Genre: soul
Rating: 2 stars **
Title: I'm In Heaven
Company: Midland International
Catalog: BKL1-1821
Year: 1975
Country/State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5308
Price: $20.00
I don't really know that much about this outfit. Brothers Pete and Gerald Jackson had enjoyed some earlier success as songwriters - their breakthrough coming when Vicki Sue Robinson covered 'Turn the Beat Around'. The resulting publicity may well have helped the Jacksons score a recording contract as members of the Philadelphia-based Touch of Class.
As Touch of Class, 1975 found the Jacksons, along with Herbert Brevard and Michael Hailstock sign a recording contract with the RCA affiliated Midland International label. The quartet's 1975 debut 'I'm In Heaven' (Parts 1 and 2) (Midland International catalog number MB-10393) proved a modest R&B hit (# 65), leading the company to finance an album.
Arranged, conducted and produced by John Davis with support from the Salsoul Orchestra, 1976's cleverly titled "I'm In Heaven" offered up a modest mixture of old school soul and more dance oriented tracks. Credited as lead singer Gerald's performances were occasionally a bit flat ('One Half As Much') and his soaring falsetto took a little getting use to (I distinctly remember looking at the liner notes to see who the female singer was). As mentioned, stylistically much of the album fell into a weird 'no-man's zone' somewhere between old school vocal group and more disco-oriented outfit. Buried under bland tunes and anonymous arrangements, disco-fied stuff like 'I Just Can't Say Goodbye' and 'You Got Nowhere to Come' simply didn't do a great deal for me. In contrast the soul-flavored tracks like the pretty ballad 'Love Me Tonight' were uniformly enjoyable. With a breezy, easy-going melody and some gorgeous harmony vocals, 'I Love Your Pretty Baby' was easily the standout track. Some folks rave about this one, but with one or two modest exceptions, I can live without it.
"I'm
In Heaven" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) I’m
In Heaven (M. Steals - M Steals) -
6:31
2.)
I Just Can't Say Goodbye
(John Davis) - 4:56
3.)
You Got to Know Better (Pete Jackson -
Gerald Jackson) - 3:25
4.) Anything (M. Steals - M Steals) - 4:19
(side
2)
1.) You Got
Nowhere to Come
(Pete Jackson - Gerald Jackson) - 4:43
2.)
I Love You Pretty Baby
(Pete Jackson - Gerald Jackson-
Herbert Brevard)
- 4:40
3.) One Half as Much (M. Steals - M Steals - Michael Hailstock) - 3:24
4.) Love Me Tonight (M. Steals - M Steals) - 4:41
Over the next three years the group continued recording for Midland, though they enjoyed little in the way of success -
- 1976's 'Don't Want No Other Lover' b/w 'God Bless Me' (Midland International catalog number MB-10545)
- 1976's 'Don't Want No Other Lover' b/w 'You Got To Know Better' (Midland International catalog number MB-10754)
- 1977's 'Said It Before' b/w 'Love Means Everything' (Midland International catalog number MB-11157)
- 1977's 'Love Means Everything' b/w 'Said It Before' (Midsong MB-11157)
Next up was a stint with the RCA affiliated roadshow. I've never seen or heard it, but recorded as a trio (Hailstock having retired from active performing), there's a sophomore LP for Roadshow - 1979 "Love Means Everything" (Roadshow catalog BXL1-3217). There was also at least one single off of the LP:
- 1979 'I Need Action' b/w 'I Found My Rainbow' (Roadshow catalog number YB-11663))
The mid-1980s saw the trio release a pair of singles for Atlantic:
- 1984's 'Let Me
Be Your Everything b/w '' Atlantic catalog number 8-89569)
- 1984's 'Keep On Dancin' b/w '' (Atlantic catalog number 9-89643)
There's also a Japanese-only LP "Love Is Everything" (Stack O Hits/P-Vine) which is apparently just a repackaged version of the 1976 "I'm In Heaven" LP.
