Genre: soul
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: The New Born Free Hesitations
Company: Kapp
Catalog: KS
3548
Year: 1968
Country/State: Cleveland, Ohio
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: still in shrink wrap
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5776
Price: $40.00
This was one of those LPs I picked up out of curiosity more than anything. Dave Kapp's Kapp label wasn't particularly known for soul acts so I wanted to hear what these guys sounded like.
Cleveland's The Hesitations came together in 1967, showcasing the talents of lead singer George 'King' Scott. With the exception of Fred Deal and Charles Scott, the other five members had sung and recorded in other local bands:
- Phillip 'Frenchie' Dorroh and Scott had been members of The El Pollos.
- Leonard Veal Jr. and Robert Sheppard had been members of The Metronomes.
- Arthur Blakely had been in The Wigs.
I guess you couldn't blame the group for wanting to broad it's market so why not take a stab at recording an academy award winning tune that virtually everyone in the world knew? Motown acts had been recording album's full of lame MOR for years. In this case the results weren't all that bad:
- 1967's 'Born Free' b/w 'Love Is Everywhere (Kapp catalog K-858)
Even though the song selection was about as MOR as a soul act could go, the single did provide The Hesitations with their biggest seller (# 38 pop - underscoring popular tastes frequently suck). Kapp management wasting little time slapping it on the group's next album (note the album title). Co-produced by Larry Banks and Teacho Wiltshire, 1968's "The New Born Free Hesitations" served as the band's third studio set. Musically it wasn't a gigantic difference from their earlier releases. Relying on outside material, the collection served to showcase the group's diverse repertoire - roughly 50% big ballads and about 50% tougher soul numbers.
- Personally I couldn't imagine any arrangement of 'Born Free' saving the song. I certainly didn't have any expectations for The Hesitations' cover being able to salvage the song. They didn't, but deserved at least some credit for trying to kick it out of it's inherent MOR structure. rating: ** 2 stars
- Given their penchant for slower, heavily orchestrated ballads, folks tended to forget that these guys were actually quite good at tougher, more conventiaonal soul material. 'Overworked & Underpaid' was a perfect example of those talents and it would have been a far better choice for a single. Could've been a hit. rating: **** 4 stars
- No doubt that the late George Scott had one helluva voice. Yeah, 'Love Is Everywhere' was of those big, heavily orchestrated ballads, but kicked along by his pleading lead and the rest of the groups' equally anguished backing vocals, this one was quite likeable. rating: *** 3 stars
- "We Only Have One Life' has always puzzled me in that the lead was a shared affair, though I've never been able to figure out who shared the spotlight with George Scott. Whoever it was, they were darned good as he managed to keep up, if not out-sing Scott. Another big ballad, this one had a nice bluesy edge, though the in trying to blow each other out of the studio, the results went a little over-the-top by the end. rating: *** 3 stars
- 'Let's Groove' started out with a 1950s doowoop-ish feel, before quickly morphing into a great slice of Motown-styled top-40 soul (with a touch of Otis Day & the Knights 'Shout' thrown in for good measure). A near perfect slice of soul that should've been a massive hit. rating: **** 4 stars
- Side one's best track, 'I've Gotta Find Her' made it clear these guys were more than capable of hanging in there with any mid-1960s soul outfit. Scott's growling vocals were a match for any of his better known compatriots with the rest of the group turning in impeccable backing vocals. Another should've been a hit. rating: ***** 5 stars
- The first couple of times I heard the ballad 'I Wish It Could Be Me' it didn't do much for me. There wasn't anything wrong with the song itself, but the performance seemed over-hyped - George Scott simply trying to hard. For some reason after a dozen or so spins the track started to grow on me, Not sure why, but I suspect it might have something to do with Scott's vamps. rating: **** 4 stars
- 'Push A Little Bit Harder' was another great up-tempo soul monster that recalled something Marvin Gaye might have pulled off. How could this one not have been a massive hit? Great driving rhythm and killer George Scott lead vocal. rating: ***** 5 stars
- 'Don't Go' was simply too MOR for my tastes. The song wasn't bad, but the lead vocalist just oozed easy listening. rating: ** 2 stars
- The one group original 'I Believe In Love' sounded like second rate Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Completely forgettable and probably the worst song on the album. rating: ** 2 stars
- The album's most commercial track, 'Without Your Love' had everything going for it - great driving tune, Scott's dynamite voice showing an even rawer edge to it, and fantastic backing vocals. Besides how couldn't you fall for a song that included a lyric 'Hey girl, I've got a brand new wardrobe I've never tried on ..." rating: ***** 5 stars
- Another impressive soul outing with one of the album's strongest melodies, 'We Can Do It' also had commercial potential. Nice way to end the album. rating: **** 4 stars
Propelled by the title track the album proved their biggest seller, hitting # 193 on the pop charts and # 30 R&B. Shame Kapp didn't try to leverage the group's soul moves ('Let's Groove', 'I've Gotta Find Her' and 'Without Your Love') rather than the MOR stuff.
"The New
Born Free Hesitations" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Born Free
(Black - Berry) - 2:57
2.) Overworked & Underpaid (Poindexter - Harper -
Poindexter) - 2:59
3.) Love Is Everywhere (Poindexter - Lewis - Poindexter) - 2:29
4.) We Only Have One Life (Poindexter - Harper - Poindexter) -
3:09
5.) Let's Groove (Larry Banks - Bates) - 2:34
6.) I've Gotta Find Her (Carter - Larry Banks) - 2:20
(side
2)
1.) I Wish It Could Be Me (Colson - Poindexter -
Poindexter) - 2:41
2.) Push A Little Bit Harder (Larry Banks - Bates) -2:43
3.) Don't Go (Bennett - Larry Banks) - 2:45
4.) I Believe In Love (Smith - Phillip Dorrah - Arthur Blakely)
- 2:35
5.) Without Your Love (Larry Banks - Robinson) - 2:35
6.) We Can Do It (Larry Banks) - 2:30
Over the next year they recorded a series of four singles for Kapp:
- 1968's 'The Impossible Dream' b/w 'Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out' (Kapp catalog number K-899)
- 1968's 'Climb Every Mountain' b/w 'My World' (Kapp catalog number K-911)
- 1968's 'Who Will Answer' b/w 'If You Ever Need A Hand' (Kapp catalog number K-926)
- 1968's 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' b/w 'With Pen In Hand' (Kapp catalog number K-948)
Unfortunately, whatever commercial steam the band had picked up was lost when lead sing Scott was fatal shot in February 1968. I've never been able to find the details, but he was apparently killed by a gun that belonged to someone else in the band. Most references seem to conclude the band ended with Scott's death. Untrue. After Scott's death Fred Deal also quit, but the group soldiered on recruiting Bill Brent, Joe Hunter, and Warnell Taylor recording another series of singles for the Kapp-affiliated GWP label:
- 1969's 'Never Gonna Let Him Go' b/w 'Let's Prove Them Wrong' (GWP catalog number GWP-501)
- 1969's 'Is This the Way To Treat a Girl' b/w 'Yes I'm Ready' (GWP catalog number GWP-504)
- 1969's 'How Long Can This Last' b/w 'Don't Let t End' (GWP catalog number GWP-510)
credited as Debbie Taylor and The Hesitations
- 1969's 'No Brag Just Fact' b/w 'Momma Look Sharp' (GWP catalog number GWP-512)
In case anyone's interested The Hesitations are still active today and have a small website at:
http://www.thehesitations.com/