Records

The Ojays; Ashford and Simpson

Ashford and Simpson, Gimme Something Real, Warner Bros. BS 2739 Ojays, Ship Ahoy, Philadelphia International Records KZ 32408

I spent a great Saturday night recently listening to a couple of inspirational albums Ashford and Simpson's GIMME SOMETHING REAL and the Ojay's latest SHIP AHOY. Yeah, voices and inspiration is where they're at.
Valerie Simpson and Nicholas Ashford have been writing tunes since and before the classic Marvin Gaye-Tami Turrell partnership, where they presented such masterpieces as "Your Precious Love", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". "You're All I Need to Get By", "Ain't Nothin Like the Real Thing". It's the same thing- the beautiful, talented, soulful vocal team but this time it's totally theirs and they get off on it. You gotta listen to "Bend Me"-well. just listen to side one-a triple star goes to the title tune, "Gimme Something Real". For those of us who still get into the romance of popular music this album will melt you.
Side two the goodies are in "Can You Make It, Brother?", "I Need Your Light" reminds me a lot of Marvin Gaye's newest "Let's Get It On", which is proof of Gaye's stature and mastery of the 1973, 74, 75... soul sound. Back to Valerie Simpson, who's "Silly" really brought her out from the studios, songwriting, producing shadows into a loyal public-Spare yourself some moments and find out what you may be missing...
"Have you ever tried it for yourself
Still getting it secondhand from somebody else
Have you really put your mind to it Used your heart and soul to get through it
Or when someone touches home
Do you leave it-do you leave it alone"
Now the Ojay's SHIP AHOY is a different matter, not that it's any less of a musical find than GIMME SOMETHING REAL-it just turns your head around to a wider perspective and knocks you on your ass with the elaborate Gamble-Huff production. If you thought the Temptations, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" was a heavy listen to the title tune "Snip Ahoy" or "For the Love of Money"...whew... these dudes wail and weave you into where they're at. Seems like this is yet another '73 release from the soul side of black music that's into presenting a whole drama for your ears like- I mention again Marvin Gaye's LET'S GET IT ON.
Voices always get to me and the Ojays (remember Backstabber?) are reminiscent of the Temptations but have gone beyond that and left their mark on the scene as real innovators in their kind of soul. "Put Your Hands Together", "This Air I Breathe", and particularly, "Don't Call Me Brother" are real to the point extensions of the Backstabber theme and account for their tremendous popularity in the current soul charts. Pretty damn powerful music-yep. So you folks run right out and cop-fill up that hole in your soul with music.

Shaun McShane