Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Feel It Advent-ure 2021: Door 15


Here's a piece of very classy early disco. South Shore Commission, scored a big hit with Free Man in 1975, which registered as Billboard's #1 disco record of that year. This track featured on their one and only album and makes an appearance here as the B side to Free Man's follow up - We're On The Right Track. The right track turned out to be a siding as the tracks from their album were never followed up, the band presumably breaking up sometime around the end of '75. Looking at the background of the band members it seems they all had their roots in soul going back to the early 60s. So, ironically, it maybe that the industry's move towards disco music, which gave them their one and only big hit, may have ultimately left them somewhat disillusioned with the music business.

I've read that the band hailed from Washington DC meaning they were presumably named after the DC district South Shore. However, their album was mixed by Tom Moulton at Sigma Sound in Philly and Dick Griffey also had some involvement, and he was a key player behind the TV program Soul Train, going on to found LA based SOLAR records. Then again Wikipedia, and the most comprehensive write up I can find on the band suggest the bands roots were in Chicago. Now I'm confused!

The writer of this track – Carrie – is, I believe, Carrie Lucas who had a number of albums released on Soul Train and Solar labels and married Dick Griffey in 1974.

South Shore Commission – I'd Rather Switch Than Fight 1975

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