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Avg: 4.5 (48 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1989
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Disco
- Label: Fantasy Records
-
We Say...
Back when disco ruled the world, or at least the part that wanted to move, Sylvester held it down as king/queen of the clubs. You can bask in that unfettered passion on his biggest, most enduring smash, "(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real." A joyously pulsating anthem, brimming with squiggly space age synths and sky-high testifying, the track, like much of Sylvester's sadly limited catalogue (he died in 1988) preaches a sermon of compassion and community.
Even if you can't dance, it's hard to deny Sylvester's emotionality. Witness the lesser-known "Sell My Soul." Anchored by a funked-up bass line and infused with a blend of gospel and jazz, "Sell My Soul" ratchets down the BPMs but is no less of an adrenaline rush. Perhaps because Sylvester was dismissed by some as "just" a disco singer, these slower songs are a revelation. He throws his all into covers of "Oooh Baby Baby" and "Cry Me a River," the latter rocking out with barrelhouse piano, stinging guitars and full-throated growling vocals.
Openly gay at a time when that was unheard of, Sylvester let fly with a galvanizing, this-close-to-feminine falsetto that was the battle cry of liberation and release — both on and off the dance floor. -
They Say...
Original Hits sums up disco sensation Sylvester's years (1977-1981) with the Fantasy label. These years include most of the artist's most important output, particularly dancefloor hits like "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," "Dance (Disco Heat)," and "Body Strong." In addition to these stellar dance tracks, songs like "Cry Me a River" and a live version of "You are My Friend" emphasize Sylvester's warmth and soulfulness. The album is shorter and less comprehensive than Fantasy's earlier Greatest Hits compilation, but all the same offers a good and, since it's one CD rather than two, likely more affordable introduction to one of the most exciting and energetic figures of the disco era.
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| 01. |  |
Dance (Disco Heat)
|
5:52 |
|
| 02. | |
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
|
6:34 |
|
| 03. | |
Down, Down, Down
|
5:18 |
|
| 04. | |
Stars
|
10:27 |
|
| 05. | |
Body Strong
|
8:40 |
|
| 06. | |
I Need You
|
4:34 |
|
| 07. | |
Sell My Soul
|
6:36 |
|
| 08. | |
Cry Me A River
|
3:08 |
|
| 09. | |
Ooo Baby Baby
|
3:16 |
|
| 10. | |
Can't Stop Dancing
|
7:49 |
|
| 11. | |
You Are My Friend
|
8:05 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 70:19 Total Length
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Credits
- John Tropea - Guitar // Sylvester - Piano // Sylvester - Vocals // Sylvester - Main Performer // Leslie Drayton - Horn Arrangements // Leslie Drayton - String Arrangements // Mel Martin - Sax (Baritone) // Mel Martin - ? // Julian Priester - Trombone // Julian Priester - Trombone // Patrick Cowley - Synthesizer // Patrick Cowley - Special Effects // Patrick Cowley - Synthesizer String Arrangement // Patrick Cowley - Sequencers // Jeanie Tracy - Vocals (Background) // Jeanie Tracy - ? // Martha Wash - Vocals (Background) // Martha Wash - ? // Alfredo de la Fe - Strings // Alfredo de la Fe - Concert Master // Delores Hall - Vocals (Background) // Maurice Long - Vocals (Background) // Louis Barbarin - Horn // Marc Baum - Flute // Marc Baum - Saxophone // Frederick Berry - Trumpet // Louis Biancaniello - Synthesizer // Louis Biancaniello - Prophet Synthesizer // Dean Boysen - Trumpet // Wally Buck - Engineer // Charlie Conrad - Engineer // Richard Corsello - Engineer // Greg Crockett - Bass // Greg Crockett - ? // Woody Cunningham - Drums // Kelvin Dixon - Drums // Neil Dorfsman - Engineer // Norman Durham - Bass // James Farber - Engineer // John Paul Fetta - Bass // John Paul Fetta - Vocals (Background) // David Frazier - Percussion // Harvey Fuqua - Producer // John Gatchell - Horn // Carl Hall - Vocals (Background) // Hodges, James & Smith - ? // Sharon Hymes - Vocals (Background) // Bob Kingson - Bass // Bob Kingson - ? // Scott Litt - Engineer // Randy Merritt - Drums // Ella Mitchell - Vocals (Background) // Dan Reagan - Trombone // Sandy Reiner - Drums // Izora Rhodes - Vocals (Background) // Garry Rindfuss - Engineer // Eric Robinson - Synthesizer // Eric Robinson - Piano // Eric Robinson - Arranger // Eric Robinson - Keyboards // Eric Robinson - Vocals (Background) // Eric Robinson - Clavinet // Eric Robinson - ? // Gene Santoro - Liner Notes // Louis Small - Synthesizer // Louis Small - Piano // Louis Small - Arranger // Louis Small - Piano (Electric) // Louis Small - Rhythm // Louis Small - Horn Arrangements // Louis Small - Rhythm Arrangements // Allen Smith - Trumpet // Mauricio Smith - Horn // Mauricio Smith - Sax (Alto) // Mauricio Smith - Soloist // George Victory - Guitar // Wayne Wallace - Trombone // Ralph Wash - Guitar // Allen Wentz - Synthesizer // Allen Wentz - Synthesizer Programming // Tip Wirrick - Guitar // Tip Wirrick - ? // Michael Finden - Organ // Michael Finden - Keyboards // Michael Finden - Piano (Electric) // Michael Finden - Clavinet // Michael Finden - ? // Gus Anthony Flores - Percussion // Eddie Bill Harris - Engineer // Rick Kvistad - Timbales // Rick Kvistad - Tympani [Timpani] // David Sprunk - French Horn // Jay Stolmac - Flute // Jay Stolmac - Saxophone // Joe Tarantino - Mastering // Phil Bray - Photography // John Dunstan - Bass // John Echert - Horn // Kenny Warden - Flugelhorn // Kenny Warden - Horn // Kenny Warden - Soloist // James ? - Vocals (Background) // Thomas Price - Drums // Dan Reich - Keyboards // Ross Wilson - Trombone // Ross Wilson - Trumpet // Danny Chan - Horn // Allen J.M. Smith - Trumpet
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