Genre: soul
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Sweet Surrender
Company: Atlantic
Catalog: SS 7277
Year: 1974
Country/State: Pascagoula, Mississippi
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: minor ring wear
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5010
Price: $10.00
First do yourself a favor and ignore all of those reviews that compare Margie Joseph to Aretha Franklin. They sound nothing like one another and seem to share little in common than the fact they're both immensely talented soul singers who at one time both recorded for Atlantic Records.
1974's "Sweet Surrender" was Joseph's second album for Atlantic and found her continuing her partnership with producer Arif Mardin. (Yes, yes he also had extensive dealings with Aretha.) I remember looking at the track listing and seeing there were two David Gates numbers and a Paul McCartney and Wings cover. I came very close to putting the album back. Luckily I didn't since this is a great and largely overlooked soul collection. First a couple of comments about Joseph's voice - to my ears Aretha serves as a poor comparison. Joseph actually sounds more like a cross between the late Barbara Acklin, Phoebe Snow and Carla Thomas. On tracks like 'Come Lay Some Lovin' On Me', 'Strange) I Still Love You' and '' her voice exudes a beguiling mixture of sultriness and class. Hard to adequately describe it, but it's quite attractive and sexy. As for the David Gates covers; well she kicks the crap out of 'em. She literally shreds the Bread version of 'Baby I'm a Want You' to pieces. I'm less impressed by the MOR-ish Wings cover, though it went on to become her biggest commercial hit (and it's far better than Rod Stewart's version). Still Joseph's at her best on soul numbers like 'Come with Me' and the jazzy lone original 'Ridin' High' ... In fact the only real disappointments are a supper club-ish cover of Ralph McDonald's 'If I'm Still Around Tomorrow' and a needless Billy Joel cover ('He's Got a Way'). Elsewhere Atlantic tapped the LP for two singles:
- 'Come Lay Some Lovin' On Me' b/w 'Ridin' High' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2988)
- 'My Love' b/w 'Sweet Surrender' (Atlantic catalog number 45-3022)
"Sweet
Surrender" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Come Lay Some Lovin' On Me )Paul Kelly) - 3:55
2.) (Strange) I Still Love You (Norman Harris - Mikki Farrow - Jerry Butler) - 3:30
3.) Come with Me (Paul Kelly) - 3:13
4.) Baby I'm a Want You (David Gates) - 3:03
5.) To Know You Is
To Love You (Stevie Wonder) - 3:28
(side
2)
1.) If I'm Still Around Tomorrow (Ralph McDonald - William
Salter) - 3:09
2.) My Love (Paul McCartney - Linda McCartney) - 3:45
3.) Ridin' High (Margie Joseph - Arif Mardin) - 3:24
4.) He's Got a Way (William Joel) - 3:45
5.) Sweet Surrender (David Gates) - 2:55