|
Originally published in MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide,
Gary Graff, Josh Freedom du Lac, and Jim McFarlin (eds.); Visible Ink
Press (Detroit, MI):
Formed 1957 in Chicago, IL. Members: Jerry Butler, vocals (1957-1959);
Curtis Mayfield, vocals, guitar, musical director (1957-1970); Arthur
Brooks, vocals (1957-1962); Richard Brooks, vocals (1957-1962); Fred Cash,
vocals (1958-present); Sam Gooden, vocals; Leroy Hutson, vocals (1970-1973);
Ralph Johnson, vocals (1973-1976); Reggie Torian, vocals (1973-present);
Nate Evans, vocals (1976-present)
Led by lead vocalist Curtis Mayfield, the Impressions were Chicago R&B's
most successful vocal group of the 1960s. Like William "Smokey"
Robinson in nearby Detroit, Mayfield was the prime creative force in Chicago
R&B during the 1960s and 1970s. The Impressions (Mayfield, Fred Cash,
and Sam Gooden) showcased Mayfield's wide array of talents -- his warm,
expressive singing, sophisticated songwriting and fluid, melodic guitar
playing -- and provided the vehicle by which Mayfield profoundly influenced
the R&B of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Impressions' first hit record, "For Your Precious Love,"
set the tone for their later work. Sung by their first lead vocalist,
Jerry Butler, in a deep, reverential baritone backed with the group's
ethereal harmonies, the record's references to the sound and feel of gospel
music set it apart from other vocal-group records of the late 1950s; it
sold more than 150,000 copies during the two weeks following its 1958
release and launched Butler's solo career (with Mayfield's blessings and
assistance). Although much softer and more pop-oriented than the recordings
of the gospel quartets, the Impressions' subsequent recordings for ABC-Paramount
were infused with the attitude and approach of gospel music. Beginning
with "It's All Right" in 1963, the pared-down Impressions --
Mayfield, Cash, and Gooden -- departed from the lead-vocalist-baked-by-group
style of group singing that was typical of 1950s doo-wop. Instead, the
Impressions adopted a style more typical of gospel quartets such as the
Soul Stirrers and the Dixie Hummingbirds, with Mayfield, Cash, and Gooden
all singing lead alternately throughout the song. The Impressions' love
songs -- "I'm So Proud," "I've Been Trying," "I
Loved and I Lost" -- had a distinctly spiritual quality, reflected
in the dramatic gravity of the vocal delivery and the musical settings
crafted by arranger Johnny Pate.
Most importantly, though, many of Mayfield's 1960s compositions for the
Impressions, including "Keep On Pushing" in 1964 and "We're
a Winner" in 1968, explicitly promoted African-American identity
and pride, anticipating themes that would dominate the R&B of the
1970s. This application of the black Christian church's didacticism to
a secular context was Mayfield's greatest achievement. After he left the
Impressions in 1970 to establish a solo career, Mayfield's recordings
for his own Curtom label were even more consistently message oriented
than his work with the Impressions had been.
The Impressions soldiered on after Mayfield left. For Mayfield's Curtom
label, where the Impressions had moved in 1968, the group made two unsuccessful
LPs with Leroy Hutson as lead vocalist. Later, though, the group reformed
around new lead singers Ralph Johnson and Reggie Torian, and released
a number of excellent hit records produced by Ed Townsend, including "Finally
Got Myself Together," "Sooner or Later," "Loving Power"
and "Same Thing It Took." In 1976, Curtom attempted to form
a new group, Mystique, around Johnson, an outstanding gospel-style vocalist.
But Mystique's only LP failed to make any commercial noise. Meanwhile,
the remaining Impressions, with Nate Evans replacing Johnson, recorded
for Cotillion and for Carl Davis's Chi-Sound label without much success.
In 1990, Mayfield was the victim of a freak accident when a stage-lighting
scaffold fell on him, leaving him paralyzed and permanently bound to a
wheelchair. Two separate tribute collections, in which well-known recording
artists interpret Mayfield's songs, appeared in 1993 and 1994, reflecting
the high esteem in which Mayfield is held by his peers.
Buy first: [The Anthology, 1961-1977: Curtis Mayfield
and the Impressions] (MCA, 1992, prod. Various) (5 bones) is the definitive
two-CD set of Mayfield's work, with the emphasis on his work with the
Impressions. Only his essential recordings as a solo artist are included.
Buy next:
- [Keep On Pushing/People Get Ready] (ABC-Paramount 1964, ABC-Paramount
1965/Kent, 1996, prod. Johnny Pate) (5 bones) collects two of the early-1960s
Impressions' finest LPs on a single CD, filling in some of the holes
from [The Anthology].
- The same can be said of [The Impressions/Never Ending Impressions]
(ABC-Paramount 1963, ABC-Paramount 1964/Kent, 1996, prod. Johnny Pate)
(4 bones), although [Never Ending Impressions], the group's second ABC
LP, was somewhat thin on material.
- [This Is My Country/Young Mods Forgotten Story] (Curtom 1968, Curtom
1969/Sequel, 1996, prod. Curtis Mayfield) (4 bones) collects two of
the three Curtom LPs that Mayfield recorded with the group before his
departure and contains some great moments.
- [The Very Best of the Impressions] (Rhino, 1997, prod. Various) (4
bones) is a single-CD collection of the biggest of the Impressions'
hits.
Avoid:
- [Check Out Your Mind/Times Have Changed] (Curtom 1970, Curtom 1972/Sequel,
1996, prod. Curtis Mayfield) (2 bones). [Check Out Your Mind], the last
Impressions album with Mayfield, contained some strong material. [Times
Have Changed], however, was the first post-Mayfield album, with Leroy
Hutson replacing Mayfield, and it failed both commercially and artistically.
- [Preacher Man] (Curtom, 1973, prod. Rich Tufo) (WOOF) was Hutson's
last LP with the Impressions.
The rest:
- [For Your Precious Love] (Vee Jay, 1964, prod. Curtis Mayfield) (3
bones)
- [One by One] (ABC-Paramount, 1965, prod. Johnny Pate) (4 bones)
- [Impressions Greatest Hits] (ABC-Paramount, 1965, prod. Johnny Pate)
(4 bones)
- [Ridin' High] (ABC-Paramount, 1966, prod. Johnny Pate) (3 1/2 bones)
- [Fabulous Impressions] (ABC-Paramount, 1967, prod. Johnny Pate) (3
1/2 bones)
- [We're a Winner] (ABC-Paramount, 1968, prod. Johnny Pate) (3 1/2 bones)
- [Best of the Impressions] (ABC-Paramount, 1968, prod. Johnny Pate)
(4 bones)
- [Versatile] (ABC-Paramount, 1969, prod. Johnny Pate) (3 bones)
- [Best Impressions] (Curtom, 1969, prod. Various) (3 bones)
- [16 Greatest Hits] (ABC-Paramount, 1970, prod. Johnny Pate) (4 bones)
- [Early Years] (Probe, 1973, prod. unknown) (3 bones)
- [Three the Hard Way] (Curtom, 1974, prod. Lowrell Simon & Rich
Tufo) (2 bones)
- [It's About Time] (Cotillion, 1976, prod. unknown) (2 bones)
- [Originals] (ABC, 1976, prod. Various) (4 bones)
- [Collection] (ABC-Paramount, 1976, prod. Johnny Pate) (4 bones)
- [Come to My Party] (20th Century, 1979, prod. Carl Davis) (2 bones)
- [Fan the Fire] (20th Century/Chi-Sound, 1981, prod. Carl Davis, Eugene
Record) (2 bones)
- [Greatest Hits] (MCA, 1982, prod. Various) (4 bones)
- [Right on Time] (Charly, 1983, prod. Johnny Pate) (4 bones)
- [Complete Vee Jay Recordings] (Vee Jay, 1993, prod. Curtis Mayfield)
(3 bones)
- [It's All Alright] (MCA, 1995, prod. Johnny Pate) (4 bones)
- [All the Best] (Pickwick, 1995, prod. Various) (4 bones)
- [Further Impressions: More Soulful Classics] (HIPP, 1996, prod. Johnny
Pate) (4 bones)
Worth searching for:
- The LPs [Finally Got Myself Together] (Curtom, 1974, prod. Various)
(4 bones), [First Impressions] (Curtom, 1975, prod. Various) (4 1/2
bones) and Loving Power (Curtom, 1975, prod. Various) (3 bones) showcase
the vocals of the highly underrated Ralph Johnson. Some of this material
is available on [Lasting Impressions] (1989. Ichiban/Curtom, prod. Ed
Townsend) (4 1/2 bones)
- Also worth hearing is [Mystique], by the Johnson-led group of the
same name (Curtom, 1976, prod. Various) (3 bones).
Influenced by: Jerry Butler, the Swan Silvertones,
the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Soul Stirrers
Influenced: The Esquires, the Van Dykes, Enchantment,
Earth Wind & Fire, New Edition, Boyz II Men, the Stylistics, the Delfonics,
the O'Jays, the Manhattans, the Masqueraders, the Originals, the Mad Lads,
the Temprees
|
