Charles Stepney - new recording (short but sweet)

[mjazzg]

For the Stepney admirers amongst us.  This from International Anthem

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/track/step-on-step

[Dub Modal]

Never heard of him that I know of but dig the track 

[mjazzg]

If you have listened to Rotary Connection, Terry Callier, EW&F, Minnie Ripperton, Ramsey Lewis Trio and The Dells amongst others the chances are you may have heard his writing and/or arranging along the way.

I'll let others who know more than me chip in with more if they choose

And yes, great track.  International Anthem are working with his daughters and promise more music later in the year

Edited March 23, 2022 by mjazzg

[Rabshakeh]

Looks interesting.

[JSngry]

Charles Stepney's vision was MASSIVE!!!!!

[felser]

For the uninitiated, try this masterpiece on for size, then proceed to Callier's "Dancing Girl" if you dig this.

 

[mjazzg]

4 minutes ago, felser said:

For the uninitiated, try this masterpiece on for size, then proceed to Callier's "Dancing Girl" if you dig this.

 

and then the whole of  'What Color Is Love' 

[JSngry]

[felser]

7 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Didn't know that Dells album existed - must check it out!  Dells late 60's/early 70's period (my favorite) has not been well served in the CD era.

[JSngry]

Not at all well-served.

And if you can buy into the premise (ie - these are RECORDS, not replicas of live performances, and ultimately they are producer-centric creations), some of that shit is EPIC.

I mean, count the ingredients, count the moments they get inserted, my god, this is not hack work, this is vision.

[danasgoodstuff]

10 minutes ago, felser said:

Didn't know that Dells album existed - must check it out!  Dells late 60's/early 70's period (my favorite) has not been well served in the CD era.

The Dells' longer, second recording of "Stay in My Corner" is truly epic.  Many blues 'n rock fans don't realize the extent to which they were carrying Chess towards the end.

(153) Stay In My Corner - YouTube

Edited March 23, 2022 by danasgoodstuff

[felser]

I still remember the gut punch of hearing "There Is" on the radio for the first time.  And same for "I Can Sing a Rainbow"/"Love is Blue".  Can't imagine what Peggy Lee (who I like) and Paul Mauriat made of that one.

[Dub Modal]

Ah, I've got Callier's What Color is Love and didn't realize Stepney was on that. 

[JSngry]

Like the guy in the CarShield commercial says - WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?

A LOT of people are made queasy by it, but I'm like, fuck that - WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?! It's the Dells covering Burt Bacharach on Chess for crying out loud, for starters. Take it from thereAnd oh, look at whos on the session:

Additional musicians

• Charles Stepney – Fender Rhodes, piano, harpsichord, congas, percussion
• Phil Upchurch & Roland Faulkner – guitar
• Cash McCall – guitar (on I Just Don’t Know)
• Art Hoyle & Robert Lewis – trumpets
• Ed Druzinsky – harp
• Ether Merker & Paul Ondracek - horns
• Morris Jennings & Donny Simmons – drums
• Bobby Christian – percussion
• Derf Reklaw, Ealee Satterfield, & Oye Bisi Nalls – bongos & congas

 

Charles Stepney had an agenda!

I mean, I LOVE The Dells and I LOVE Charles Stepney, and/but this album...WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?

 

[Bluesnik]

56 minutes ago, JSngry said:

I adore Minnie Ripperton. Specifically that album.

[JSngry]

Check out the transcript of the DownBeat interview here: https://prince.org/msg/8/169991

[felser]

54 minutes ago, JSngry said:

A LOT of people are made queasy by it, but I'm like, fuck that - WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?! It's the Dells covering Burt Bacharach on Chess for crying out loud, for starters. 

Charles Stepney had an agenda!

I mean, I LOVE The Dells and I LOVE Charles Stepney, and/but this album...WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?

 

From the samples, I'm simultaneously in the "made quesy by it" camp and the "who does that" camp.  Don't know if I "like" it or not., but I do know I want to listen again.  Even the title is subversive.  Warwick never charted top 40 with 4 of the 11 songs, those were the Carpenters, B.J. Thomas, Jack Jones.  Clearly Bacharach/David, not Warwick, was the unnamed target.  And the arrangements both magnify and mock the originals.   Who does that, indeed.  We really need a Charles Stepney Chess Productions box set.

[Bluesnik]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Check out the transcript of the DownBeat interview here: https://prince.org/msg/8/169991

Very nice interview. Recommended. Has that site anything to do with Prince?

Edited March 23, 2022 by Bluesnik

[JSngry]

Apparently it's a Prince fan site.

[JSngry]

Stepney not only did the arrangements and production, he also did the "electronic effects". I hear that he was eager as hell to get a Moog and somehow did.

That little electronic WTF? in the middle of EWF's "Getaway", that was pure Stepney.

History will not be rid of him as easily as it might otherwise do:

 

 

[JSngry]

 

[felser]

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by felser

[mhatta]

New Charles Stepney!  Thanks for heads up.  There are so many music Charles Stepney was involved, but personally Eddie Harris's Plug Me In is the best.  Stepney's imagination is unfathomable.

 

[mjazzg]

Album announced

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/step-on-step

[JSngry]

Yeah, I'll take one of those, thank you!