"Get Ready," "I Just Want To Celebrate," "Hey Big Brother"
VS.[/b]
sorry, couldn't find a better image![/b]"Westbound #9," "I'm Not My Brother's Keeper," "Mind, Body & Soul"Two great rock-soul bands from Detroit...one recorded for Motown, the other recorded for a company owned by ex-Motowners (Hot Wax)...got their start in the sixties (Rare Earth as the Sunliners, Flaming Ember as the Flaming Embers)...rather than hook up with the white rock scene like Mitch Ryder or the Rationals, both bands targeted the black audience almost from the start...both had drummers who sang lead***...Rare Earth kept going until 1979, at least, while the Ember wound down around '71 or so...Rare Earth weighed down almost every album with a long, boring percussion jam; Flaming Ember kept it relatively simple on their LP's, but still had the atrocious "Ember Blues" to answer for...there is the distinct possibility that the Ember didn't play on a lot of their records (sounds like the same house band heard on all those Hot Wax/Invictus sides), but Rare Earth definitely sounds like a homegrown band...So, who is the better Detroit blue-eyed soul band? (And don't say Dennis Coffey!!!)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________***debatable; I saw a TV clip of the Flaming Ember where the lead singer was clearly standing in front of the rest of the band, not playing an instrument; they were miming to "Westbound #9"
pickwick33
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get ready with that 5 minute break
Both bands have some horrible tracks on their
albums, but I think Rare Earth have the stronger
catalog, and a deeper one at that. I wonder what
Rare Earth were like as a live act in the late 60's ...
I'm willing to bet they put on a hell of a show.
though "Filet De Soul" is a hella of a track!
i need more of this shit.
I think I've checked out most of the FE material at this point and it is pretty much all either mediocre or unlistenable.
But Flaming Ember had only what, 2 albums & some singles?
It's a little bit of a lopsided poll.
P.S. Just recently heard Rare Earth's first album, I>Dreams/Answers/I> for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. I'll also ride for the later offshoot band HUB.
I saw them in the early 2000's at a county fair in suburban Illinois...only one original left and that was the sax player; the drummer/lead singer was long gone. They were the backing band for an oldies revue (with Mark Lindsay, Mitch Ryder and Spencer Davis). The new Rare Earth were the least memorable band on the bill.
I once saw a rerun of Midnight Special, the old late-night music show, from 1973. Rare Earth guested and did a killer "I Just Want To Celebrate." During the singalong part at the end, Pete Rivera-Hoorelbeke leaves the drum kit, another band member takes over, he's up front singing, then gives the mike to a couple of ladies in the audience, who keep chanting the title in their nasal voices while Pete keeps jamming on some kind of percussion instrument...total class act.
You're exactly right, but the two bands had so many parallels that I had to make the comparison.
So "Sunshine" and "Westbound #9" were their only albums ?
Right. Plus some random non-LP singles, before and after they had their hits.
I'm convinced "filet d'soul" is the Invictus house band.
Yeah, that track could fit in perfectly on the Politicians album.
RIGHT ON BOTH COUNTS!!!!!!!!!!!
"1200 Miles" is my fucking jammy jam... it is probably better than every rare earth song except for the 45 mix of "(i know) i'm losing you"...
you should get the Verve album ... it has a few songs that
are more a mix of psychedelic/weird styles and dance tracks.
"Land of Nod" and "Yesterday on Third Avenue" are pretty ill.
But I still like them through and through. Rare Earth is great.
But that Flaming Ember track: Gottagettaway? That break? That's so surprisingly cool.
The few white artists that I fif fo have that souful dark tone in their voice is Hall & Oates (Sarah Smile, I Can't go for that) - except for Maneater.
could be, the politicians were the house band for hot wax/ invictus.....
IMG SRC=http://www.africancolours.net/media/10929_2_03, Miss Richard Wachira.jpg>
haha and please tell us what "Black" sounds like...
I never truly gave FE a chance outside of skimming through the Sunshine LP, but RE have songs I can actually listen to... although I rarely do
leaving the mic in the crowd is an awesome look.
As far as Rare Earth goes, I think Ray Monette was somewhat overshadowed by Dennis Coffey, but was awesome in his own right. Most people assume this is Eddie Hazel on guitar, but it's actually Ray Monette:
Cosign. Took the words/youtube video out of my mouth.