Back in My Arms Again by High Inergy
High Inergy
Reviewed on this page:
Turnin' On - Steppin' Out - Shoulda Gone Dancin' - Frenzy - Concur On - High Inergy - So Right - Groove Patrol - This Is My Story - High On Love - College Basis - On A Mission - Destiny
The Pasadena song quartet High Inergy is known for one song, the sumptuous 1977 hit "You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Center Of Turning Me On)." But there was a lot more to them than that, and they've been unfairly ignored past history because they were a black group in the 70s that didn't specialize in funk, disco, or hip hop. Not that they didn't endeavor disco: I think Motown was trying to marketplace them as their answer to The Ritchie Family or Sister Sledge, only a) Motown never really did go the hang of disco, and b) High Inergy (contrary to their name) was ever better at slower, more orchestral numbers. In other words, they were like a four-woman Dionne Warwick or fifth Dimension, and even the real Warwick had commercial difficulties during the 70s. Later on their hit debut, the label put out a few followups consisting of solid midtempo album cuts and terrible failed dance singles, and so threw in the towel.
Lead singer Vernessa Mitchell has a neat voice: smooth like Syreeta Wright, but stronger and more soulful; her sister Barbara Mitchell, who took over when Vernessa went gospel, isn't every bit distinctive merely is just as powerful and tasteful. I don't know if Linda Howard or Michelle Martin always sang any leads, but their harmonies are well-baked and flavorful. They never did write any of their cloth, and their unevenness of their recorded output reflects the patchwork ground forces of producers they worked with, but their early on discography is full of the kind of hidden gems that warm the heart of a music magpie similar your humble reviewer. (DBW)
Personnel:
Vernessa Mitchell, Barbara Mitchell, Linda Howard and Michelle Rumph, all vocals. Vernessa Mitchell left, 1978. Group disbanded, circa 1983.
Turnin' On (1977)Reverse to what y'all may have been told, Motown didn't surrender on elaborate full-orchestra productions and clever cookie-cutter popular/R&B tunes - the label persevered long into the disco era with quality records like this one. Production is split up between Kent Washburn and the team of Al Willis and Dee Ervin, just both use elegant R&B arrangements reminiscent of Valerie Simpson, with a disco-influenced rhythm section softened by warm midrange strings, keyboards and occasional guitars. Pam Sawyer and Marilyn McLeod's "You Tin can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On)" (later covered by Millie Jackson) was the hit single, simply many of the other tunes are just equally catchy, including Dirt Drayton's "Love Is All You Need" and "Own't No Love Left (In My Heart For You)." The just existent loser is the contrived "High School," written and produced by Jimmy Vacation. (DBW)
Not inclined to mess with success, Willis and Washburn stuck to the same smooth, subtly soulful sound ("Didn't Wanna Tell Yous"). Sometimes information technology's a bit besides sedate ("Y'all Captured My Heart") - the fastest cutting is a remake of Stevie Wonder'due south "Everytime I Run across You I Go Wild" - but the best tunes are spellbinding ("Fly Little Blackbird"). Vernessa Mitchell'south vocals are better than e'er: warm, personable and communicative whether her approach is contemplative ("Peaceland") or urgent (the unmarried "Lovin' Fever") - later this record she became a born-again Christian, quit the ring, and abandoned pop music for gospel. (DBW)
Barbara took over every bit lead vocalist, and she's quite practiced ("Midnight Music Man") if non equally moving as her sister. The album as well is solid, though information technology didn't produce any hits, maybe considering the worst song on information technology was released as a single (the shrill disco championship rails, written and produced by Donnell Jones). Roger Dollarhide produced the boisterous horn-driven funk melody "Come And Get It" and the elegant, sophisticated "Permit Yourself Go." Marvin Augustus and Gwen Gordy Fuqua contributed two gems: "I've Got What You Need," a lush pop song that would take fit on the debut, and the artful kissoff "Too Belatedly (The Impairment Is Done)," with a killer chord progression on the chorus. Disregarded. Players include both James Jamersons: the senior'southward contributions to the Augustus/Fuqua tracks are amid his last recordings. (DBW)
Washburn returned on a few tracks here ("Will Nosotros E'er Dear Once again"), as did Creath and Dollarhide (all of Side Ii including "Heartbeat"). The single "Skate To The Rhythm," though, was produced and written by Tommy Gordy; it tries too hard, though it's a step upward from "Shoulda Gone Dancin'." The manner is about the same as the previous records - some carefully orchestrated R&B ("Main Ingredient," a standout), some pop-disco ("I Love Makin' Love (To The Music)," with strangely thoughtful strings) - just the songwriting isn't: dearest songs ("Volition We E'er Honey Over again") and faster tunes ("Voulez Vous") alike are less striking and affecting. (DBW)
A new batch of producers, including Bobby DeBarge ("Hold On To My Love") and the then-unrenowned Narada Michael Walden (the sluggish "I'm A Believer"), but they basically stay with the same smooth R&B or overwrought dance pap ("I Simply Can't Assist Myself"). Most of the tracks were jointly overseen by Angelo Bond, William Weatherspoon and McKinley Jackson (the pleasantly slight "Sweet Man"; the strikingly 60s Motown-like "Make Me Yours"), and the tracks are functional but never infrequent: you won't regret listening to "Boomerang Honey" or "It Was You Babe," but yous won't want to turn anyone else on to information technology either. Musicians include all the familiar names: Jerry Hey, the Brecker Brothers, Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin, Paul Jackson Jr., Romeo Williams, Nathan East, Randy Jackson, and Paulinho Something-Or-Other. (DBW)
Production was split again, with the plurality overseen by Steve Buckingham including the fearfully "Best Of My Love"-like "Goin' Thru The Motions." Jackson, Bond and Witherspoon were dorsum for two tracks: "Soakin' Wet" and "Don't Park Your Beloved." Once again the disc is bland and doesn't brand much of a mark, just it's not dreadful: Barbara does do a fine job with the carol "Heaven's Simply A Step Away (Everytime I Concord You)"; you can't get wrong with Ashford & Simpson'southward "Now That There'south You," and "Fill up The Need In Me" is a pleasant lite R&B number. "I Only Wanna Trip the light fantastic With You lot" is fairly disarming, if pointless, reggae. (DBW)
Slapped together by a patchwork of producers, this is anonymous pop-soul production but not besides terrible. In fact, Freddie Perren's dance rail "Don't Cha Honey It" is a lot of fun. Though most of the tracks are by uncelebrated names similar Benjamin F. Wright ("Journey To Love") and Mira Waters ("Match Betoken," not the Embankment Boys song), Rick James donated "Wanna Be Your Lady," and the Arrow Sisters-like "Incorrect Man, Correct Bear on" was co-written and co-produced by Drupe Gordy, no less. George Tobin and Mike Piccirillo contributed a cover of Al Green's "Tired Of Being Solitary" and the title track, a straight-upwards Phil Spectorish daughter group number which isn't very successful merely was unusual for the fourth dimension period. (DBW)
Like Smokey Robinson's Being With You, produced by George Tobin and largely written and performed by Mike Piccirillo. Smokey even drops by on "Arraign It On Honey," a near note-for-note ripoff of "Just In one case." Merely where Being With Yous had moved up to date without losing the artist's natural charm, hither the producers go way overboard with electronic percussion and synth bass ("Rock My Eye") and equally contemporary lyrical concepts ("Dirty Boyz," which sounds like an simulated of the Mary Jane Girls). Amid the casualties is an embarrassingly robotic - nigh Devo-esque - embrace of The netherlands-Dozier-The netherlands'due south "Back In My Arms Again." The grouping's final LP. (DBW)
I don't know if this was Vernessa's commencement gospel LP, just information technology'southward the earliest ane I've found a reference to. By now High Inergy had broken up, and Barbara was on hand contributing backup vocals, and a co-atomic number 82 on the stirring opener "We Can Do It." Vernessa Mitchell wrote that song, and several others ("II Chronicles vii:fourteen-17"), showing an undisclosed gift for melody and plain-spoken lyrics. Her phonation is as potent as ever, mayhap stronger (Andrae Crouch'south "Can't Nobody Practice Me Like Jesus"), simply never spills over into showoffy excess. Likewise, producer Kent Washburn strikes a fine rest between traditional gospel ("The Grace Of God," with the Charles May Workshop Ensemble) and contemporary R&B (the distinctly funky "Upwards & Away"; the slippery "Use Me"), without sounding like he'due south lost in the by or falling down chasing the futurity. The musicians include Abraham Laboriel, Paul Jackson Jr., Cornelius Mims, and a bunch of less familiar names. (DBW)
Afterwards High Inergy bankrupt upward, Barbara Mitchell wound upwards in the orbit of Cameo leader Larry Blackmon. He produced this LP in his mid-80s style, which relies on crashing programmed drums, repeating synth vamps, and non much else (the Uptown Horns do pop up on the tacky, half-rapped mess "I Demand some Loving"). Mitchell has little choice but to chugalug like crazy, and fortunately she'due south got the vox for information technology (title track), simply on the more obvious tunes it'south just way over the height ("Ace Of My Eye"). The best tune is one that'south toned down a bit, so that information technology sounds a flake like early 80s Evelyn "Champagne" King: "Never Had A Love Like This Before." (DBW)
Again, produced by Washburn, with most songs co-written by Mitchell (co-writers including Rodney Friend, Babbie Mason, and various Mitchells). The traditional numbers are bars to side one, and they're equally good equally before, from the pensive "I Will Never Get out You" to the bouncy "Are You Ready" and the rousing title track. But the contemporary tracks on Side Two (by and large produced with Scott Five. Smith) often go overboard with strident keyboards ("Make Me What You Desire Me To Be"), apart from the stirring closer "Claim Information technology." Some musicians are repeated from the previous disc - Mims, drummer Derek Organ, bassist Glen Richardson, keyboardist Philip Nicholas - while others are new: guitarist Ray Fuller, synthmeister Rhett Lawrence. (DBW)
Clattery and robotic like the worst moments of Higher Ground, sometimes sounding like Latin freestyle (title track, with a rap from Barbara) or a Paula Abdul false ("Jesus Is The Light"). I suspect Scott V. Smith'southward keys and drum programming are primarily responsible, though I'thousand not letting producer Sanchez One thousand. Harley off the hook either. There are some less frenzied moments, though: "Bring Your Best" is a 70s-style lounge ballad, and "Stand And Be Counted" has the dramatic force of the best tracks on This Is My Story. Fuller and Laboriel return, accompanied by Derrick Lee and Raphy Lofton (keyboards), Jesse Boyce (bass), Jim Long (guitar) and Steve Brewster (drums). (DBW)
Like the previous CD, by and large electronic dance-pop with gospel vocals ("Reap"), but there's some gentle balladeering for residuum ("Get-go Love"). Produced and arranged by Rahni Vocal, who also wrote several of the tunes ("More And More," a duet with Rodney Gatling) - unfortunately they're so lifeless fifty-fifty a vocalist of Mitchell'southward caliber tin't make anything out of them. She co-wrote several songs with Lisa McGlown ("It'due south Nearly Time"), while "Be For Real" was co-written by Skip Scarborough, only regardless of who did what, all the cuts are irksome and overlong - office drab, role flab. (DBW)
Let Your Presence Fall (Vernessa Mitchell: 1998)
Also late (the damage is done).
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Source: http://www.warr.org/highinergy.html
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