‘70s soul singer returns to Atlantic for mid-80s dance

After six years away, Joseph returned to Atlantic for this keyboard-heavy 1984 dance release. Those who enjoyed the funkier soul sounds of her early works on Stax, and her Arif Marden-produced albums for Atlantic will be surprised to hear her powerful voice singing throwaway lyrics to the sort of hackneyed production into which disco morphed. However, if you enjoyed the direction Joseph was heading on the Johnny Bristol-produced 1978 release Feeling My Way, and you have fond memories of dancing to drum machines in the mid-80s, you may very well enjoy this. Joseph herself sounds great, and the presence of Narada Michael Walden and Randy Jackson insures that the album was produced and performed with great care. But while Joseph had plenty of vocal power (ala Narada’s later stars, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey), her warm, soulful sound simply doesn’t connect with these synthetic backings. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

Soft soul and disco abyss

Perhaps “abyss” is too strong a word, since there are a few fine string-lined ballads and mid-tempo numbers to be found on this 1978 release, Joseph’s fifth for the Atlantic label group. Having worked with Arif Mardin on her earliest Atlantic albums, then with Motown legend Lamont Dozier on 1976’s Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling, Joseph hooked up with Motown writer/producer Johnny Bristol this time out and lost herself in his unmemorable songs and clichéd production. Joseph’s voice remains fetching, but the majority of the tracks pass by without leaving an impression, and the phased guitars, swooping strings and backing singers sound dated. Highlights include a passionate cover of Bristol’s 1976 original “You Turned Me on to Love,” and the faithful, romantic “Picture of a Clown.” Those who enjoy the soft soul sounds of mid-70s may very well enjoy this album, but fans of her Joseph’s early works on Stax, and her Mardin-produced albums for Atlantic (particularly 1973’s Margie Joseph and 1975’s Margie) won’t find the same funky spark here. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

Joseph’s third for Atlantic re-finds the funk

Soul singer Margie Joseph’s third album for Atlantic, originally released in 1975, revisited the funkier bottom end of her 1973 label debut (confusingly titled Margie Joseph). Where 1974’s Sweet Surrender had smoothed out the R&B grooves and nosed its way towards disco’s rhythms, this new set offered more grit on the upbeat numbers and deeper soul on the ballads. Arif Mardin continued in the producer’s chair, and the song list was again constructed with a large dose of covers and a pair of originals. Joseph and Mardin’s “Sign of the Times” opens the album with P Funk-styled synthesizer and plucked bass, and a melody that anticipates a seamless segue into Carole King’s “Believe in Humanity.” Both songs offer up early-70s social spirituality in their lyrics. A cover of King’s “After All This Time” appears later on the album, transitioning smoothly from a softer mid-tempo to a beefier soul shout as the strings and percussion start and stop for emphasis. “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh” is taken at a slow tempo, drawn out and more worn down than Bill Withers’ original, while “Who Gets Your Love,” is given a lighter treatment than Dusty Springfield’s earlier version. Joseph gets a chance to scat briefly at the end of “Promise Me Your Love,” unfortunately just in time for the fade, and the album closes with a cover of “I Can’t Move No Mountains” that’s decidedly more urban than Blood, Sweat & Tears earlier horn-lined release. Many of Joseph’s fans vote this as their favorite of her releases. It’s more sophisticated and less brash than her label debut, which is a plus or minus depending on your preference for polish over roots. What this album makes clear is that Joseph was maturing as an artist, and her pairing with Mardin, which ended with this album, had developed over the course of their three albums together. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]