Alice Clark LP Rare Northern Soul Mainstream 362 Vinyl

$

163

Artist: ALICE CLARK Title: Self-titled Yr: 1972 Label: Mainstream Records, MRL 362  Cover Condition: EX ring wear & normal wear  Vinyl Condition: NM  Notes: Original gatefold release, visually & play graded.

*Review by Joe Viglione

The self-titled 1972 disc from Alice Clark has more than stood the test of time, it is a sublime masterpiece of R&B/pop from the house of Bob Shad, the jazz producer who founded Mainstream Records, the original home for this superior project. Perhaps it isn't a coincidence that Clark's repertoire is exactly the kind of material Janis Joplin would pick up on in her days after Big Brother & the Holding Company, as this was also the first imprint that Joplin & the Holding Company recorded for professionally. Jimmy Webb's "I Keep It Hid" starts things off, one of the singles released from this original package and a nugget from another soul masterpiece, Supremes Arranged and Produced by Jimmy Webb, when Webboversaw the post-Diana Ross girl group the same year as this release. A rendition of Fred Ebb and John Kander's tune, "Maybe This Time" from the motion picture Cabaret, is included along with three compositions from "Sunny" author Bobby Hebb. The collection of material from Webb, Ebb, and Hebb is actually genius A&R because all of it is a perfect fit. Northern soul fans and R&B critics are aware of this hidden treasure, but the buildup in this review of all the magnificent trappings shouldn't overshadow the fact that Alice Clark delivers the goods from start to finish. Some call it acid jazz, but truth be told, beyond the cult niches of space age bachelor pad and Northern soul -- the base that keeps obscure gems such as this bubbling on a variety of radar screens -- this is some of the best R&B you've probably never heard. The trifecta of Bobby Hebb songs include "Don't You Care" and "Hard, Hard Promises," two titles Hebb has yet to release on his own. The third is an up-tempo version of "The Charms of the Arms of Love" which concluded his 1970 album Love Games. Clark rips apart "It Takes Too Long to Learn to Live Alone" in wonderful fashion with tasteful guitar, chirping horns, and restrained vibraphone. Juanita Fleming's "Never Did I Stop Loving You" is just brilliant as the vocals take off into different dimensions inside and between the unique melody. The final track,"Hey Girl," is not the famous Carole King/Freddy Scott hit -- it's a true find originally covered by Donny Hathaway and written by Hathaway's percussion player, Earl DeRouen. Here Clark changes it to "Hey Boy" in a lively, jazz-heavy jaunt which concludes the Toshiba/EMI version of this dynamite set of recordings that should have made Alice Clark a superstar.

Tracks Title Composer Time     1   I Keep It Hid Webb 3:25     2   Looking at Life Bromley, Clark 3:08     3   Don't Wonder Why Caston 3:11     4   Maybe This Time Ebb, Kander 3:17     5   Never Did I Stop Loving You Fleming 2:33     6   Charms of the Arms of Love Hebb 2:38     7   Don't You Care Hebb 2:47     8   It Takes Too Long to Learn to Live Alone Allen, Carr 3:32     9   Hard Hard Promises Hebb 3:04     10   Hey Girl DeRouen 3:17

*source: www.allmusic.com

   

**NOTE: My system is a variation of the Goldmine in that I grade Cover & Vinyl separately since not every LP Record fits perfectly into the above categories. Additionally, I make a best effort to listen to the majority of what I list but as sales volume increases many records will be visually graded, which is the" industry norm." 

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** Vinyl Record Grading "GOLDMINE System"  

Mint (M) Perfect Condition, which basically means that it is as good as new, literally. The vinyl has to look new and sound as though it was never played, and the cover has to look untouched. Near Mint (NM) Vinyl is near perfect. At most, a light scuff appears on the record, but it should play without any noise or skips. The record sleeve should also be near perfect with only minor signs of wear. There should be no "ring wear" on the cover. (Ring wear is when the outline of the record inside shows through the sleeve.) Excellent (EX or VG++) Vinyl should still play with no skips of any kind. There can be some very minor surface scuffs, but they should not affect the sound quality. The record sleeve can have some minor ring wear but it should be mostly in good shape. Also, there can be some minor creases in the corners but no splits in the seams. Very Good+ (VG+) This is the grading category where the quality of the sound is affected -- there will be some surface noise -- and the vinyl will show wear, including surface scuffs and some light scratches. However, the record is still very listenable as there are no deep scratches that cause skips. On the cover, the corners may be slightly bent, but not broken. There may be wear to the seams but not tears or holes. Very Good (VG) Vinyl doesn't necessarily look good, but still plays well enough. Surface noise will probably be present, including pops and clicks. At higher volume levels, the music should overpower any pops and clicks present. There may be seam splitting, but not complete separation of the sleeve panels from each other. There will be noticeable ring wear on the cover, but the cover should for the most part still be in good condition.

Good (VG-)

Vinyl is well played and looks it. However, the record should still play without skipping. It will have substantial surface noise, pops and clicks. Loss of various parts of the dynamic range will occur due to worn grooves. This grade depends a lot on the owner and the type of records he or she collects. A rock record may still sound ok at a high volume, but quieter styles of music will be practically unlistenable. The record cover may have many problems including seam splits, tears, and writing on it. Fair/Poor (F/P) Records described as fair (F) or Poor (P) in the Goldmine grading system are ones that are basically unlistenable. Surface noise, skips and pops make hearing what's on the record nearly impossible, if not completely impossible. The cover is falling apart, torn, and has writing all over it. The only reason to keep it would be if the record is extremely rare or you want to eventually melt the vinyl and shape it into an ashtray.