown's Supremes. But they were more than Brand X imitators - they were a trio of veteran vocalists, session singers, who brought their individual talents together to form a formidable musical trio. Their recording home was Invictus/Hot Wax, a company founded by Lamont Dozier and Eddie and Brian Holland, who had split from their acclaimed jobs as songwriters/producers at Motown Records in 1967.

HDH is the same trio of gentlemen who composed and produced hits for Motown's Marvelettes, Martha and The Vandellas, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Kim Weston, The Isley Brothers and many others.



As heads of their own record company, Holland-Dozier-Holland found the Honey Cone: Edna Wright (sister of singer Darlene Love), Carolyn Willis and Shellie Clarke in Los Angeles and brought them to Detroit, where they began a successful recording stint that produced several hits.

The Honey Cone gave Invictus/Hot Wax one of its first modest chart successes in "While You're Out Looking for Sugar" an irresistable piece of bubblegum-soul released in 1969. The trio issued two albums by the time it got around to recording vocals for "Soulful Tapestry," its third album.

The title surely had to be inspired by Carole King's "Tapestry," and like King's record, it featured earthy and soulful tales of love lost and love found and comments on contemporary relationships from a female point of view.



The album featured the trio's million selling single "Want Ads," a pop-soul ditty that topped the nation's music charts in 1971. That tune was followed by two more hits including "Stick Up" and "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show," which was influenced by the peppy bubblegum-soul that was being produced at the time by Motown's Jackson 5.

But The Honey Cone were capable of singing more than bubbly pop, because "Soulful Tapestry" also features several "killer" and soulful ballads in "How Does It Feel," "A Little More Love," "VIP," and "All The King's Horses (All the King's Men)." In addition to its close harmonies, the trio's main attraction was Wright, its spunky and spirited lead singer who handled a variety of tunes and mood changes throughout.

All in all, "Soulful Tapestry" is a prime example of early Seventies soul music, exquisitely sung by a delicious trio of soulful sisters.

"

Unquestionably their best album

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 04/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Honey Cone was a sadly underrated group that those of us who remember listening to pop or Soul radio stations around 1971-72 hold dear to our hearts.



Soulful Tapestry (the title was a takeoff on Carole King's equally majestic "Tapestry" from 1971) was the Honey Cone's best unified effort. This contains their 3 major hits (Stick Up, Want Ads, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show) as well as some added delights as the extended instrumental pt. 2 of the latter tune, the gospelish "Who's It Gonna Be," the lovely "All The King's Men" (the part where the wonderful Edna Wright goes "Only you can make my life complete" in a gritty but beautiful crescendo sends chills up my spine to this day) as well as the amusing "Dont Count Your Chickens Before they Hatch" (not nearly as corny as it sounds).



Of course, the Honey Cone's anthology "Soulful Sugar" contains their complete recordings very cost-effectively and makes this CD almost unecessary, but if you just want a single CD of this tantalizing trio at their best, then go for this."