Tag: pop soul

Carla Thomas – I Like What You’re Doing (To Me) / Guide Me Well [1977; Stax]

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Soft vocals and a sturdy bass-line ground the A-side of this single, with light percussion, horns, backing singers, and guitar sprucing up the affair.  The gentility and title help successfully pull attention from some darkness in the lyrics, including comparing the love interest to Jekyll and Hyde, but the rising action from all the instruments towards the end leads to a fade-out instead of a decisive finish.  The B-side slows things down to a focused groove, with the vocals acting more as commentary until Thomas’ voice breaks out into full-bodied soaring, where it hangs for most of the song’s remainder.  A good pair, covering different territory in the same style and complementing each other well.

Con Funk Shun – Loveshine [1978; Mercury]

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On their third album, Con Funk Shun (with a line-up of eight men for this recording) fuse soul and pop with touches of disco, funk, and smooth jazz, turning out nine songs with clear melodies, strong vocal harmonies, and firm hooks.  Balanced between near-ballads and saucier fare, the band doesn’t give any one song more attention than the next, keeping them all in the ~4-to~5-minute range, and giving few of them much fanfare for their finishes. 

Despite that, the care given to the songs is evident, as are the talents of the musicians, with both sides coming across strongest in the little bridges, fills, and quick solos that lend the compact songs a sense of expansion.  The music does feel muzak-y at times, but it comes across as the result of the musicians just being too comfortable with the material, instead of being lacking in ideas or enthusiasm.  And while the songs don’t really come together to feel like a concerted album, the band hits a steady enough groove to make it an easy ride, if a little bland.