Grazin'/Highly Distinct

Friends Of Distinction

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 24, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: One Way Records Inc
• ASIN: B000050I5P
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #305,197 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Sweet pop/soul reissue features 2 classic LPs, Grazin' & Highly Distinct on one CD. Originally released in 1969 on RCA. 'Grazing in the Grass' made them known across America. Lyrics were added to Hugh Masekela's clanging, cowbell-driven, African tune, and it sold in droves, as radio stations played it, people liked it, and even jazz aficionados dug it. They take Eddie Floyd's 'I Ain't Never Found a Girl' out the country and into the city. Lennon & McCartney's 'And I Love Him' is given a soulful, erotic reading by one of the Friends of Distinction women. Cole Porter's somber 'Lonesome Road' shows a desire to do jazzier selections. Highly Distinct is close to their debut album but it is more jazzy and less R&B. They're mesmerizing on 'We Got a Good Thing Going,' where their four-part harmonies riding the bubbling arrangement is simply delicious. I've yet to hear a bad rendition of Neil

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I produced both of these LP's for RCA Records., July 15, 2006

By	John Florez (Scottsdale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I produced these LP's for RCA Records in 1968 & 1969.

The Friends' "Grazin'" album is still my all-time favorite production from the 15 years that I was in the record business.

Each "Grazin'" song was hand-picked and "majority rule" voted upon by the group, our talented arranger, Ray Cork, and me - just like the 5th Dimension selected their material. Even the choice of a lead singer for each tune was first individually auditioned and then voted on - an amazing, ego-free democracy.

No one ever mentions it in their reviews, but listen to "Eli's Comin'" to witness an incredible performance by Jessica Cleaves and the group. They recorded this intricate vocal arrangment in an unbelievable one vocal "take". Ditto for a one take performace of "Grazin' in the Grass".

On the other hand, "Highly Distinct" was always, and still is, highly unlistenable. My favorite cut is "It's Just A Game". At this point in their career, the group had enjoyed back-to-back million selling singles and RCA asked (correction: DEMANDED) that a new album be produced immediately.

Well ... truth be told (as Harry Elston would say), the Friends had been on the road for months, headlined LA's Greek Theater with Tom Jones, and simply didn't have the time to put something special together for a follow-up LP. And most of the cuts had to be recorded live with a full orchestra because RCA didn't want us to spend time cutting individual sets of tracks as we had done for "Grazin'".

Thus, in a perfect world, RCA could have/should have released "I Really Hope You Do" (the "B" side of "Grazin' in the Grass") as the Friends' follow-up single to "Going in Circles" and allowed the group MUCH more time to put a sensational new album together. However, as it turned out, this wish was granted a year later (though I was no longer affiliated with the group), when Ray Cork produced the "Real Friends" LP. THAT album should have been the followup to our "Grazin'" LP - not "Highly Distinct". (And, had RCA released "It Don't Matter To Me" instead of "Time Waits for No One", I believe the Friends' string of monster hits would have been extended.)

Friends of Distinction fans: I recommend the "Grazin'" and "Real Friends" collections as the very best of this talented group's performances.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Underrated vocal group in a bargain two-fer, June 1, 2002

By	R. Riis "rriis" (NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Sort of a jazzy-funky mix of the 5th Dimension and elements of the Manhattan Transfer with comparable chops and slightly lesser material. This set, though, is a treat, with 2 1969 LPs on one CD. "Grazin'" includes two hit singles, "Grazin' in the Grass" and "Going in Circles", and some fine performances on the Beatles "And I Love Him [Her]", Kenny Rankin's "Peaceful" (later a hit for Helen Reddy), and Cole Porter's "Lonesome Mood". "Highly Distinct" had no big hits but includes a nice take on "Workin' on a Groovy Thing" (though not as good as the 5D's), "It's Just a Game Love" (from the film "The Split"), and "We Got a Good Thing Goin'". "Impressions" is a psychedlic throwaway, though : a few minutes of effects-distorted dialogue and vocalese (in the loosest sense), that doen't bear repeated listening. Fans of the 5D, Manhattan Transfer, or just good vocal arrangements and harmonies will find this CD a delight and a bargain to boot.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A BARGAIN!, October 3, 2006

By	LEE T. (CANTON,MI) - See all my reviews

I GAVE THIS CD FIVE STARS BECAUSE OF THE GREAT VALUE OF GETTING TWO FOR ONE. I AGREE TOTALLY WITH JOHN FLOREZ THAT "REAL FRIENDS" SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FOLLOW-UP ALBUM FOR "GRAZIN'". IF YOU WANT TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THIS GROUP THIS CD IS A GOOD START.