Review: O.C.Smith-Together

Something found for a dollar.

The late O.C.Smith was one of the better baritone vocals of the 60s and early 70s and best known for Little Green Apples but 8 years later, he found himself on Caribou/Epic Records in search of one last hit that would keep him going.  Together turned out to be his final CBS effort.

For contemporary soul music of the late 70s, it's not bad.  Jazz drummer John Guerin along with Max Bennett gives Smith some decent uptempo soul music with I Found The Secret and Wham Bam (Blue Collar Man) along with the ballads that O.C. was famous for.  While the title track didn't chart in the states, it managed to hit number 32 on the British charts, not bad for a country that was more into punk rock than soul music.  Even Joni Mitchell helped co write side 1 lead track Just Couldn't Help Myself. Empty Hearts does sound a bit like Larry Graham's One In A Million You.  Like Brook Benton, Smith could phase a lyric and turn it into a romantic song such as Empty Hearts or Simple Life.

However in 1977, people were more interested in disco music rather than soft soul music and Together got lost in the shuffle and Together would be O.C.Smith's final album for CBS Records. It is a lost soul classic, professionally done by the session players (including Mike McDonald of the Doobie Brothers perhaps?, and David Foster).  Smith would continue to record off and on before passing away in 2001 from a heart attack at age 65.  While he'll be forever remembered for Little Green Apples, Together proves that he was more than a one hit wonder, still giving it his all despite public indifference and no record sales.  Even the dollar copy was a Promotional copy.

I give it a B Plus. 

Welcome Jaime Lee Fritze from A Sound Woman blogsite as our new follower.  I try my best to promote blogs that promote music and records and all things music. While Record World is bit more all over the map, The Review Consortium remains 100 percent committed to music and bands of interest.  For my readers please check out her site. http://asoundwoman.blogspot.com/