Customer Reviews

Gayle McCormick

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the charismatic lead singer of the blues rock group Smith, Gayle McCormick blasted into the late 60's Top 40 with a remake of The Shirelles' hit "Baby It's You". Armed with a unique look and an amazing vocal instrument, she made a powerful first impression. After two albums and personnel changes, the group called it quits and Gayle continued as a solo performer. Her Dunhill album, "Gayle McCormick", was issued in 1971. This 2008 CD on Rev-Ola is a standard 10 song reissue of the original Dennis Lambert/Brian Potter production.

The tone of the material is that of a harder rocking Dusty Springfield-passionate, soulful, and moving. In fact, several of the tunes, (the first single) "Gonna Be Alright Now" and "If Only You Believe" could have easily fit on "Dusty In Memphis". The other originals include two with a gospel feel-"Save Me" and "Everything Has Got To Be Free"; a pop "C'est La Vie"; and the almost Top 40 hit "It's a Cryin' Shame". The work is rounded out with interesting covers of "Superstar", "Natural Woman", "Rescue Me" and "You Really Got A Hold On Me".

If you liked "Cameo" by Dusty (also produced by Lambert/Potter), you will consider this a companion piece.

This album was Gayle's first solo effort after a series of lackluster albums fronting with (A Group Called) Smith. On this CD, Gayle shows off her outstanding voice, and her vocal skills shine on the two singles released from this album - Cryin' Shame and It's Gonna Be Alright Now. However, most of the songs are covers and fail to showcase the full range of her singing abilities. There are flashes of singing brilliance in this album, which is her first solo album to hit CD. However, she really did not hit her stride until her following two albums (the third album, on Fantasy Records, was astonishingly and unbelieveably good). This is a good CD to purchase if you enjoyed the singles and/or want to trace her evolution and development as an artist and performer. Otherwise, be patient and wait for her Fantasy Records album to eventually hit CD.

This album certainly deserved a better fate. I had only heard most of the tracks via average vinyl 'rips' and that made up my mind to buy the CD. Dusty Springfield does come to mind and there is not a bum track on the album. The second solo album, FLESH AND BLOOD, was a harder-edged outing and is also excellent. It has never seen release on CD. Her third album, ONE MORE HOUR, pales in comparison to the first two. It is a middle-of-the-road fairly lame album. I'm a fan and it pains me to say that. It's like they just weren't sure what approach to take on that album and the song selection and production is weak in comparison to this and F&B.

I definitely recommend this CD and would hope they put FLESH AND BLOOD on CD some day. Both of the first two solo albums would fit on one CD! It's hard to imagine that her first two solo albums didn't make more of a splash back in the day!!

In the late 60's and early 70's, my father was a professor in the Radio-Television department at UNC-Chapel Hill, which had had its own radio station ... but that station closed down. Nevertheless, record companies continued to send them free promotional copies of albums for several years, and many of these my father brought home to me. I was thus introduced to a host of artists I would come to know and love, many of whom became (or, in a few cases, already were) big stars, like Jefferson Airplane, the Kinks, Van Morrison, Neil Young ... and some terrific performers that never made it really big. This album by Gayle McCormick was one of those records, and I always liked it. Nice to know she still has her admirers out there.