While they had a handful of very popular Top 40 Hits (“Treat Her Like A Lady”, “Too Late To Turn Back Now”, “Don’t Ever Be Lonely”), Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose don’t rank among the better known, or critically acclaimed, soul acts of the 1970s. And that’s a shame, because their songs were consistently very good, ranking as some of the most memorable soul gems of the decade.
I recently bought Classic Masters, a 12-song CD compilation by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose. The CD includes all of their singles plus a few choice album tracks. Except for one song on the compilation, a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” all the songs are originals written by the group’s lead singer Edward Cornelius. I love the description of “Treat Her Lady” in the liner notes, calling it a “bulls-eye blend of rock and soul elements … a driving biker beat that Steppenwolf would have crawled across steaming desert asphalt for, with raunchy rhythm guitar chords WAY up front in the mix.”
Indeed, there were few other songs as distinctive as “Treat Her Lady” blasting from the AM radio in 1971. In addition to that song and the other hits there are songs that should have been big hits, such as the gorgeous “Big Time Lover”, “Good Loving Don’t Come Easy”, and “Got To Testify (Love).” But after only three albums, Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose disappeared from both the charts and record stores. This 12-track compilation offers a good overview of this underrated soul group. The booklet that comes with the CD includes some cool old photos (love those matching suits!) and liner notes about the group written by A. Scott Galloway. A worthwhile purchase for fans of 1970s soul music.
Meanwhile, here are the other CDs, new stuff and older treats, that are keeping me company during this rainy season in Bangkok.
Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott – What Have We Become
John Dunbar – Adventures in Trevorland
James Govan – Wanted
Manic Street Preachers – Futurology
Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Mind & Matter – 1514 Oliver Avenue
Daryl Hall & John Oates – Daryl Hall & John Oates
Neil Finn – One Nil
Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio – Smokin’ At the Half Note
Various Artists – Best of Perception & Today Records
Gladys Knight & the Pips – Claudine/Pipe Dreams
Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork
Guided By Voices – Motivational Jumpsuit
Various Artists – Getting’ It Off: Westbound Funk
NRBQ – Brass Tacks
Chrissie Hynde – Stockholm
Patty Griffin – American Kid
Broken Bells – After the Disco
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days of Abandon
Sam Dees – The Show Must Go On
Various Artists – New Orleans Funk Experience
Lee Fields – Emma Jean
The BB&Q Band – Greatest Hits & Essential Tracks
The Millennium – Begin
William Onyeabor – World Psychedelic Classics: Who is William Onyeabor?
John Hiatt – Terms of My Surrender
Elbow – The Take Off and Landing of Everything
Commodores – Machine Gun
Kenny Dorham – Una Mas
Ronnie Laws – Pressure Sensitive
Lucinda Williams – Lucinda Williams
The Turtles – Save the Turtles: Greatest Hits
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings – Give the People What They Want
Aloe Blacc – Lift Your Spirit
Albert Lee – Speechless/Bound But Not Gagged
Chumbawamba – A Singsong and a Scrap
Ned Doheny – Hard Candy/Prone
The Dirtbombs – If You Don’t Already Have a Look
Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow
Temples – Sun Structures
garlic never sleeps 