Philips/PRC pressings had the A side title on one line, so sounds to me like that's what you'd had . . . Very much sounds like that to be the case . . . seems more common than either of us think. (I'll get to a few other examples at the proper time.)
Oh yeah! Maybe he was pressed for a deadline, or something, but he did some crazy stuff with a lot of soul hits from the "didn't it blow your mind" CD series. I had to go in and replace a lot of those tracks on those volumes for my digital collection. But, at least he got one very rare correct single mix of a song we will get to in 1974.
The thing about early '70s mellow soul is that while most of it is plenty likeable, none of it really rises above a certain level. Have You Seen Her is a decent song but it falls into this category. The genre is mostly self-limiting IMHO. That's not really a knock; La La Means I Love You by the Delfonics (which I have opined invented the style) does rise above said limit somewhat.
The same with Ace Records U.K. and Bear Family Records Germany. Too often the stereo version is used. Bear Family Records
I absolutely love the Chi-Lites. In the early 70s I bought a long string of their singles back to back as they came out, starting with "Have You Seen Her". I'm glad you mentioned "The Coldest Days of My Life", that was a beautiful two-part epic on 45 with great cinematic production. Two others I'm crazy about are "Living In the Footsteps of Another Man" and "Stoned Out Of My Mind".
That's another favorite of mine. Unfortunately, the group is known only for their ballads, but they had some very good funk grooves, too.
As you doubtless know, when practicable I go for CBS Pitman pressings. Even so, one has to wonder what the typesetters at their print shop were smoking when they laid out the label copy for that record, thus: It was obviously enough to warrant inclusion in K-tel's 1974 compilation LP Dynamic Sound, which I have (CBS Pitman of course).
Looks good to me. What's wrong with it??? I also have the song on K-Tel's "Super Bad Is Back" LP from 1973. It was a big soul hit.
Yes, the type does look good, I agree. Better than PRC or the Capitol plants (it, and Barbara Acklin's "I'll Bake Me A Man," were among the last pressed by the Scranton plant before Capitol shut it down at the very end of June 1973 - and later that year sold the plant to North American Music Industries). But as to your question - the title as "Stoned Out Out Of My Mind." They inserted an extra "Out."
Oh, here's a cool tune! It's the last R&B #1 hit of 1971: Family Affair - Sly & The Family Stone I remember this most from hearing it on the radio back then. The song is basically a solo performance, as the Family Stone was in disarray by this time. And, even if they did perform together, Sly was late or didn't show up at all. I remember reading somewhere that the song (and the next one after that) is loosely about his relationship with the rest of the band. I really dig Sly's drugged-out, gravelly vocal fry against a compressed drum machine, bass, keyboards, guitar, and (I presume) little sister on background. It's easily one of the funkiest things he ever recorded. It sounded very unusual back then, and nothing like it has risen to the top since. If there are last wishes, one of them is for Sly to put just one more hardcore funk jam out like this before he is no longer able to.
I have this nightmare of people putting up videos with this song which show the title for the saccharine-sweet 1960's sitcom of that title, and showing stills from the show. One line Sly sang in his particular state sounded like "Blood stick-up in the mud." From what I read, he recorded the bulk of this in Papa John Phillips' home. Of the pressings, Pitman's fonts were used by that plant and Santa Maria. (My copy is Pitman's . . . ) Pressings from Terre Haute used that plant's own typesetting.
I'd found that correct line out by reading the lyrics. Must've been a combo of his drugged-out state and transistorized AM radio that threw me back then. Wasn't the same type of early drum machine used, that would pop up in a few other songs over the next few years that we'll get to at the appropriate times? I seem to think so . . . as you say, it was unlike anything that came before or after. Didn't Bobby Womack have some involvement in this, or is it my imagination?
Wonderful dark, grubby track. Sly's incredible run was sadly coming to an end due to his demons, but he left an incredible legacy behind.
Got to do some catch up. Inner City Blues was my favorite song from What's Goin' On for a long time. These days I have a fondness for the title cut but really, all three singles are gorgeous productions and any one could qualify. I love the soft soul groups from this era. The Delfonics, Stylistics, Spinners, Harold Melvin and of course, The Chi Lites. I do agree this is probably their best though I do like everything that's been mentioned as well as Stoned Out Of My Mind. So much outstanding music we got to enjoy makes this a particularly favorite period of the 70s.
