Valerie Simpson
Band members Related acts
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line-up 1 (1972) - Valerie Simpson -- vocals, keyboards
supporting musicians: (1972) - Joshie Armstead -- backing vocals - Jack Ashford (RIP 2011) -- percussion, backing vocals - Jack Brokenshaw -- percussion - Eddie Brown -- percussion - Leonard Caston -- guitar - Dennis Coffey -- guitar - Johnny Griffin -- keyboards - James Jamerson -- bass - Uriel Jones -- drums, percussion - Joe Messina -- guitar - Andrew Smith --
drums, percussion
backing musicians: (1972) - Nat Adderley Jr. -- keyboards - Joshie Armstead -- backing vocals - Nickolas Ashford (RIP 2011) -- backing vocals - Francisco Centeno -- bass - Charles Collins -- drums, percussion - Keith Loving Illdge -- guitar - Ray Lucas -- drums, percussion - Ralph MacDonald -- percussion - Buddy Williams -- drums, percussion
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- Ashford and Simpson - The Followers (Valerie Simpson) - The Happy Girls - Valerie and Nick - We Are Family Collective
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Genre: soul Rating: 4 stars *** Title: Exposed Company: Tamla Catalog: TS 311 Year: 1971 Country/State: New York City, NY Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $40.00
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I've always wondered how an artist as talented as Valerie Simpson could get lost on a label like Motown.I know she wasn't exactly lost, but when you stack her talents against some of the acts Motown broke commercially ... well why didn't that happen to Ms. Simpson?
Co-produced
by Simpson and husband Nickolas Ashford, 1971's "Exposed"
showcased an original set o
Kudos to Ross for penning some nice liner notes for the album. Elsewhere, having labored in the Motown shadows herself, Simpson made sure to credit guitarist Dennis Coffe, bassist James Jameson, drummer Andrew Smith and the rest of the Motown musicians who provided support on the album.
"Exposed" track listing: 1.) I Don't Need No Help (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 6:30 rating: **** stars So I'm not a big fan of a cappella, but every time I hear the opening couple of minutes of 'I Don't Need No Help' it leaves me shaking my head wondering why it took Motown so long to turn Simpson lose in front of the microphone rather than behind the scenes as a writer, musician and producer ... The song was also notable for underscoring the woman's credentials as a musician - check out the way she pounds that piano. Ever heard Diana Ross sing with as much Gospel fervor? This one could give Aretha Franklin a run for her money. Not to second guess Motown, but given it wasn't particularly commercial, it was an odd choice for an opening song. 2.) Love Woke Me Up This Morning (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:30 rating: **** stars 'Love Woke Me Up This Morning has become something of a Motown right of passage. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell recorded a lovely version. The Supremes (post Diana Ross) recorded a nice version. With Damon Harris on lead vocals, The Temptations covered it. Brenda Holloway, etc. Simpson's take beats all of them. Yeah it may be a little heavy on the orchestration, but that voice ... 3.)
Now That There's You (Nikolas
Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 2:56
rating: **** stars
'Now That There's You' was a pretty ballad that actually sounded a bit like some out of the Diana Ross era Supremes catalog. In fact it was one of two Ashford-Simpson songs Ross asked to record for her 1970 debut. Ross' version is better known and nice, but a little too theatrical for my tastes. Simpson's vocals are stronger; the melody more pronounced. Surprising that Motown didn't tap this one as a single.
4.) Sinner Man (Don't Let Him Catch You) (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:04 rating: **** stars 'Sinner Man (Don't Let Him Catch You)' was a great example of Ashford and Simpson's knack for coming up with highly commercial material. With backing from Denis Coffey on guitar (sounding like an electric sitar), this one managed to combine a sound that recalled Norman Whitefield's psychedelic work with The Temptations and intriguing lyrics that had a subtle religious orientation. Oh my goodness could this lady belt it out ... 5.) Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 4:00 rating: **** stars I'm not a big fan of spoken word segments, but I'll make an exception for Simpson. In fact, who needs to hear Bettye Davis or Millie Jackson when you have Valerie Simpson ... Easy to see why this was the second track Diana Ross "borrowed" for her 1970 debut album. (Simpson's version crushed Ross' MOR-ish cover). Motown tapped it as the album's only single.
- 1970's 'Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow' b/w 'Back To Nowhere' (Tamla catalog number T 55204F)
(side 2) 1.) I Just Wanna Be There (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 2:59 rating: ***** stars Ah, intoducing James Jameson's bass ... 'I Just Wanna Be There' was simply a classic slice of Motown. Everything about this screamed release-me-as-a-single - insidiously catchy melody; powerful, uplifting vocals and that magic Motown sound. 2.) Back To Nowhere (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:37 rating: ** stars The album's first disappointment, the heavily orchestrated "big" ballad 'Back To Nowhere' struck me as sounding like a cross between Gospel and lounge act. Come to think of it, the track would not have sounded out of place on a Diana Ross solo album. 3.) There Is A God (Andrew Cooper) - 3:40 rating: *** stars I seem to remember reading that songwriter Cooper was a member of the church Simpson attended. While I'm not a massive Gospel fan, 'There Is A God' had a bouncy, upbeat melody and Simpson's vocals were equally attractive. The Paul Riser horn arrangement was icing on the cake. 4.) World Without Sunshine (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 2:56 rating: *** stars I'm a sucker for Coral electric sitar so the breezy ballad 'World Without Sunshine' had me from the opening chords. 5.) We Can Work It Out (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 4:50 rating: *** stars Showcasing Simpson's talents as a keyboardist, her bluesy reinterpretation of 'We Can Work It Out' was quite different from the original. It didn't immediately strike a chord with me (Beatles covers are always tough), but it kind of snuck up on me.
© Scott R. Blackerby April 2022
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Genre: soul Rating: 4 stars *** Title: Valerie Simpson Company: Tamla/Motown Catalog: STMK 11219 Year: 1972 Country/State: New York City, NY Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2347 Price: $30.00
Genre: soul Rating: 4 stars *** Title: Valerie Simpson Company: Tamla Catalog: T 317L Year: 1972 Country/State: New York City, NY Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: still in shrink wrap; US pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2347 Price: $25.00
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If I had to come up with a list of Motown album's that were "lost" classics, 1972's "Valerie Simpson" would be in the top-five.
Having listened to this album dozens of times, about the only thing I can say is Berry Gordy Jr. put his money on the wrong artist. Selecting Diana Ross as Motown's leading lady was fine, but Gordy had an even more talented artist in the stunning Valerie Simpson. Classy, easy on the eyes, and amazingly talented, you just had to wonder what Gordy was thinking when he bet on Ross. As for the album cover, well about all you could say is Simpson had come a long way from her Church roots. Nice heels.
Written and produced by Simpson and Nickolas Ashford (not yet her husband), this was one of those rare album's which didn't have a single weak tune across the grooves. Yeah, there were a couple of slack moments, including the ballads 'One More Baby Child Born' and 'Genius I', but even those were worth a spin. Musically the collection was a wonderful platform for Simpson's amazingly sexy and chameleon-like voice - listen to the way she purred through the opening ballad 'Fix It Alright'. The album also underscored the Ashford-Simpson team's knack for penning incredibly commercial material. Virtually every one of these ten tracks had a hook that most writers would kill to have create. Hearing this set it also became much easier to believe the rumors that Simpson had occasionally doubled for Motown artists who were unavailable to record for various reasons. Both of those characteristics were capably showcased on this set. The title track, 'Fix It Alright', and 'I Believe I'm Gonna Take This Ride' were all songs that had radio 'hit' written all over them. Elsewhere the biggest revelation was the Gospel-flavored 'Drink the Wine'. Sung in an atypical deep baritone, folks tend to forget that Simpson was brought up in the Church (she and Ashford met in a Harlem Church).
Unhappy with Motown's failure to promote her solo work and the company's unwillingness to released an Ashford-Simpson project, she left the company the following year. Five of these tracks reappeared on the 1 1977 Motown retrospective "Keep It Comin''".
"Valerie
Simpson" track listing: 1.) Fix It Alright (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 4:10 rating: **** stars 'Fix It Alright' opened the album with one of the sexiest ballads Simpson ever recorded. 2.) Benje (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 2:51 rating: **** stars 'Benje' was a sweet and poignant ballad that showcased the lighter side of Simpson's voice - the way she cooed the refrain was incredibly sexy. Actually, this has always struck me as being the kind of song that Berry Gordy Jr. would have placed with Diana Ross. In fact, Simpson's voice reminded me a bit of Ross on this one. Like most of the ten songs on the album, this one would have made a dandy single. 3.) Drink the Wine (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson)- 3:42 rating: **** stars The tune's Gospel-ish feel has always reminded me of something Mavis Staples and company might have done. Kicked along by a killer Francisco Centeno bass line, it was nice to hear Simpson employ that part of her vocal spectrum and if you've ever wanted to hear a song that builds to a climax, here's a good one. 4.) One More Baby Child Born (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 4:07 rating: *** stars 'One More Baby Child Born' was another pretty and thought provoking ballad. Always loved Centeno's jazzy and melodic bass line. 5.) Keep It Coming (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:20 rating: ***** stars With a purring bass line that's always reminded me of something out of the Sly and the Family Stone catalog, 'Keep It Coming' has always reminded me of something the pair might have written for a post Diana Ross Supremes line-up. Supremely melodic and a nice platform for showing Simpson was more than just a talented writer. Another tune where you just had to wonder why Tamla failed to release the song as a single.
(side 2) 1.) I Believe I'm Gonna Take This Ride (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 2:54 rating: **** stars Originally 'I Believe I'm Gonna Take This Ride' struck me as a throwaway effort. Pleasant, but hardly essential. My opinion has changed over the years. A breezy, looping vamp the song had one of those refrains that climbed in your head and would not leave. I occasionally will find this one popping into my head at the least expected moments. Got it on my iPhone playlist as well. The tune also showed up as the 'B' side to her 'Silly Wasn't I' single. 2.) Could Have Been Sweeter (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson)- 2:09 rating: **** stars Damn, her voice is a treasure and the hook on this one should have been illegal. Always wondered if Stevie Wonder provided the anonymous harmonica. 3.) Silly Wasn't I (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson - Joshie Armstead) - 2:08 rating: **** stars Ever heard a song that had a hook you couldn't let go of? Well check out the way Simpson purrs the title refrain. Sexy doesn't get much sexier than this tune. Is it just my ears, of odes she sound uncannily like the late Tammi Terrell on this one? The song was also Simpson's second single:
- 1972's 'Silly Wasn't I' b/w 'I Believe I'm Gonna Take This Ride' (Tamla catalog number T 54224F) # 63 pop; # 24 R&B
4.) Genius I (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson)- 4:22 rating: *** stars Simpson's stark, Gospel-flavored, piano melody was quite beautiful and when combined with the unexpected ecological theme made for one of the album's more interesting performances. 5.) Genius II (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:15 rating: **** stars Part 2 saw the song abruptly shifting into an un-tempo, jazzy segment. Nice and much strong then the stark opening section.
© Scott R. Blackerby April 2022
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Genre: soul Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Keep It Comin' Company: Tamla Catalog: T6 351S1 Year: 1977 Country/State: New York City, NY Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2345 Price: $10.00
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I have to admit that I'm not 100% sure about these comments, but I believe 1977's "Keep It Coming" was a compilation pulling material from Valerie Simpson's two criminally overlooked early 1970s solo efforts (1971's "Exposed" and 1972's "Valerie Simpson"). Released in an effort to capitalize on her post Motown successes (with husband Nickolas Ashford), this compilation was fine, but I advise you to look for the two original albums. Short of investing in those, this wasn't a bad place to start.
I've always loved Simpson's chameleon-like voice and her knack for penning incredibly commercial material. Hearing this set it became much easier to believe the rumors that Simpson had occasionally doubled for Motown artists who were unavailable to record for various reasons. Both of those characteristics were capably showcased on this set. The title track, 'Sinner Man' (nominated for a Grammy award) and 'Can It Wait Until Tomorrow' were all songs that had radio 'hit' written all over it, but for some reason simply disappeared without a trace (as did Simpson's two LPs). Blame an incompetent Motown marketing department ... Another killer was the environmentally sensitive 'Genius I' and 'Genius II'. Part 1 was kind of plodding, but the up tempo second section may have been the album's stand out effort. Elsewhere the biggest revelation was the Gospel-flavored 'Drink the Wine'. Sung in an atypical deep baritone, folks tend to forget that Simpson was brought up in the Church (she and Ashford met in a Harlem church). On this one she gave the late Tammi Terrell a run for her money.
"Keep It
Comin'" track listing:
1.) Keep It Comin' (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 4:12 rating: **** stars The title track always reminded me of something the pair might have written for a post Diana Ross Supremes line-up. Supremely melodic and a nice platform for showing Simpson was more than just a talented writer. 2.) Sinner Man (Don't Let Him Catch You) (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:23 rating: **** stars And for anyone who doubted Simpson could sound down and dirty there was the sizzling 'Sinner Man (Don't Let Him Catch You)'. Simply one of the best things she ever wrote, or performed. 3.) Drink the Wine (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 4:59 rating: **** stars The tune's Gospel-ish feel has always reminded me of something Mavis Staples and company might have done. Kicked along by a killer Francisco Centeno bass line, it was nice to hear Simpson employ that part of her vocal spectrum and if you've ever wanted to hear a song that builds to a climax, here's a good one. 4.) Silly Wasn't I (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson - Joshie Armstead) - 2:08 rating: **** stars Ever heard a song that had a hook you couldn't let go of? Well check out the way Simpson purrs the title refrain. Sexy doesn't get much sexier than this tune. Is it just my ears, of odes she sound uncannily like the late Tammi Terrell on this one? The song was also Simpson's second single:
- 1972's 'Silly Wasn't I' b/w 'I Believe I'm Gonna Take This Ride' (Tamla catalog number T 54224F) # 63 pop; # 24 R&B
5.) Now That There's You (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 5:01 rating: *** stars When did I put a Diana Ross album on the turntable ? Seriously, this one sounded uncannily like Ross, which might be one of the reasons Ross covered it. A bit over-orchestrated and over--vamped, but still a nice ballad.
(side
2) I first heard this one on the 1969 Marvin Gaye and Tammie Terrell album "easy". As good as the Gay-Terrell version was, Simpson's breezy, heartfelt, and sexy as all version was even better. I believe you can hear Nikolas Ashford on backing vocals ... 2.) Can It Wait Until Tomorrow (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 4:13 rating: **** stars The "stay baby" lyrics were hysterical and sound amazingly dated, but there was no denying the glistening melody and refrain were among the best things she'd ever penned. 3.) Genius I (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:36 rating: *** stars Simpson's stark, Gospel-flavored, piano melody was quite beautiful and when combined with the unexpected ecological theme made for one of the album's more interesting performances. 4.) Genius II (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:59. rating: **** stars Part 2 saw the song abruptly shifting into an un-tempo, jazzy segment. Nice and much strong then the stark opening section.
© Scott R. Blackerby April 2022
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BACK TO BADCAT PAYMENT INFORMATION
Simpson's
professional career with partner and husband Nikolas Ashford stretched back
to 1964 when they met while attending church in Harlem. By 1967 they'd
been hired as songwriters for Motown; their biggest success coming with
Marvin Gaye and the late TammiTerrell ('Ain't No Mountain High Enough',
'Your Precious Love', 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing' and 'You're All I
Need To Get By'. With Terrell battling brain cancer, an uncredited
Simpson reported handled some of the vocals on the duo's final album -
1969's "Easy" (Tamla catalog number
TS-294). For whatever reason, it took Barry Gordy and Motown
four years to get around to giving Simpson a shot at recording on her
own. Ironically Simpson's appearence on Quincy Jones' 1970 "Gula
Matari"
LP seems to have been the
event that pushed Motown to green light a Simpson solo album.
f
Ashford-Simpson material with a cover of Andrew Cooper's
'There Is A God' and a bluesy
arrangement of The Beatles' 'We Can Work It Out' standing as the two cover
tunes. 'Love
Woke Me Up This Morning' had
already been recorded by a slew of Motown acts including Brenda Holloway.
Elsewhere 'I Don't Need
No Help' and 'Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow' appeared on Diana Ross' 1970
debut album. (My humble opinion - Simpson's versions were far superior
to Ross' remakes) To my ears the album's
biggest surprise came in the decision to showcase Simpson's Gospel
roots. Like so many others, her roots were in the church and those
influences were clear on tracks like the a cappella opener 'I Don't Need No
Help' and 'There Is A God'.
Her voice was deep and resonant; occasionally sounding a little like young
Diana Ross, but with more grit and determination. While the
performances were
awesome, overall the
track line-up wasn't the most commercial collection Motown could have
released. That wasn't to say the album didn't have a commercial edge.
Sounding like something out the Norman Whitfield psych-soul catalog,
'Sinner Man (Don't Let Him Catch You)' wouldn't have sounded out of place on
an early-'70s Temptations album. '
Can't
It Wait Until Tomorrow' found Simpson giving the likes of Barbara Acklin,
Bettye Davis, Larua Lee
and Millie Jackson a run for their money in the
women-stand-up-for-your-rights musical sweepstakes.
Even better was the should've-been-a-single
'I Just Wanna Be There'. Simply a classic slice of Motown that should
have sold millions.
