Eh, the story behind this band is better than the album pictured here. I've listened to it a few times and I can't remember anything other than the slick 80's production. What happened to soul music in the 80's? I mean what a fucking crime? Soul music is great until about 1978. Disco happened, I get that. But, there was some solid late-70's disco influence boogie coming out and this band put out sides like this. Then in the 80's things just had to sound plastic and fake. All the "soul" was removed in favor of programmed beats and the occasional "Yooow!" Earth, Wind, & Fire was good at the sound, but everyone else sounded like a cheap imitation.
Somewhere in all the synthesizers and programmed beats, I'm sure there was some good songs here, but I can't find them. Further, there's probably some great samples and sounds that beat jockeys have used in hip-hop production, I just don't care. Again, if you don't have 8 members, don't try and sound like Earth, Wind & Fire by using studio tricks, it just falls flat.
But, the band does have an interesting story. The band formed in the early 60's as soul/doo wop group called the Sinceres. Later, they toured with a horn section regionally as a Motown influenced review and became a huge attraction in Westport. In the 70's, they picked up instruments and learned to play as a band and changed their name to Bloodstone. First they attempted Los Angeles and didn't find success. They then left for England and were signed by Decca. They were doing the Al Green sound, funky, but with a rock edge (remember, they were rocking their own instruments). Success in England brought them back to the States and the song 'Natural High' was a R&B hit, the album of the same name would go Gold. That was about the band's peak, but they continued to put out records, even did some stuff with Motown at one point. Solid KC band and one of the few well known soul acts to come from the area.
Contagious
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