Good stuff, Pe.....really enjoyed it! I had the album at the time (Jan '75), and loved it (I was 19)! I remember being appropriately gobsmacked at the smooth segues between the cuts on Side 1. I also remember not really liking "Honeybee," so I'd start the side with "Never Can Say Goodbye," and, of course, also loved "Reach Out," remembering it well from the Four Tops version in the '60s!
I also remembered, vaguely, The Jackson 5's hit from '71, so, I was familiar with the Clifton Davis song.
In Jan. '75, I was at the U. of Houston, and was Music Director at their FM radio station, with a 3-hour daily afternoon shift (classes? What classes?!?). My show was, basically, soft rock and pop, so Gloria was a no-go, but I took the promo LP home!
Thank you! What a great read. I love this song so much, I can imagine how powerful it was in clubs for people who love to just dance their asses off. There’s nothing like it!
Informative and fascinating! The shifting focus between Gaynor and Moulton really kept my interest. Both their contributions to dance music is so huge it’s hard to overstate. It also underscores the collaborative nature of making good music and how critical a talented producer can be to showcasing the true talent of an artist.
An interesting read as always, but I'm not a big fan of the Moulton mix and I'll attemp to explain why. Although Ms Gaynor has understandably become a supporter of his work considering all its success and the acclaim it has received, I can't help returning to her initial reaction expressing unhappiness about her vocal being so dramatically reduced. As I've previously alluded to, I'm not a fan of remixers more eager to promote themselves than respect the artist (in defence of Moulton, he is by no means the worst offender) and although this is just a personal view, I think it becomes more serious when it comes to white males erasing much of the work of black female artists. On a lighter note, I'm very much looking forward to next week's newsletter on Sandra!
I see your point, Paul, but I don’t think that’s the case here. Tom Moulton never altered the vocals—his work primarily focused on the song itself, simplifying and extending it. His signature “build-up” always respects the original. In this case, he only had the short version to work with, so I’m confident all the vocals remain intact, but he didn't request/do any additional recordings or overdubs for the extended mix. Hence the long instrumental parts
Also, this was 1974—one of the earliest tracks to undergo this kind of treatment. I believe Gloria’s reaction stems from an artist unfamiliar with how extended versions function. Plus, Moulton mainly mixed African American artists, and before I ever saw a picture of him, I actually thought he was African American himself! 😁
To me, he’s proof that the instinct for making this kind of music isn’t dictated by skin color. As you can tell, I’m a fan! 😃
Thanks for reading and engaging, Paul. I’ve started researching Sandra, and I’m also excited for the Mixcloud set—it’s going to be a Europop-Eurodance extravaganza! Enjoy your weekend!
Thanks for the info Peter. You make a strong argument and I now have more appreciation for the respect shown by Tom Moulton to the artist. Sadly, as DJs and remixers became more powerful, this was not always the case. Roll on Sandra!
Good stuff, Pe.....really enjoyed it! I had the album at the time (Jan '75), and loved it (I was 19)! I remember being appropriately gobsmacked at the smooth segues between the cuts on Side 1. I also remember not really liking "Honeybee," so I'd start the side with "Never Can Say Goodbye," and, of course, also loved "Reach Out," remembering it well from the Four Tops version in the '60s!
I also remembered, vaguely, The Jackson 5's hit from '71, so, I was familiar with the Clifton Davis song.
In Jan. '75, I was at the U. of Houston, and was Music Director at their FM radio station, with a 3-hour daily afternoon shift (classes? What classes?!?). My show was, basically, soft rock and pop, so Gloria was a no-go, but I took the promo LP home!
😁 Skipping classes to make radio—something we definitely have in common 😊! Thanks for reading and responding, Brad!
Thank you! What a great read. I love this song so much, I can imagine how powerful it was in clubs for people who love to just dance their asses off. There’s nothing like it!
It still is Jeri. Every time I hear that intro... One of those songs for whom the word "evergreen" is created 😁 Thanks for reading & reacting !
Informative and fascinating! The shifting focus between Gaynor and Moulton really kept my interest. Both their contributions to dance music is so huge it’s hard to overstate. It also underscores the collaborative nature of making good music and how critical a talented producer can be to showcasing the true talent of an artist.
Or a remixer 😃. But I agree completely Daddy DeFunk. Thanks for reading & reacting. Have a great weekend !
An interesting read as always, but I'm not a big fan of the Moulton mix and I'll attemp to explain why. Although Ms Gaynor has understandably become a supporter of his work considering all its success and the acclaim it has received, I can't help returning to her initial reaction expressing unhappiness about her vocal being so dramatically reduced. As I've previously alluded to, I'm not a fan of remixers more eager to promote themselves than respect the artist (in defence of Moulton, he is by no means the worst offender) and although this is just a personal view, I think it becomes more serious when it comes to white males erasing much of the work of black female artists. On a lighter note, I'm very much looking forward to next week's newsletter on Sandra!
I see your point, Paul, but I don’t think that’s the case here. Tom Moulton never altered the vocals—his work primarily focused on the song itself, simplifying and extending it. His signature “build-up” always respects the original. In this case, he only had the short version to work with, so I’m confident all the vocals remain intact, but he didn't request/do any additional recordings or overdubs for the extended mix. Hence the long instrumental parts
Also, this was 1974—one of the earliest tracks to undergo this kind of treatment. I believe Gloria’s reaction stems from an artist unfamiliar with how extended versions function. Plus, Moulton mainly mixed African American artists, and before I ever saw a picture of him, I actually thought he was African American himself! 😁
To me, he’s proof that the instinct for making this kind of music isn’t dictated by skin color. As you can tell, I’m a fan! 😃
Thanks for reading and engaging, Paul. I’ve started researching Sandra, and I’m also excited for the Mixcloud set—it’s going to be a Europop-Eurodance extravaganza! Enjoy your weekend!
Thanks for the info Peter. You make a strong argument and I now have more appreciation for the respect shown by Tom Moulton to the artist. Sadly, as DJs and remixers became more powerful, this was not always the case. Roll on Sandra!
A classic recording! She completely transformed the song!
Indeed Dan! Thanks for reading & reacting. Enjoy your weekend!