Previously posted May 20, 2020
VA - The Buddah Box [1993] (3 x CDs)
This remarkable three-CD box set recaps the biggest hits spawned by the Buddah record label and its distributed labels (Kama Sutra, Team, Pavilion, Hot Wax, Sussex, and Curtom). While the Buddah label was best known for its role in the 1967-1970 bubblegum genre and for giving rise to one surprise hit after another, it also was responsible for more substantive work from such acts as Curtis Mayfield, Gladys Knight & the Pips, early Captain Beefheart, and Charlie Daniels. The latter two are unfortunately not represented in this collection; even so, the sheer breadth of material covered here is astonishing. Unlike better-known labels of the period like Motown, Stax, and Philles, there is no unifying sonic trait in the artists under the Buddah umbrella. Consequently, listening to the entire collection in one sitting is a schizophrenic endeavor in its bouncing from bubblegum (1910 Fruitgum Company, Ohio Express, et al.) to Jesus-freakdom (Ocean's "Put Your Hand in the Hand," the Edwin Hawkins Singers' "Oh Happy Day") to '70s soul balladry (the elegant "Dream Merchant" from New Birth and "You Are My Starship" by Norman Connors) to disco oddities (Andrea True Connection's "More, More, More," the bizarre "Wide Receiver" by Michael Henderson). Despite the stylistic inconsistency, The Buddah Box is a worthwhile investment for music collectors, as its liner notes tell a fascinating story of the label's evolution, and there are a number of hard-to-find gems represented. It might have benefited from a few more obscurities - the collection sticks to Top 40 hits wherever it can - but it makes a good argument that the story of a trash-singles label can be just as interesting, and the tunes nearly as compelling, as that of the more respected labels of the '60s and '70s. (AllMusic Review by Joseph McCombs)
A History is a 3-CD box which basically assembles the company's hits from 1965-1977 (though two tracks from 80 and 84 creep in). If your collection is fairly expansive, you probably own must of the music here. If not, and if you want some reasonably cool stuff (bubblegum through disco), you can hardly go wrong.
===========================================================
ALL
or
===========================================================
Track lists
CD1
01 Lovin' Spoonful Do You Believe in Magic 2:06
02 Lovin' Spoonful Daydream 2:22
03 Lovin' Spoonful Summer in the City 2:42
04 Innocence There's Got to Be a Word 2:26
05 Sopwith Camel Hello Hello 2:26
06 Lemon Pipers Green Tambourine 2:28
07 1910 Fruitgum Company Simon Says 2:17
08 Ohio Express Yummy Yummy Yummy 2:22
09 1910 Fruitgum Company 1,2,3 Red Light 2:12
10 Shadows of Night Shake 2:29
11 Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus Quick Joey Small 2:26
12 Ohio Express Chewy Chewy 2:39
13 Brooklyn Bridge Worst That Could Happen 3:09
14 Edwin Hawkins Singers Oh Happy Day 5:12
15 Lou Christie I'm Gonna Make You Mine 2:40
CD2
01 Vic Venus Moonlight 3:00
02 Motherlode When I Die 3:23
03 Jaggerz The Rapper 2:43
04 Five Stairsteps Ooh Child 2:57
05 Melanie (Lay Down) Candles in the Rain 3:50
06 100 Proof Aged in Soul Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed 4:12
07 Brewer & Shipley One Toke Over the Line 3:22
08 Ocean Put Your Hand in the Hand 2:55
09 Honey Cone Want Ads 2:47
10 Bill Withers Ain't No Sunshine 2:06
11 Steve Goodman The City of New Orleans 3:53
12 Bill Withers Lean on Me 4:19
13 Curtis Mayfield Freddie's Dead 5:28
14 Curtis Mayfield Superfly 3:54
15 Gunhill Road Back When My Hair Was Short 2:39
CD3
01 Stories Brother Louie 3:59
02 Gladis Knight& the Pips Midnight Train to Georgia 4:39
03 Gladis Knight& the Pips The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me 3:46
04 Jim Weatherly The Need to Be 3:56
05 Barbara Mason From His Woman to You 5:00
06 Sha Na Na Just Like Romeo & Juliet 3:09
07 New Birth Dream Merchant 4:40
08 Fred Paris & Black Satin Everybody Stand Up and Clap Your Hands 3:47
09 Staple Singers Let's Do it Again 3:29
10 Trammps Hold Back the Night 3:34
11 Andrea True Connection More More More, Part 1 3:04
12 Norman Connors You Are My Starship 3:24
13 Addrisi Brothers Slow Dancin' Don't Turn Me On 3:14
14 Michael Henderson Wide Receiver 5:20
15 Disco 3 Fat Boys 4:29
=============================================================
=============================================================
Track lists
CD1
01 Lovin' Spoonful Do You Believe in Magic 2:06
02 Lovin' Spoonful Daydream 2:22
03 Lovin' Spoonful Summer in the City 2:42
04 Innocence There's Got to Be a Word 2:26
05 Sopwith Camel Hello Hello 2:26
06 Lemon Pipers Green Tambourine 2:28
07 1910 Fruitgum Company Simon Says 2:17
08 Ohio Express Yummy Yummy Yummy 2:22
09 1910 Fruitgum Company 1,2,3 Red Light 2:12
10 Shadows of Night Shake 2:29
11 Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus Quick Joey Small 2:26
12 Ohio Express Chewy Chewy 2:39
13 Brooklyn Bridge Worst That Could Happen 3:09
14 Edwin Hawkins Singers Oh Happy Day 5:12
15 Lou Christie I'm Gonna Make You Mine 2:40
CD2
01 Vic Venus Moonlight 3:00
02 Motherlode When I Die 3:23
03 Jaggerz The Rapper 2:43
04 Five Stairsteps Ooh Child 2:57
05 Melanie (Lay Down) Candles in the Rain 3:50
06 100 Proof Aged in Soul Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed 4:12
07 Brewer & Shipley One Toke Over the Line 3:22
08 Ocean Put Your Hand in the Hand 2:55
09 Honey Cone Want Ads 2:47
10 Bill Withers Ain't No Sunshine 2:06
11 Steve Goodman The City of New Orleans 3:53
12 Bill Withers Lean on Me 4:19
13 Curtis Mayfield Freddie's Dead 5:28
14 Curtis Mayfield Superfly 3:54
15 Gunhill Road Back When My Hair Was Short 2:39
CD3
01 Stories Brother Louie 3:59
02 Gladis Knight& the Pips Midnight Train to Georgia 4:39
03 Gladis Knight& the Pips The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me 3:46
04 Jim Weatherly The Need to Be 3:56
05 Barbara Mason From His Woman to You 5:00
06 Sha Na Na Just Like Romeo & Juliet 3:09
07 New Birth Dream Merchant 4:40
08 Fred Paris & Black Satin Everybody Stand Up and Clap Your Hands 3:47
09 Staple Singers Let's Do it Again 3:29
10 Trammps Hold Back the Night 3:34
11 Andrea True Connection More More More, Part 1 3:04
12 Norman Connors You Are My Starship 3:24
13 Addrisi Brothers Slow Dancin' Don't Turn Me On 3:14
14 Michael Henderson Wide Receiver 5:20
15 Disco 3 Fat Boys 4:29
=============================================================
=============================================================
Even though we may have them already, it's nice to have them assembled in an album. I often think of why the selection was made in that particular order, and why those specific songs - not specifically this set here, but in general. It's nice to have someone else's choice available too. Many thanks BB. 😀
ReplyDeleteHi hedspace,
DeleteThe way tracks are chosen for a compilation and the sequence used is also part of the listening experience. I like to hear these choices that others make too.
Cheers.
When I was growing up Buddha was solely a bubblegum label...until I found Captain Beefheart's first album was on Buddha :D
ReplyDeleteMany thanks again for the extensive compilation. Get's the thumbs up from me...two thumbs up in fact.
Thanks, eelcat.
DeleteSafe as Milk by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band was in fact the first Album put out by Buddah.
Cheers.
Amazing label. Decades ago, when I was in 8th grade, my class was forced to perform a group dance to 1,2,3 Red Light - thankfully, cellphone cameras did not exist in the Stone Age.
ReplyDeleteHi pmac,
DeleteYou made me laugh.
Surly there was an 8mm camera that captured the performance...
Cheers.
Thank You
ReplyDeleteOne toke over the line... what a time!
ReplyDelete