Genre: soul
Rating: 4 stars ****
Title: Dream World
Company: Jay Walking
Catalog: JWL-1020
Year: 1973
Country/State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: was sealed; opened to tape it
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4997
Price: $40.00
With a line-up consisting of Anthony Burke, Freddie Kelly and brothers Larry and Ronnie McGregor this Philadelphia-based outfit had the misfortune of hitting the early-1970s soul harmony scene just as it was hitting its peak. Propelled by Kelly's lead falsetto they were easily as talented as better known acts like The Delfonics, The Moments, or The Stylistics, but never got the same commercial or chart traction.
1970 saw them signed by the Philly-based Jay Walking label where over the next three years they recorded a string of five first rate singles:
- 1970's 'I Don't Have You' b/w 'The Way I Love You' (Jay Walking catalog number JW 009)
- 1971's 'Day By Day (Every Minutes of the Hour)' b/w' What You Gave Us' (Jay Walking catalog number JW 011)
- 1971's 'How Can I Pretend' b/w 'The Love You Gave To Me' (Jay Walking catalog number JW 013)
- 1972's 'Heaven Must Have Sent You' b/w 'Running Away' (Jay Walking catalog number JW 015)
- 1972's 'Take a Little Time' b/w 'Escape From Planet Earth' (Jay Walking catalog number JW 017
- 1973's 'Dream World' b/w 'Nite Moods' (Jay Walking catalog number JW 019)
Released in 1973, "Dream World" served to collect the earlier singles including their two R&B hits ('I Don't Have You' and 'Day By Day (Every Minute of the Hour)'). As mentioned above, powered by King's crisp falsetto and backing from an all-star cast of Philadelphia sessions players (the set was recorded at Philadelphia International's famed Sigma Sound Studios), this was classic early-1970s soul. Anyone into those better known harmony groups would get a major kick out of these ten tracks. As an added bonus producer/arranger /writer Bobby Martin (he wrote, or co-wrote half of the material) injected a sense of experimentation and playfulness throughout the ten tracks. Hard to imagine William Hart and The Delfonics or Russell Tompkins Jr. and The Stylistics recording something with a sci-fi plotline like 'Escape From Planet Earth', the psych touches on the title track, or the surprisingly jazzy 'Nite Moods'. Sure, perhaps not the most original set in the genre, but a worthy addition to anyone's soul collection ...
"Dream
World" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) (You're Living In a) Dream World (Norman Harris - Allan Felder) - 2:58
2.) Nite Moods (Robert L. Martin) - 4:58
3.) I Don't Have You (Saundra McGregor) - 2:47
4.) Escape From Planet Earth (Robert L. Martin) - 4:13
5.) Take a Little Time To Know Me (Robert L. Martin) -3:18
(side
2)
1.) Day By Day (Every Minute of the Hour) (Robert L. Martin
- Eugene Lemon) -2:58
2. Heaven Must Have Sent You (Eddie Holland - Lamont Dozier - Brian Holland) - 2:55
3.) How Can I Pretend (Thomas Keith) - 2:57
4.) The Love You Gave To Me (Robert L. Martin) -2:43
5.) Running Away (From Love) (Norman Harris - Allan Felder) - 2:50