Fallout Rec. Colleen Lovett : Colleen Lovett : Birds With Broken Wings (US,1974+1966,pub.2008)*****
Some years ago several people, like I did, found out about the great ‘Hippie Goddesses’ compilation of which since then some labels started to trace some of these artists to re-release their original albums.* Linda Perhacs’s album was reissued first, then she was traced and her album received a remastered edition ; this was followed by Michele, more recently (an album which I haven’t heard from start to finish yet), and now, Colleen Lovett is next, who had already no less than 5 tracks on that compilation.
It was not easy to trace her music history, but it seemed that Colleen had started singing with her sister in the 50s as the Lovett Sisters, in a happy old time country style (with an LP called 'Time Out for Love' in 1954 ; -they seem to have been reunited now and released a new album, "Wheels Of Time'!-). I also traced the existence of an album called ‘Teddy Phillips Orchestra With Colleen Lovett’ (1961) which was mentioned as a word-less chorus album by ‘Hyp records' a source which shows interest in mostly exotic albums. ‘Spaceage pop’ says about this early album that it is “Featured on a fun, if insubstantial, album, Lovett harmonizes so tightly with husband Teddy Phillip's sax solos that some of the impact is lost at first. Phillips' playing is nothing to write home about, but Lovett's airy vocalese compensates considerably for what otherwise would have been a pedestrian and forgettable album.” I noticed the existence of at least one pre-dating single, directed by Teddy Phillips, from 1959, "Goodnight Sweetheart (If I Knew You Were Comin')" / "I've Baked A Cake" (Brunswick 55127). The melodic-vocal track "Goodnight Sweetheart" was re-released in 1965 (Drum Boy 113). In 1966 she recorded a beautiful anti-war song on a single pared with "Go Go Girl" (Dot 1258/ Jet 1868), which I only saw as a Japanese edition, which is included here as bonus tracks.** Her first solo LP is from 1974 but I have seen at least one other LP, with a sensual cover, called ‘Good Grief, It’s... Candy’ from 1979 (Tapex).
Her first solo album album was recorded in the famous Gold Star studios and featured Mike Wolford on piano, Fender Rhodes ; Earl Palmer and Joe Herrick on drums ; Max Bennett on bass ; Mitch Holderand Ray Puthman on guitars ; Pete Chrislieb on alto, soprano and tenor sax ; Colleen Lovett herself on flute, organ, Arp bass, Arp synthesizer, and on background, lead, sighing, crooning and moaning vocals.
The first track, “Asleep in his arms” immediately sets the tone with an almost direct experience with explicit feelings of an overdose of sensuality with somewhat groaning vocals looming the mind of the listener even more through a greasy sax and lukewarm electric piano, smooth bass, and some lounge strings. It is beautifully and soulfully sung. This sort of sexual and sensual satisfaction drips of from many tracks. A bit amusing, almost annoying and definitely personal-hippie minded is “Sandpiper”, starting with “it’s a great depressing day” with seagulls in the background, and only some vocal arrangements as effects ; it is a spoken word track with a sensual broken voice telling the story about finding empathy in a seagull with a broken wing and how they “just stared at each other” feeling each others broken feelings, a track that flows into the title track. In musical essence this moment fits well to some of Linda Perhacs tracks on her album. But then the style smoothly changes to a more funky sensual sound and more soulful arrangements. “Roadside Motel” is more romantic, and includes more string arrangements with sensual laidback-in-bed-daydreaming lounge rhythms and (and some slide-guitar besides other subtle arrangements). “Love Man” is sensuality in body and music. “Woman’s Liberation Blues” is soft-funky soul-blues. Thoroughly the personal story unfolds with references to sensual romance in a motel, which has now ended. “Summer’s gone” takes us back to the beach where she weeps with a lonely echoing vocal. “Monday morning” sings with a lounge jazz vibe, with a more sad looking back. “Getting Over you” features more orchestrations. Part 2 of the title track resumes the story a last time with the seagulls on the background and like participating in the experience, a last sad and soulful goodbye.
A very nice inclusion is the single from 1966. The first side is a beautiful song about a soldier who lost his life in Vietnam, a song with sad naive innocence as if sung by his girlfriend. The B-side, “Go Go Girl” is of course go go pop in a mid 60s style.
The sound of the reissue in general is good. The album itself for me is highly original, and pretty unique if not essential.
* Only the first names were mentioned on that album, but included were actually Sally Eaton (known from Hair), Colleen Lovett, Cheryl Dilcher, Cheryl Dilcher, Carolyn Hester, Lilly & Maria, Michele, Margo Guryan, Tobie Columbus, Ruth Copeland, Colleen Lovett, Linda Perhacs and Xaviera Hollander (author of "the happy hooker").
** The bonus single B-side was featured before on the LP “It's A Go-Go World”.
PS. In my radioshow I described the album as such : "On the 1974 album she is sounding like a sensitive woman who hardly knows where feelings ought to be stopped, controlled, trusted or mobilized, possibly had met someone who just took advantage of the sensuality of this, leaving the woman behind, unable to understand what happened, so that she could only sing, as a witness, what she had experienced."
Laff records discography with 1979
