Good Enough
Johnnie Taylor - Just Ain't Good Enough
Johnnie Taylor recorded only this one album for Beverly Glen Music before, quelle surprise, the relationship ended in bitterness and acrimony. (BGM had form in this area.) But what an album!
This is another Beverly Glen record that takes that deep southern soul feeling and chucks everything, including the big, fancy, marble, double sized, Hollywood kitchen sink at it – plumbed in by Patrick Molten and Otis Smith.
In What About My Love and Just Ain’t Good Enough, this album contains two of my favourite tunes ever.
The sleeve contains the most uneffusive statement from (presumably) JT: “I would like to thank a lot of great people who put forth their efforts. I enjoyed doing this album, and I hope everyone enjoys it as well.”
It also has the most aggressive promo stamp: “LOANED FOR PROMOTION Not for Sale/May Be Reclaimed.” Reclaimed? Yikes!
#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#JohnnieTaylor
#JustAintGoodEnough
#BeverlyGlenMusic
#Music
White Lines
Anita Baker - The Songstress
Anita Baker was working as a secretary and singing in the group Chapter 8, when Beverly Glen, an independent soul label put out this, her solo debut in 1983.
To say it had high production values was an understatement. She had a supporting cast of top-notch producers, players and singers. She even got a gate-fold sleeve. No expense was spared.
How could an indie label do this? Crack, that’s how. The album was financed by “Freeway” Rick Ross, multi-million dollar dealer of cocaine and apparent fan of velvety jazz-soul vocals.
Otis Smith, who owned the label, was a bit of a spiv. He had promised Bobby Womack he could get a deal for him with Motown, but instead signed him to Beverley Glen, giving world wide distribution to Motown, but keeping the US rights to himself. The Poet & Poet 2 sold millions. Bobby never saw a dime - but it cost him a fortune to get out of his contract.
Anita Baker never got paid for this album and spent thousands (and a couple of years) trying to get out of her contract, so she could sign for Elektra.
By, 1985 even his law firm had sued him to get paid for their services.
I bet “Freeway” Rick Ross never had to send a solicitor's letter.
Once signed to Elektra, Baker became the epoch-defining singer of smooth Mum-soul.
I bought it in the Virgin Megastore in Piccadilly Circus on import.
#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#AnitaBaker
#TheSongstress
#Music
#Soul
#FreewayRickRoss
#BeverlyGlen
Tinselwig likes this.