Big Apple Productions

 

Robert Cotter - Missing You [WWSLP39 FRA 2021 24-Bit FLAC]

Next up, an album with a bit of a story (I'll try to keep it brief). Recorded in 1975, Missing You was the result of album sessions with American soul singer Robert Cotter backed by The Big Apple Band. The Big Apples changed their name to Chic after America's version of James Last, Walter Murphy named his backing band the very same. This album features the only sessions by Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards as The Big Apple Band and it was pulled just before release, so never commercially available, Some copies snuck out and now fetch hefty figures among collectors.

In among these ten soul & funk standards, there are one or two real gems, especially the excellent Love Rite and Saturday, however things go off kilter with a few rough folky blues numbers with acoustic guitar, sax & harmonica. French label WeWantSounds don't reveal the source material for this release, they just refer to it as the first official release, however when you listen closely to some of the quieter segments on some tracks, especially the track fades on side two, there is evidence that perhaps the original masters are long lost.

A1 Missing You

A2 Mary's House

A3 Disco Blues

A4 Teddy Bear

B1 Love Rite

B2 Three Wise Men

B3 Uncle Sam

B4 Saturday

B5 God Bless The Soulfire People

B6 Come On With It