Another album that I pulled from my collection recently with a view to releasing back into the wild was Gonna Take A Miracle, Lauro Nyro’s 1971 album with Labelle.
It was granted it’s final plea – i.e. one more play – and it’s plea was upheld. So once again, like the LTD album I featured last time, it has been promoted into Division One.
The instrumentation on this album is very restrained and the focus is very much on the vocal interplay between Laura and Labelle. Discogs actually lists it as in the Doo Wop style.
From the back sleeve:
Nights
in New York
street angels
running down steps
into the echoes of the train station
to sing...
My (now reactivated*) spreadsheet tells me I found this album in one of my favoured local charity shops back in 2022. It was something of a bargain. Sadly the shop has since closed down. I remember playing it a couple of times back then and not being completely sold on it. It may have had something to do with my mood at the time, I’m sure that plays a part, but I think it goes to prove that you have to give an album a few plays to properly appreciate what it has to offer.
Strictly speaking the track Monkey Time / Dancing In The Street is a medley and I’m generally not a fan of such things, but the rendition of each song is long enough, and separate enough, to not really come across as a medley. These are cover versions that really work too because the vocal approach properly differentiates them from the originals.
Everybody knows Dancing In The Street I’m sure. Monkey Time may not be so familiar, but I did feature Major Lance original (written by Curtis Mayfield) as part of my 2020 Feel It Advent-ure. You can (re)acquaint yourself with it here if you so desire, the mp3 link is still active.
Laura Nyro with Labelle – Monkey Time / Dancing In The Street 1971
* the comment makes sense if you read the referenced Major Lance The Monkey Time post.
No comments:
Post a Comment