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Carey Harris
$33.98
As the saying goes, 'There's nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come'. 50 years since Michael Orr and Carey Harris self-released Spread Love, this iconic underground cult masterpiece is finally getting the attention it deserved all along. A timeless release, with a sound, production and level of songwriting that could go toe-to-toe with the best, it was passed over by a number of labels back in '75, leading to Michael and Carey putting it out themselves. Spread Love radiates with a message that is as pertinent as ever - heartfelt lyrics and soaring melodies covering a spectrum of genres including modern and classic soul, gospel, early disco, and jazz-funk. Raised in Detroit before moving to rural West Virginia, Michael learned to play piano at a young age. Those early influences of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick and many more, led him to form a band who played local 'sock hops' as well as getting paid $5 a week at aged 14 to play piano for the church choir. Fast forward 10 years, and whilst working for the local county, Michael would travel back home every lunch to write songs on his baby grand in his basement. His dream was to be a songwriter, and his intention was never the limelight. He penned 'Feelings' with Gladys Knight in mind and sent it to his childhood friend Carey Harris, who was the bassist in her band. Gladys liked it but didn't think it fit with where she was going at the time. That initial rejection sparked the idea of Carey and Michael recording it themselves. With the help of Michael's wife who sold some of her possessions to fund the studio time, they recorded the album at Agency Recording Studio in Cleveland alongside one of the O'Jays drummers Ricardo "Ricky Speed" Nixon, Adolph Burton and Bernardine Mitchell.That DIY drive paved the way for the now-iconic cover, with Michael's sister-in-law painting the genie and rainbow and his brother drawing the sun / star logo for what became their record label. Spread Love's time though hadn't come. No matter how many Michael could sell to shops out of the boot of his car, the message couldn't reach far enough to break it out to the wider world - ultimately putting him in a 50-year hiatus.Spread Love is most known for it's sublime anthemic title track. A celestial, soul-rousing cut with a message which feels more apt than ever. The album though is stacked start to finish with gems. There's a balance between beauty and sadness in the modern-soul dancer 'Here I Go (Through These Changes Again)', a song that Johnnie Taylor would later cover. It features a superb vocal performance by Michael reminiscent of Gil Scott-Heron. Elsewhere, Bernardine Mitchell takes the place of Gladys Knight for 'Feelings' with her vocals resonating deep down inside.Other highlights include the opening song, 'Ecstasy, Fantasy & Dreamland' - it is sheer brilliance with an awesome flute solo by Michael Neal. Then there's 'A Piece Of Mine' an early disco/jazz-funk instrumental with vibraphone by Bernard James, whilst 'You Opened My Eyes To The World' has a Strata East jazz meets soul quality that is spacey, uplifting, and spiritual. It's been a joy working with Michael and his son Jamal, who restored and remastered the original tapes, to reissue this forgotten gem and spread that love all over the world