al hudson b-side

[Tom C]

Any thoughts on the rarity of this alternative B-side to Al Hudson's ATCO 7044 (Love Is) release?

Quite a nifty dancer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gzK4fJrBkw

[Guest trickbag]

AL HUDSON & the SOUL PARTNERS  -  The Atco Years

Expansion (UK) EXCDM 50

 

My Number One Need; I’m About Lovin’ You; When You’re Gone; We Must Make It Happen; I’ve Been Loving You Too Long; Love Is; Almost Ain’t Good Enough; When I’m Loving You

 

 

At various sessions between December 1974 and July 1976, Al Hudson & the Soul Partners laid down seventeen titles for Atlantic’s Atco subsidiary but were somewhat ill-served in that only eight surfaced as sides on 45s and no album was forthcoming,  Those eight released items are now collected here by Expansion as ‘The Atco Years’, produced within the group - despite credit going principally to Perker Productions, the company owned by their manager, singer/songwriter/producer/deejay, Al Perkins - and arranged variously by Jimmy Roach, Patrick Adams and Arif Mardin.  Rather than arrange the tracks in chronological order, they are presented with a ballad break at tracks 5, 6 and 7 but the standard of songs and performances is so uniformly high that it need not be a distraction.  However, if you want to put things into release order, the first single - Atco 7011 coupled ‘We Must Make It Happen’, a highly-orchestrated and gloriously upbeat number, with ‘My Number One Need’, a fine mid-pacer with excellent harmonies.  Atco 7029 delivered another uptempo a-side, ‘I’m About Loving You’ with a stunning ballad, ‘Almost Ain’t Good Enough’, while the Company decided to ring the changes for Atco 7037 by fronting something much more ‘down home’ in the shape of a splendid revival of Otis Redding/Jerry Butler’s ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’.  With the irresistible ‘When You’re Gone’ as the spirited flip, it was a great double-sider.  Their final Atco release, #7044, was a further ballad, ‘Love Is’, backed by a grittier than usual ‘When I’m Loving You’, a generally midtempo item which gets a gets a little ragged towards the end.  Al Hudson & the Soul Brothers had to wait for a move to ABC later in ’76 to get their first taste of chart success but, from then there was no stopping them.  They got a little funkier when they moved across to MCA and changed their name to One Way but, in my book, this short but oh so sweet cd represents their most entertaining work and I have no hesitation with regard to the rating.

 

AL HUDSON & SOUL PARTNERS: love is / when i'm loving you

$100

ATCO 7044

CRAIG MOERER

RECORDS BY MAIL

	Al Hudson And The Soul Partners A: We Must Make It Happen B: Love Is		Atco USA	45-7044	1976	7"	0
	Al Hudson And The Soul Partners A: Love Is B: When I'm Loving You twice   love is, was released  twice. ricky.		Atco USA	45-7044	1976	7"	1

[Tom C]

Thanks Ricky

The Expansion notes are inaccurate as Atco 711 coupled My Number One Need with Alone She's Gone. $100 from Craig Moerer suggests the alternative 7044 is rare but it's hard to judge.

[Dave Pinch]

maybe most guys are not aware of it... probably done in error at the end of  `love is ` shelf life.... nearly all copies have we must make it happen on the flip

[Ncfc]

1 hour ago, dave pinch said:

maybe most guys are not aware of it... probably done in error at the end of  `love is ` shelf life.... nearly all copies have we must make it happen on the flip

Which is better than "Love is" and underplayed.

[Dave Pinch]

we must make it happen is my fave al hudson track

[John Benson]

I've got most of the Al Hudson Atco 45s, including both of these.

I'd already got "We must make it happen" when I came across it well over 15 years back, so bought it blind - just out of curiosity.

Just going through the notes on Discogs for this release number, it mentions the two B sides, plus that the copies with "When I'm loving you" on were credited to Al Hudson & The Soul Partners. But the ones with "We must make it happen" on are only credited to  Al Hudson.

I can't say as I'd noticed that, so will have to check my copies!