Randy Crawford - Raw Silk - 180g LP

Product no.: PPANBSK3283

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Randy Crawford - Raw Silk - 180g LP
£29.99
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AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head

Pure Pleasure / Warners PPAN BSK 3283 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl 

AAA 100%  Analogue - Mastering by Ray Staff  at Air Mastering London

Pressed at Pallas in Germany - Limted Edition

 This LP is an Entirely Analogue Production

Soul vocalist is impressive on this vinyl re-mastering. AudiophileAudition

Melodious vocalist who recorded and toured with the Crusaders while also recording her own light soul sets. 

Why didn`t this girl get the recognition she deserves? There are some absolutely wonderful songs on this album and even better vocal performances that few have come close to. The collection is slightly jazz tinged but don’t let that put you off. Outstanding tracks include, Someone to Believe In, Endlessly and Nobody, all of which will touch your heart. But there is a moment in the first couple of lines of the song - Love is Like a Newborn Child- when Miss Crawford hits a note and holds it for a few seconds that just takes your breath away!
 
Worth buying just for that moment alone. If you are into the great vocalists of our time then buy this. It’s fantastic.          
Pure Pleasure Records has re-mastered Crawford’s third Warner Bros. release Raw Silk (1979). The album consists of lush, studio arrangements that surround Crawford’s prominent voice. The opening track, “I Stand Accused” (previously recorded by Isaac Hayes with a patented “long version”) is unadulterated, heartfelt soul. With era-representative atmospheric electric piano (Don Grusin), the band performs hooks and modulations as Crawford wails about love. She can crank it up with the best of them. On “Declaration Of Love”, there is a subtle Allen Toussiant horn chart that complements the fluid sound. Regardless of studio polish, this is a voice that cannot be restrained.
 
“Someone To Believe In” is a universal ballad of romantic yearning (“…someone to come home to after a weary day…”). There is a lyrical string accompaniment (Ian Freebairn-Smith), not at all unusual for this time period. Crawford is capable of turning up the heat at anytime. With funkiness and a clavinet groove (William D. Smith), “Endlessly” churns out hypnotic rhythms and Crawford responds with intensity. On a different, jazzy note, “Love Is Like A Newborn Child” starts with a piano/voice duet. The vocals are belted out like a gospel show tune.
 
Crawford utilizes a variety of songwriters on Raw Silk. Side2 begins with a soul/pop cover of Ashford and Simpson’s “Where There Was Darkness”. Backup vocals (Phyllis St. James) and stings underscore the smooth tempos. A pleasant surprising choice is Bert Williams’ 1905 doleful “Nobody”. The arrangement is scaled back to capture the bluesy vocal phrasing. Bill LaBounty’s clever take on breaking up, “I Hope You’ll Be Very Unhappy Without Me” returns to the finger-snapping grooves and hooks that dominate the album.
 
The vocals are still forceful. An original composition, “I Got Myself A Happy Song” is tougher (Toussaint horns) up tempo material that livens the band. But it’s the tender strains of the Marvin Gaye classic, “Just To Keep You Satisfied” that unites the powerful voice with the most textured (strings and woodwinds) acoustics. Crawford has an emotional, spiritual voice and the finale, “Blue Mood,” captures this. Her pure gospel vibrancy is on display. With a nimble piano intro (Leon Pendarvis), the flow of this number is exceptional. Additionally the band turns in a cohesive performance.
 
Audiophile vinyl was a good choice for this version of Raw Silk. Crawford’s voice is powerful, but also has richness in subdued moments. The horns and strings are mixed seamlessly and never intrude on Crawford. The bass and drums are present, but ambient. Crawford is a force, but at times held back by the extensive production.                  
 
Tracklisting
 
Side A:
1. I Stand Accused
2. Declaration Of Love
3. Someone To Believe In
4. Endlessly
5. Love Is Like A Newborn Child
Side B:
1. Where There Was Darkness
2. Nobody
3. I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me
4. I Got Myself A Happy Song
5. Just To Keep You Satisfied
6. Blue Mood
 
Personnel:
Randy Crawford, vocals
Don Grusin, piano, electric piano
Greg Poree, guitar
Abraham Laboriel, bass
James Gadson, drums
Leon Pendarvis, piano, electric piano
John Tropea, guitar
Will Lee, bass
Rick Marotta, drums
Joe Prcaro, percussion
William D Smith, clavinet
Phyllis St. James, background vocals
 
 
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Pure Pleasure Records
The Restoration of the Art of Sound
180g Vinyl Mastered From The Best Available Sources

At the beginning of the 90s, in the early days of audiophile vinyl re-releases, the situation was fairly straightforward. Companies such as DCC, Mobile Fidelity, Classic Records and, of course, Pure Pleasure all maintained a mutual, unwritten ethical code: we would only use analogue tapes to manufacture records. During the course of the present vinyl hype, many others have jumped on the bandwagon in the hope of securing a corner of the market. Very often they are not so ethical and use every imaginable source to master from: CDs, LPs, digital files, MP3s – or employed existent tools from the 80s and 90s for manufacturing.

A digital delay is gladly used when cutting a lacquer disc because tape machines with an analogue delay have become quite rare and are therefore expensive. When cutting the lacquer, the audio signal is delayed by one LP revolution against the signal, which controls the cutter head, and for this a digital delay is very often employed. Of course, the resultant sound signal is completely digital and thus only as good as this delay.

We should like to emphasize that Pure Pleasure Records on principle only uses the original master tape as the basis for the entirely analogue cutting of lacquer discs. In addition, the pressing tool is newly manufactured as a matter of principle. We only employ existing tools for manufacturing if an improved result is not forthcoming, e.g. the title Elvis Is Back, which was mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray, or several titles from our Philips Classics series, which in any case Willem Makkee cut from the original masters at the Emil Berliner Studios in the 90s. It goes without saying that we only used the mother and that new tools were made for our production. To put it in a nutshell: we can ensure you that our releases are free from any kind of digital effects and that the lacquer discs are newly cut.

There really is nothing quite like it.  It’s the touch, the feel, you have to stop and stare, the cover,  the real thing, even the smell.

Its tangible, you can feel it, see it, study it,   muse/dream over it, it’s real, someone  has spent hours and hours over its construction and presentation. Pure Pleasure Records is just that, Pure Pleasure and that is what it has set out to be.  

The music and the physical record.  Something to keep, treasure, admire and above all enjoy.Of course with vinyl it’s not just a record, it’s the cover,  the sleeve notes, you are  holding a unique package, produced by craftsmen.

Pure Pleasure  Records bring you vinyl albums of quality Jazz - Blues - R+B - Soul - Funk, remastered by some of the best engineers in the world and pressed on 180 gram audiophile vinyl at what is probably the best pressing plant in Europe 

Pure Analogue Audiophile Mastering
 
Plated and Pressed at Pallas in Germany on 180 Gram Virgin Vnyl
 
Released in Limited Quantities

PALLAS
Audiophile Vinyl - Made in Germany  For over 60 years the family business in the third generation of the special personal service and quality "Made by Pallas" is known worldwide. Our custom PVC formulation produces consistently high pressing quality with the lowest surface noise in the industry. Our PVC complies with 2015 European environmental standards and does not contain toxic materials such as Lead, Cadmium or Toluene. Our vinyl is both audiophile and eco-grade!  
 
 

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