🎷 AotW: CTI Kathy McCord: Kathy McCord (CTI Records CTI 1001)

Kathy McCord: Kathy McCord

CTI Records CTI 1001
Released 1970

1. Rainbow Ride 5:05
2. I'm Leaving Home 4:20
3. Candle Waxing 4:10
4. Baby James 3:10
5. The Love Flow 3:00
6. New York Good Sugar 3:55
7. For You Child 3:07
8. Jennipher 4:36
9. Take Away This Pain 5:47
10. Velvet Smile 3:15

Arranged By [String And Brass] – Don Sebesky
Bass, Other [Leader] – Harvey Brooks
Design [Album] – Tony Lane (2)
Drums – Wells Kelly
Drums, Tabla – Ed Shaugnessy*
Engineer, Mastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute – Hubert Laws
Guitar – John Hall*
Liner Notes – Kathy McCord
Photography By [Cover] – Price Givens
Piano, Organ – Paul Harris (2)
Producer – Creed Taylor
Recorded Van Gelder Studios November 18, 19, 20, 24; December 2, 1969


The following compilation, New Jersey to Woodstock, includes the full album:

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[JOv2]

I like this LP.

At Verve, Creed tried a somewhat similar experiment with another teenage female songwriter, Susan Rafey, back in '66. With all due respect to Rafey, I simply could not appreciate her singing style. McCord, on the other hand, is more to my ear. She's a solid songwriter with a haunting alto that was at the forefront of what was becoming the singer-songwriter era. Dig her take on McCartney's She's Leaving Home, which she sings in the first person (I'm Leaving Home). Unfortunately, the LP sank without a trace (as did McCord).

 

[Rudy]

These first few CTI records were a curious lot. There were a few "one and done" LPs throughout, like the three in the 3000 series we've been discussing (Tamiko Jones, Richard Barbary, Artie Butler, although Barbary was the only one whose album and perhaps entire performing career appeared via one record then sank into obscurity, like McCord). I gathered that the first handful of independent CTIs, which appeared in this 1000 series, were sort of leaning into a pop or pop-jazz direction, even more so than his records in the 3000 series.

Dead giveaway it's a CTI album. As they say in Pokemon terms, "A wild Hubert Laws has appeared." 😁 Despite the somewhat unfamiliar band, though, the album does sound like it has Creed Taylor's touch to it. I've been enjoying her low-key singing, and it's not a "heavy" album by any means--it flows really well.

It's also a rare occurrence that this relatively unknown album resurfaced as the first ten tracks on a two-CD compilation. It kind of shocked me to find it, as original LPs are a pricey proposition at this late date.

 

[JOv2]

It's also a rare occurrence that this relatively unknown album resurfaced as the first ten tracks on a two-CD compilation

It was reissued in the UK. Obscure American pop artists circa 1964-73 are a focus of Big Beat / Now Sounds / Rev Ola / Ace. I know they out out Evie Sands, The Parade, Brewer & Shipley, and of course, Roger Nichols.

 

[Harry]

I listened to this album yesterday through the YouTube playlist. As it first began with "Rainbow Ride", I found her voice rather appealing and then in the middle all hell broke loose with the wild guitar section. After a few minutes of that torture, order was restored and Ms. McCord's gentle vocal returned. Fortunately, the rest of the album was more consistent with her lovely alto voice in total control.

Overall I think I like this one. In doing a little research while listening, I found that Kathy McCord is the sister of Billy Vera, a name I'm familiar with from his big hit with Billy & The Beaters, "At This Moment". That was one of those records that got a second life when it was used on a TV show and exploded in popularity.

This one fits nicely in the singer/songwriter/folk/pop thing that heralded the early 70s.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

These first few CTI records were a curious lot. There were a few "one and done" LPs throughout, like the three in the 3000 series we've been discussing (Tamiko Jones, Richard Barbary, Artie Butler, although Barbary was the only one whose album and perhaps entire performing career appeared via one record then sank into obscurity, like McCord). I gathered that the first handful of independent CTIs, which appeared in this 1000 series, were sort of leaning into a pop or pop-jazz direction, even more so than his records in the 3000 series.

A wild thought, with absolutely nothing to back it up: Were these 1000-series artists, apart from Hubert Laws, perhaps people that Creed had already begun to explore recording while still at A&M and considering just giving Herb & Jerry more pop stuff before saying screw it and launching CTI?

 

[Harry]

Good question. One could easily imagine Kathy McCord's album as an A&M release.

 

[Rudy]

A wild thought, with absolutely nothing to back it up: Were these 1000-series artists, apart from Hubert Laws, perhaps people that Creed had already begun to explore recording while still at A&M and considering just giving Herb & Jerry more pop stuff before saying screw it and launching CTI?

I don't know if these were on Taylor's radar before the split, but the recording dates were mid 1969 (Hubert Laws in July, McCord in December) to mid 1970 (Flow in January, Fats Theus in July). The Dave Frishberg album (CTI 1004, next week) was probably a licensed release since it was not produced by Taylor and not recorded at Van Gelder's. The series only lasted for five albums, so I don't quite get the logic behind it other than all of them being atypically CTI, released prior to starting the 6000 series (ironically, with the same Hubert Laws title) which is the core of the CTI releases.

 

[Rudy]

... I found her voice rather appealing and then in the middle all hell broke loose with the wild guitar section.

I don't mind guitars at all, but that outburst was very much out of place on the track, I agree. It almost turned me off from listening to the rest, but I stuck it out and like you say, it's not a bad little record at all.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I don't know if these were on Taylor's radar before the split, but the recording dates were mid 1969 (Hubert Laws in July, McCord in December) to mid 1970 (Flow in January, Fats Theus in July). The Dave Frishberg album (CTI 1004, next week) was probably a licensed release since it was not produced by Taylor and not recorded at Van Gelder's. The series only lasted for five albums, so I don't quite get the logic behind it other than all of them being atypically CTI, released prior to starting the 6000 series (ironically, with the same Hubert Laws title) which is the core of the CTI releases.

Creed was still recording material that was released as A&M/CTi as late as May, 1970.

Your last sentence, along with the timing, is why I thought of the theory---and again, zero proof. Creed feels pressure from Herb & Jerry to be more pop, more commercial. It's 1969, he hasn't made the decision to go off on his own yet. He starts interacting with artists that he think might be good for that, maybe even makes some commitments that have to be honored.

He figures out he really wants to do jazz, makes the decision to leave, creates the 1000 series to honor commitments, goofs by including Hubert in that set of releases, then moves on the the real thing, re-issuing CRYING SONG.

 

[JOv2]

Harry said:
... I found her voice rather appealing and then in the middle all hell broke loose with the wild guitar section.

I don't mind guitars at all, but that outburst was very much out of place on the track, I agree. It almost turned me off from listening to the rest, but I stuck it out and like you say, it's not a bad little record at all.

I like that Creed took a chance with that arrangement, yet thought its placement as the lead-off piece was a mistake in that it mischaracterized McCord's LP (and risked losing potential listeners as Rudy experienced). It would have fit better as the last song.

No one could mistake Rainbow Ride for any other year than 1969. (Truth be told, I was actually initially disappointed that there wasn't more similar rock on the record...)