line-up 1 (1969-70)

- Laura Creamer (aka Laura Polkinghorne) -- vocals

- Joan Sliwin -- vocals

- Marsha Jo Temmer (aka Temmer Darigan) -- vocals

  supporting musicians (1970)

- Hal Blaine -- drums, percussion

- James Burton -- guitar

- Ry Cooder -- bottleneck guitar

- Gary Illingworth -- keyboards

- Larry Muhoberac -- keyboards

- Joe Osborne -- bass

- Sneaky Pete -- pedal steel guitar

- Ron Tutt -- drums

- Bijou (Joan Sliwin and Marsha Jo Temmer)

- Laura Creamer (solo efforts)

- Honey Ltd.

- Like Honey (Joan Sliwin)

- The Lost Toy People (Laura Creamer)

- The Mama Cats

- The Twisted Brown Trucker Band (Laura Creamer)

Genre: pop

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Take It and Smile

Company: LHI/Bell

Catalog: LHI 3100

Year: 1970

Country/State: Detroit, Michigan

Grade (cover/record): NM/NM

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $60.00

Not that more than a handful of folks will know or care, but for all intents and purposes 1970's "Take It and Smile" stands as the sophomore release by Honey LTD.  In terms of personnel the only difference was the absence of original singer Alex Sliwin who had dropped out of the group in order to marry J.D. Souther (briefly), leaving sister Joan Sliwin, Laura Polkinghorne and Marsha Jo Temmer to soldier on as the trio Eve.  

Produced by Tom Thacker with backing from an all-star cast of sessions players including drummer Hal Blaine, guitarists James Burton and Ry Cooder, the trio's debut as Eve found them abandoning their earlier blend of self-penned psychedelia and soul for a more conventional mixture of popular covers spiced with a couple of original tunes.  While the group's trademarked harmonies remained intact, this time around the sound was far more restrained with tracks like 'I've Got A Secret', 'Give a Hand' and ''Anyone Who Had A Heart' offering up a mixture of sensitive singer/songwriter, gospel and country influences.  Given the country edge to material like The Bee Gees' 'Give A Hand', Bachrach and David's classic 'Anyone Who Had A Hear' and the original composition 'Could You' it was hard to believe they were originally from Detroit ...    Unfortunately while the trio's harmony vocals remained a pleasure to hear (check out the original 'Dusty Road'), their decision to largely abandon rock oriented material wasn't a wise choice.  The results were professional and occasionally quite pretty demonstrating their immaculate harmonies, but with one or two exceptions, the results were seldom particularly exciting.  With LHI financially on the ropes, Bell Records stepping in to rescue the album, but the label's half-hearted promotional efforts and the release of their cover of Dylan's 'You Go Your Way' as a single did nothing to spur sales.  Come to think of it, Joan Sliwin's cover art probably didn't help in the sales department.

The group saw their cover of 'So Tired' included on the soundtrack to the flilm Vanishing Point (Amos catalog AAS8002) and with that their recording career was effectively over.

Both Polkinghorne Creamer and Sliwin remained active in music, largely as backup singers, working with a wide array of acts including Bob Seger and Kid Rock.   Creamer has also recorded some solo material and has a website at:  http://www.lauracreamer.com/

Take It and Smile" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Lo And Behold (James Taylor) - 2:58  rating: *** stars

Originally recorded on "Sweet Baby James", the trio's cover of James Taylor's 'Lo and Behold' served to showcase their wonderfully blended voices.  Their arrangement emphasized the song's Gospel leanings and was certainly nice, but it wasn't going to make you forget the original.

2.) I've Got A Secret (Fred Neil) - 3:02  rating: ** stars

The Fred Neil original is breathtaking.  Kudos the the trio for having the courage to take this one on.  Unfortunately while sticking with the original's pretty melody, their group vocals lost the song's focus. Sure sounded like Carol Kaye on bass.

3.) Give A Hand (Barry Gibb - Maurice Gibb) - 3:44  rating: ** stars

4.   The Bee Gees version was actually titled 'Give A Hand, Take a Hand.'   Their version is a patent slice of twee heartache.  Eve's arrangement replaced the original's lush pop orchestration with an equally irritating country-tinged sound.  

4.) Dusty Roads (Marsha Temmer - Laura Polkinghorne) - 3:00  rating: **** stars

5.   The album's only Temmer-Polkinghorne collaboration, the pretty ballad 'Dusty Road' demonstrated how good they could sound when the were invested and interested in the material.  Their voices truly sounded magical together.  Ry Cooder on slide guitar.

      5.) Anyone Who Had A Heart (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 5:12  rating: *** stars

Dionne Warwick's cool, sophisticated arrangement of 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' stands as the classic take and it's hard for me to shake it from my head.  The Eve interpretation gave the song a country orientation with the performance sounding like a cross between Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Their version wasn't bad and if you'd never heard the Warwick song, it might well hit your favorites list.   Very '70s sound.  The song was tapped as the leadoff single:

      -1970's 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' b/w 'Dusty Roads' (LHI cataloig number 25)

(side 2)
1.) You Go Your Way (Bob Dylan) - 3:14  rating: *** stars

Well, their cover of Dylan's 'You Go Your Way' was pleasant; certainly smoother and more commercial than the Dylan original.  Once again their blended voices were impeccable adding a bittersweet edge to Dylan's lyrics.  From a commercial standpoint I'm not sure I understand why Bell Records decided the ballad would make a nice choice as a single.  

- 1970's 'You Go Your Way' b/w 'Take It and Smile' (Bell catalog number 914)

2.) Hello L.A., Bye-bye Birmingham (Mac Davis) - 2:30  rating: *** stars

Hum, when I think of the late Mac Davis sappy MOR along the lines of 'Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me' comes to mind.  As such I have to admit the swamp-rock-ish 'Hello L.A., Bye-bye Birmingham' came as a surprise.  Yeah, it was kind of funny hearing a trio of urban LA women singing about hitching their way cross country to find fame.

3.) Could You (Laura Polkinghorne) - 2:37   rating: ** stars

Yeah wrote it, but opening up with steel guitar and the country melody meant I took an instant dislike to 'Could You.'

4.) My Man Sunshine (Marsha Temmer) - 3:47   rating: ** stars

'My Man Sunshine' found the trio adding a Laura Nyro-styled bluesy edge to the album.  Another one that just didn't strike a chord with me.

5.) Take It And Smile (Laura Polkinghorne - Glen Frey) - 3:01  rating: *** stars

The album closer and title track 'Take It And Smile' was co-written by Polkinghorne and the late Glen Frey.  The seemingly odd pairing came as a result of Frey's friendship with singer/guitarist J.D. Souther.  The two men had formed Longbranch Pennywhistle while Souther was dating Honey LTD singer Alex Sliwin.  That relationship brought Frey into contact with the rest of Honey LTD, including Laura Creamer (aka Laura Polkinghorne).  As for their collaboration - well the title track ballad was pretty, but forgettable acoustic ballad. 

As part of the label's reissue of the LP (Munster catalog number MR-421), in 2021 the Spanish Munster label released a single featuring two previously unreleased tracks::

- 2021's 'The Warrior' b/w 'It Doesn't Matter To Me' (Munster catalog number MR 7332)