Fuzz, The 


Band members               Related acts

- Barbara Gilliam - vocals

- Val Williams - vocals

- Sheila Young - vocals

 

 

- The Passionettes

- The Passionetts

 

 

 


 

Genre: soul

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  The Fuzz

Company: Calla

Catalog: SC-2001

Year: 1971

Country/State: Washington, D.C.

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: still in shrink wrap with promo sticker on cover

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4711

Price: $125.00

Cost: $66.00

 

This short-lived trio's of interest to me in that they called Washington D.C. home (I happen to live in Northern Virginia).  

 

Barbara Gilliam, Val Williams and Sheila Young were originally known as The Passionetts and managed to record a one-off single for the small Path Records label ('My Plea' b/w 'My Fault' (Path catalog 101.)  

 

1970 saw them picked up by Uni Records and the release of a second 45: 'Sister Watch Yourself' b/w 'Stand By Your Man' (Uni catalog number 55230). Probably an administrative oversight, the single was credited to 'The Passionettes' (note the extra 'e').

 

Billed as 'The Fuzz' (so much cooler than the earlier nameplate), 1971 found the trio recording for Roulette Records' Calla subsidiary.  In a rather daring marketing move their self-titled debut was a concept piece. Well, the first half of the album was apparently built around a concept.  Written by Young and arranger Joe Tate, the eight 'A' side tracks were built around a theme comparing love to the four seasons.  Mixing a series of spoken word narratives with some catchy ballads and mid-tempo numbers the results were occasionally quite cheesy (check out the monotone reading of ''I Think I Got the Making of a True Love Affair), but to my ears that simply added to the album's charm.  In contrast, the flip side abandoned the concept approach in favor of discrete songs.  Material such as 'Like An Open Door', 'Leave It All Behind Me' and 'I Love You for All Seasons' served as a nice showcase for Young's songwriting skills and the trio's lovely harmony work - these gals were easily as good as Honey Cone (whom they actually remind me of).  Elsewhere the group enjoyed a series of three R&B hits from the album:

 

   

 

-1971's 'I Love You for All Season' b/w 'I Love You for All Season (instrumental)' (Calla catalog number C-174)

-1971's 'Like An Open Door' b/w 'Leave It All Behind Me' (Calla catalog number C-177)

-1971's 'I'm So Good' b/w 'All About Love' (Calla catalog number C-179)


"The Fuzz" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Think I Got the Making of a True Love Affair (prelude)  (Joe Tate - Sheila Young)  - 2:32

2.) I Think I Got the Making of a True Love Affair   (Joe Tate - Sheila Young) - 2:29

3.) I'm So Glad (prelude)  (Joe Tate - Sheila Young) - 0:42

4.) I'm So Glad  (Joe Tate - Sheila Young) - 2:41

5.) All About Love (prelude)  (Joe Tate - Sheila Young) - 0:45

6.) All About Love  (Joe Tate - Sheila Young) - 2:53

7.) It's All Over (prelude)  (Joe Tate - Sheila Young) - 0:44

8.) It's All Over   (Sheila Young) - 3:33

 

(side 2)
1.) Like An Open Door   (Sheila Young) - 2:27

2.) Search Your Mind   (Matthew Allen) - 3:05

3.) Leave It All Behind Me   (Sheila Young) - 3:00

4.) Ooh Baby Baby   (Smokey Robinson - Warren Moore) - 5:32

5.) I Love You for All Seasons  (Sheila Young) - 2:55

 

One final non-LP single ('Do Just What You Can Do' b/w 'Mr. Heartaches and Miss Tears' (Calla catalog number C-183)) and their recording career seems to have come to an end.

 


 

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