Margie Joseph was never a huge name in soul -- she never became as famous as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, or Tina Turner. But she is a talented, charming singer with a recognizable delivery; although greatly influenced by Franklin, Joseph has a softer, more girlish delivery. Unfortunately, she has rarely enjoyed the sort of promotion she deserves -- not at Stax, not at Atlantic. Joseph moved from Stax to Atlantic in 1972, recording this self-titled LP the following year. Produced by Arif Mardin, Margie Joseph offers an enjoyable mix of Northern and Southern soul styles. Much of the album is devoted to covers, and the songs that Joseph embraces range from Ellington Jordan's "I'd Rather Go Blind" and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" to Brook Benton's "I'll Take Care of You." Joseph also picks a Dolly Parton song, putting a soul spin on "Touch Your Woman." Some people might be surprised to learn that Joseph recorded a tune by a country star, but then, a lot of country was very pop-minded in the early '70s. And besides, Parton is very much a crossover artist, not a hardcore honky-tonker a la Kitty Wells. This decent, if imperfect, LP has been out of print since the 1970s, but it's worth obtaining if you can track down a copy. (by Alex Henderson)
Ronald Bright (background vocals)
Cornell Dupree (guitar)
Cissy Houston (background vocals)
Jerry Jemmott (bass)
Hugh McCracken (guitar)
Ralph MacDonald (percussion)
Arif Mardin (piano on 11.)
David Newman (flute)
Norman Pride (percussion on 03.)
Bernard Purdie (drums)
Chuck Rainey (bass)
Sylvia Shemwell (background vocals)
Myrna Smith (background vocals)
David Spinozza (guitar)
Renelle Stafford (background vocals)
Deidre Tuck (background vocals)
Sammy Turner (background vocals)
Tracklist:
01. I Been Down (Galbraith) 3.14
02. Make Me Believe You'll Stay (Anderson) 4.27
03. Let's Stay Together (Green/Jackson, Jr./Mitchell) 3.27
04. Turn Around And Love You (Weiss) 3.34
05. I'm Only A Woman (Peters) 4.36
06. Let's Go Somewhere And Love (Henley/O´Dell) 2.58
07. You Better Know It (White) 3.14
08. Touch Your Woman (Parton) 3.13
09. I'll Take Care Of You (Benton) 3.39
10. I'm So Glad I'm Your Woman (Joseph/Mardin) 3.53
11. How Do You Spell Love (Boxley/Patterson/Strickland) 3.52
12. I'd Rather Go Blind (Foster/Jordan) 5.49
ARMU 2165 (shareplace)