One by One/Ridin' High

by The Impressions

Overview

A two-for-one combination of two mid-'60s LPs on one compact disc. One by One is a misstep that was not uncommon among soul stars in the '60s: the record is dedicated almost entirely to standards such as "Twilight Time," "I Wanna Be Around," "Nature Boy," and "Mona Lisa." The strategy was to widen their appeal to a more adult pop audience, but supper club ballads are not what you turn to the Impressions (or for that matter, any soul stars) for, and the album sounds mediocre decades later, with the expected syrupy big-band orchestration. Sam Gooden and Fred Cash take leads on one unmemorable song each; the three Curtis Mayfield-penned numbers, in bold contrast, are more soulful and understated, particularly the dramatically arranged "Just One Kiss from You." Ridin' High is a much more palatable kettle of fish, as Mayfield wrote almost all of the tunes and the production was back to business, straight-ahead Chicago soul. It's a bit of a treadmill affair as some of the songs had been previously recorded by Billy Butler, Major Lance, and Jerry Butler, but it's still quality ebullient music with fine leads and harmonies, exemplified by the small hit "I Need You." "Gotta Get Away," previously done by Billy Butler, and the sassy "Too Slow" are other highlights of a pretty solid album. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	06/23/1998
Label:	Kent
UPC:	0029667215220

Tracks

1. Twilight Time
2. I Wanna Be Around
3. Nature Boy
4. Just One Kiss from You
5. I Want to Be with You
6. Answer Me, My Love
7. It's Not Unusual
8. Without a Song
9. Falling in Love with You
10. My Prayer
11. Mona Lisa
12. Lonely Man
13. Ridin' High
14. No One Else
15. Gotta Get Away
16. I Need to Belong to Someone
17. Right on Time
18. I Need You
19. Too Slow
20. Man's Temptation
21. That's What Mama Say
22. Let It Be Me
23. I'm a Telling You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Impressions   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Jimmy Kennedy   Composer
Billy Rose   Composer
Curtis Mayfield   Composer
Georges Boulanger   Composer
Edward Eliscu   Composer
Johnny Pate   Arranger,Producer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Sadie Vimmerstadt   Composer
Roger Armstrong   Archive Research
Buck Ram   Composer
Alan Dunn   Composer
Gordon Mills   Composer
Gerhard Winkler   Composer
Al Nevins   Composer
Gilbert Becaud   Composer
Vincent Youmans   Composer
Carl Sigman   Composer
Peter Burns   Liner Notes,Package Design
Fred Rauch   Composer
Charles Strouse   Composer
Leslie Reed   Composer
Sallie Sefrit   Composer
Mana-Zucca   Composer
Morty Nevins   Composer
Lee Adams   Composer
Eden Ahbez   Composer