line up 1 (1977)

- Carla Benson -- backing vocals

- Evette Benson -- backing vocals

- Michael Foreman -- bass

- Derrick Graves -- bass

- Barbara Ingram -- backing vocals

- Jay Graydon (solo efforts)

- Barbara Ingram (solo efforts)

- Ingram

- The Philadelphia Angels (Carla Benson, Evette Benson and

  Barbara Ingram)

- The Sweethearts

Genre: funk

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Pegasus

Company: Sunshine

Catalog: 0969
Year: 1977

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened)

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 13532

Price: $80.00

This is nothing more than speculation on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if "Pegasus" was a mid-1970s tax scam release.  Produced by Jack Conrad, with Frank Cook serving as executive producer, the album exhibited quite a few tax scam characteristics - mid-1970s release; relatively few copies seemingly pressed; little in the way of performance credits ...  

Based in New Jersey, Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benson had worked together as The Sweethearts of Sigma where they provided vocal support to a wide variety of Philadelphia International acts throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.  Similarly Michael Foreman and Derrick Graves had worked with a number of Philadelphia-based bands.

Musically the set was actually quite diverse, bouncing all over the map including stabs at Earth, Wind & Fire-styled soul ('Dance with Me Baby'), anonymous jazz-rock and a couple of surprisingly enjoyable pop-soul numbers ('Treat Her Like a Lady').  To be honest, it was so diverse you were left to wonder if maybe this was a bunch of demos and studio odds and ends that producers Conrad and Cook simply stitched together.  That's certainly not unheard of in the tax scam world.  Anyhow, I've heard far worse material, even if this had to be a bunch of sessions players putting in some extra hours in order to pay off their bar tabs ...  Perhaps unknowingly, songwriter Jay Gordon contributed two songs to the LP.

So what to make of it?  Well, it certainly wasn't a must own album and you'd be crazy to pay the $100 + some dealers are asking for copies.   On the other hand, it had more than its share of interesting tracks and if you were to stumble across a cheap copy; why not?

"Pegasus" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Dance with Me Baby   (Jack Conrad) - 3:55   rating: **** stars

Opening with some tasty horns, 'Dance with Me Baby' sounded like quality Phillip Bailey and Earth, Wind & Fire.  No, it wasn't particularly original, but it had a stompin' melody, a killer lead guitar solo and the harmony vocals were great.

2.) Fly (instrumental)   (Jack Conrad) - 7:02   rating: ** stars

For all intents and purposes an instrumental (the female backing singers uttered the title time after time), 'Fly' was little more than a disco-flavored throwaway.   Stretching on over seven minutes (way too long), the Atari-styled video game sound effects (anyone remember Space Invaders?) provided the song's highpoint. The song was  tapped as a single:

 7" single

-1978's  'Fly (AM)' b/w 'Fly (FM)' (Sunshine catalog number S-0969)

  12" single

- 1978's 'Fly' b/w 'Down and Dirty' and 'Wishin' I'd Never Know You' (Sunshine catalog number S-0969)

3.) Pegasus (instrumental)   (Jay Graydon) - 3:26   rating: *** stars

One of two Jay Graydon penned numbers, the instrumental title track sounded like something that had been written for an ABC television sitcom.  Up-tempo and bouncy, it was actually incideously catchy.  A pox on it ...

4.) Treat Her Like a Lady   (Jack Conrad) - 2:35   rating: *** stars

Kicked along by a bouncy keyboard, 'Treat Her Like a Lady' was another track that sounded like it had been written with radio exposure in mind.  Lyrically there wasn't much to the song - basically the anonymous male/female lead singers repeating the title track time after time.  Even though it was clearly a throw-away composition, I've always wondered who the male lead singer was - he had a wonderful, slightly raspy voice.  Only complaint on this one was that it was too short.   

5.) Down and Dirty   (Jay Graydon) - 3:03   rating: ** stars

Featuring some cheesy mini-Moog (?) and lots of horns, 'Down and Dirty' found these guys trying to get funky.  I guess if you considered a band like Wild Cherry funky, then this was a success.  The song didn't have some nice Larry Carlton-styled lead guitar. 

(side 2)
1.) You Can't Get Away from My Love   (Jack Conrad) - Chuck Higgins - 4:45   rating: *** stars

'You Can't Get Away from My Love' started side two with another slice of EW&F-styled soul. The  mid-section spoken word segment was goofy and a waste, but like 'Dance with Me Baby', this was one of the album highlights.     

2.) Touch the One You Love   (Artie Wayne - George Clinton) - 2:41 rating: *** stars

Credited to Artie Wayne and George Clinton (seems like an odd partnership), 'Touch the One You Love' was a surprisingly enjoyable slice of light soul - at least to my ears this one sounded like Chicago's Peter Cetera trying to get funk ...   Another track that would have benefited from a longer running time.    

3.) Let Me Love You    (Jack Conrad - Ray Kennedy) - 4:34   rating: ** stars

Like many of the songs on the album, lyrically wasn't much to 'Let Me Love You' - a female lead singer repeating the title track over and over again.  The instrumental track was actually really good.  Shame they didn't put a little more effort into crafting a more engaging lyric.  Who knows how, or why, but the song was released as a Japanese 45:

- 1977's 'Let Me Love You' b/w 'Shake That Funky Music' (TAWAOR catalog number AW-103)

4.) Wishin' I'd Never Know You   (Jack Conrad - Ruth Ann Friedman) - 3:01   rating: **** stars

Sounding unlike anything else on the collection, the album closed with my favorite performance - the old school soul number 'Wishin' I'd Never Know You'.  Great song with a fantastic vocal ...   very mid-'70s Philadelphia International vibe.  If you liked Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, or The O'Jays, this one was for you.