Search - Margie Joseph :: Margie Joseph

+1/2 -- Superb, little-known known Atlantic soul from 1973

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 07/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Margie Joseph is something of a cult favorite in soul circles. Her gospel-bred vocals powered seven albums for Volt, Atlantic, Cotillion and Atco in the 1970s, and though she launched a few R&B chart hits, she never broke through to the lasting acclaim of contemporaries like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight or Carla Thomas. Her first two albums, cut for the Stax subsidiary Volt, were issued as a two-fer in 1999, but the rest of her `70s catalog is only now seeing domestic reissue (and significantly undercutting the price of last year's Japanese reissues at the same time). This eponymous volume from 1973 represents her Atlantic debut, bringing together the Southern roots of her birth with stylistic elements she developed in Muscle Shoals and Memphis, and wrapped in the Northern inflections of Atlantic's brilliant 1970s soul machine.



With Arif Mardin producing and an A-list New York band behind her, Joseph dug into a set of songs that included one original and some novel covers. Chief among the surprises were a trio of Nashville-originated tunes, including Dolly Parton's "Touch Your Woman" and Dottie West's "I'm Only a Woman." Joseph takes a more commanding tone on the former than the desperate longing of the original, accompanied by a snappy drum line and punchy horn chart. The latter moves in the opposite direction, slowing the tempo, reducing the accompaniment to electric piano, and transforming the original's hint of stridency into a more pained appeal. Also drawn from Nashville is Kenny O'Dell's "Let's Go Somewhere and Love," providing a woman's perspective on adult intimacies similar to O'Dell's 1973 smash with Charlie Rich, "Behind Closed Doors." Bobby Patterson's "How Do You Spell Love" offers the sassy call-and-response "How do you spell love?" "M-O-N-E-Y," with Joseph and her backing singers matching up to the funky bottom end and full horn section.



In addition to Parton's then-current hit, Joseph covered the then-recent Al Green single, "Let's Stay Together," and though her version just missed the R&B top-40, its superb vocal, arching from barely contained excitement to soulful wailing, is laid atop an imaginative arrangement of organ, piano, bass, strings and sharp drumming from Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. If you'd never heard the original, you'd think this was the hit. Joseph reaches back to 1969 for "Turn Around and Love You," sung more anxious and fearful than Rita Coolidge's original single. She reaches back a few years earlier to Etta James for "I'd Rather Go Blind," and lets a slight girlishness in her voice convey the confused emotions of a wronged lover. Her version of Brook Benton's "I'll Take Care of You" takes its cue from Bobby "Blue" Bland's late `50s version, a slow blues-crawl with plenty of room for Joseph's emotive wail. Joseph even covers herself, remaking the ballad "Make Me Believe You'll Stay" from her debut album on Volt.



The album's originals are just as good as the covers, starting with the opener, "I Been Down," which moves back and forth between funk and jazz, providing Joseph room to stretch her vocals on the latter. Joseph's co-write with producer Mardin, "I'm So Glad I'm Your Woman" is sweet mid-tempo soul, and the funky "You Better Know It" leans on Joseph's gospel roots for an Aretha-styled sound, augmented by superb bass and horns. This is a surprisingly little known album from the heart of `70s soul, filled with excellent song selections, a crackerjack band that hangs perfectly between funk and jazz, and vocal performances that are both emotionally and technically adept. Fans of `70s soul singers should get to know Joseph, and those who already know her work should be overjoyed to have her original albums back in print. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]"

"I've Been Chained So Long...Getting Free Just Don't Seem Re

Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 02/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Having made two albums for Volt in the USA - "Margie Joseph Makes A New Impression" in 1971 " on VOS-6012 and then "Phase II" in 1972 on VOS-6016 - both of which bubbled under the US R&B charts, but many felt could have done better - big things were expected of the Mississippi singer on her 3rd album and new signing to the legendary home of soul music - Atlantic Records.



"Margie Joseph" was recorded in June and September 1972 in the Atlantic studios in New York and produced by keyboardist and legendary arranger ARIF MARDIN. It was released in early 1973 on Atlantic SD-7248 in the USA and Atlantic K 40462 in the UK. This February 2007 CD - reissued on Vivid Sound out of Japan - is a 5" hard-card repro of the American sleeve and is limited to 3000 copies worldwide.



The musicians involved were:

MARGIE JOSEPH - All Vocals

CORNELL DUPREE and HUGH McCRACKEN - Guitars on 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 12

DAVID SPINNOZA - Guitar on 1, 5, 6, 9 and 11

RICHARD TEE - Keyboards on all

ARIF MARDIN - Additional Keyboards on 10

DAVID NEWMAN - Saxophone & Flute

JERRY GEMMOTT - Bass on 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 12

CHUCK RAINEY - Bass on 1, 5, 6, 9 and 11

CISSY HOUSTON, DEIRDRE TUCK, RENELIE STAFFORD, MYRNA SMITH, SYLVIA SHEMWELL, SAMMY TURNER and RONALD BRIGHT - Backing Vocals

RALPH McDONALD - Percussion on all except 3

NORMAN PRIDE - Percussion on 3 only



The CD itself is housed in a gauze inner bag (does anyone sell these?) while the foldout page insert is entirely in Japanese on one side and blank on the other! If it weren't for the credits on the pasted-on back sleeve on the card replica (complete with Obi), you wouldn't have any idea of who did what and where.



Here's a detailed breakdown (46:11 minutes):

1. I Been Down [Ron Galbraith/Marty Keener song]

2. Make Me Believe You'll Stay [John W. Anderson song]

3. Let's Stay Together [Al Green/Willie Mitchell/Al Jackson song; Al Green cover]

4. Turn Around And Love You [Donna Weiss song; Rita Coolidge cover]

5. I'm Only A Woman [Ben Peters song]

6. Let's Go Somewhere And Love [Kenny O'Dell/Larry Henley song; Sandy Posey cover]

[END OF SIDE 1 on the LP]

7. You Better Know It [David Williams/Calvin White song]

8. Touch Your Woman [Dolly Parton song]

9. I'll Take Care Of You [Brook Benton song]

10. I'm So Glad I'm Your Woman [Margie Joseph/Arif Mardin song]

11. How Do You Spell Love [Marshall Boxley, Jerry Strickland and Bobby Patterson song]

12. I'd Rather Go Blind [Ellington Jordan and Bill Foster song]

(Etta James/Chicken Shack cover)

[END OF SIDE 2 on the LP]



7" singles off the album were:

"Let's Go Somewhere And Love" b/w "Born To Wander" was issued in 1972 on Atlantic 2907 in the USA

"Touch Your Woman" b/w "I'm So Glad I'm Your Woman" was issued in 1973 on Atlantic 2933 in the USA

"Let's Stay Together" b/w "I'd Rather Go Blind" was issued in 1973 on Atlantic 2954 in the USA

"How Do You Spell Love" b/w "Let's Stay Together" was issued in 1973 on Atlantic K 10313 in the UK

("Born To Wander" is a Rare Earth cover version and is a non-album track)



There's no reissue liner notes, but it's obvious from the stunning funky opener "I Been Down" (lyrics above) that remastering has taken place - and a very sweet job has been done too. The sound is warm, full and sweetly clear.



The house band is virtually Aretha's - and the album follows her releases at the time - a funky soulful tune followed by a torch ballad and back again. On the quieter songs like "Turn Around And Love You" and I'll Take Care Of You" a tad of hiss is audible - but because you're too busy enjoying the top session work and Stevie Wonder/Donny Hathaway vibes of the songs - its not enough to detract.



If I was to point out one niggle it's this - in the USA the album was preceded by a single, the superb Kenny O'Dell song "Let's Go Somewhere And Love" (a minor hit for Sandy Posey as "Why Don't We Go Somewhere And Love" on Columbia in 1972). Put out on Atlantic 2907 in late 1972, its B-side was Joseph's non-album cover version of Rare Earth's "Born To Wander" and it's a genuine sought-after soul rarity - a fantastically funky tune. It's a shame it wasn't tagged on here as a bonus track. But maybe that's for Rhino to look into - in fact they could do with making all 4 of her Atlantic/Cotillion albums from the 1970s available domestically.



Fab stuff really - and even if it is pricey (as the Japanese imports are) - worth every bent penny & red cent you'll need to acquire it.



PS: the other two titles in this 5" card sleeve repro series issued in February 2007 were:

1. "Sweet Surrender" on Vivid Sound VSCD-321

(her 2nd LP for the label issued in August 1974 on Atlantic SD-7277 in the USA)

2. "Margie" is on Vivid Sound VSCD-322

(her 3rd LP for the label issued in 1975 on Atlantic SD-18126 in the USA)

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