Bloodstone Natural High London 1972

Bloodstone Natural High London 1972 CAT# XPS 620

Per everyone else, this is Bloodstone's finest moment, the title track, "Natural High," put the band on the map. Unfortunately, the hit tune didn't open the floodgates for future chart toppers, everyone just kept playing the same song.

However, the Kansas City band's entire 70's output is on par with other soul acts. Polished sounds, sweet vocals and harmonies, and taking moments to get a little more funky than some of their contemporaries. This album is no different, definite highlights outside the hit song and some material that could have been more inspired.

The hit though, "Natural High," it is about as close to perfect you can get to in the 70's soul ballad arena. Beautiful harmonies and vocals, seductive backdrop, just an amazing love song.

Natural High

Bloodstone I Need Time London 1974

Bloodstone I Need Time London 1974 CAT# APS647

After discussing a surprising find featuring the daughter of Bloodstone band member, Charles Love Jr., figured why not highlight another Bloodstone release.

I Need Time followed the Unreal album and for the most part, marches down the same path. Unfortunately, most Bloodstone's work seems to get overlooked. For example, All Music Guide gives this album a measly two albums despite stating it contains, "Some above average funk..." It then goes onto mention the album featured drummer Steve Ferone who would go onto play for Average White Band.

Despite the low marks, All Music is right about having some "above average funk." In fact, the band's output throughout the 70's features some real killers and this album is no different. I mean, they can't compete with the craziness of George Clinton's Funkadelic or his Parilament, but hey, Bloodstone was playing their own instruments. And while Bloodstone can't get as smooth as the Chi-Lites or the O'Jays, their vocal work is on the same level. This album included, the band's catalog is filled with high points and worth exploring.

Perhaps Bloodstone's greatest challenge was not being linked to a specific scene within the soul/funk genre. There wasn't a Kansas City presence on the major labels since jump blues, by the 70's, Bloodstone is really about it. They couldn't latch on to Philly Soul, Chicago Soul, or what was going on down South. You sense the group was grabbing from all scenes in attempt to carve out their niche, which is perhaps the reason they aren't more highly regarded historically.

That's Not How It Goes

Bloodstone Unreal London 1973

Bloodstone Unreal London 1973 CAT# XPS634

Kansas City's Bloodstone is on point on this album.  Typically speaking, people really only spend time with their hit and album of the same, Natural High.  However, their material throughout the 70's is all worthwhile.

This album is pretty slick and smooth, definitely a 70's soul album.  The band is usually credited as bringing a bit of rock into the soul sound, but for the first side, not much of that is  found.  The title track, "Unreal" is a highlight and penned by Charles Love of the band.  Most the tunes here are in fact, penned by the group.  The album picks up the pace on the final track of Side 1, "Everybody Needs Love," which leads into a more uptempo Side 2.  The second side starts with the Beatles, "Something," and followed up with same smoothness but a lot more emphasis on the guitar, bass, and funk (see the song sequence of "Let Me Ride" into "The Traffic Cop," it's perfect).  They let loose a little more on Side 2 for sure and show the rock aspect to their music more clearly.

Overall, solid album and one of the band's best.  And...the cover.  It's got a rainbow with the band on horseback, if only they were mounting unicorns, it'd be perfect.

Let Me Ride
Unreal

Bloodstone Riddle of the Sphinx London 1974

Bloodstone Riddle of the Sphinx London 1974 CAT# PS654

This appears to be the most ambitious effort from Kansas City's Bloodstone.  It's an attempt at a concept album.  Like most concept albums, it falls apart quickly and just becomes apparent that the concept was only carried through in artwork and the song titles, there's no unraveling or storytelling here; just a solid soul LP with a few spoken word interludes.

They band was playing their own instruments and writing all their own tunes at this time.  They run the gambit in terms of styles.  The first three songs go from silky soul, to black rock, to straight funk.  These 70's Bloodstone albums were exclusively produced by Mike Vernon, who got a crisp sound and allowed for experimentation.  In terms of the black rock movement of the 70's these guys were one of the better groups, blending the Hendrix inspired riffs of Charles Love and Willis Draffen with the vocal style of 60's Motown.  If you think Funkadelic, that's a bit too heavy, Bloodstone only experiments in the style.  It ultimately owes it's greatest due to soul music and the rock moments are few and far between.

I love the plaintive vocals of "Just Learned to Walk" and it's awkward rock style.  "This World is Funky" is solid piece funk with great guitar work.  The rest of the album meanders between MOR 70's funk and and great vocal soul outings.  No doubt, these dudes had a great vocal approach, one of the best at their craft in that regard, "Wasted Time" best exemplifies that aspect of the band.  There are some other definite highlights like the silky smooth, "For the First Time," and the outstanding ballad, "Young Times Old Times."

The World Is Funky
Wasted Time

Bloodstone Party TNeck/CBS 1984

Bloodstone Party TNeck/CBS 1984 Cat #FZ39146

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