ASHFORD & SIMPSON

Ashford & Simpson - Hits, Remixes And Rarities: The Warner Brothers Years

$24.98 CD

 R&B's most enduring duo Ashford & Simpson sure know how to make it right when it comes to soulful R&B gems and lush dance grooves from golden era of '70s soul and disco. They recorded for Warner Bros. from '73 through the early '80s, and Rhino's new 2-CD compilation both rediscovers and reimagines the best of those years. Disc 1 boasts fourteen original tracks, including many beyond-rare 12” mixes. Disc 2 lights up with nine 21st century reinventions of Ashford & Simpson favorites by a stellar roster of contemporary remixers. Through and through, ASHFORD & SIMPSON - THE WARNER BROS. YEARS: HITS, REMIXES & RARITIES is, as the title of one classic track goes, “Tried, Tested And Found True.” 

 Begun as a way to make the legendary duo's great soul and disco tracks accessible to the public once again, the double-disc labor of love was compiled by producer Johnny “D” DeMairo. Many of the recordings were virtually impossible to find, some even fetching literally thousands of dollars on music collectors' websites. Assembled into this unprecedented collection, the music on HITS, REMIXES & RARITIES is a testament to Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson's formidable talent as songwriters, producers and performers. 

 Disc 1 - Originals - opens with the Disco Mix of “Over And Over,” one of six songs featured that were originally released as promo-only 12” remixes. Other tracks feature the handiwork of Valerie's brother Jimmy Simpson, a pioneer of “intros and break” - he began extending Ashford & Simpson's album tracks for the dance floor in the '70s, which led to club DJs first coining the term “remix” music. His influence can be heard on cuts including "Send It,” "Top of the Stairs" and "Have You Ever Tried It.” Remixes of "Don't Cost You Nothing,” "Nobody Knows,” “Tried, Tested And Found True" and "Love Don't Make It Right" also make the line-up. 

 Disc 2 - Remixes - features over an hour of contemporary retellings of Ashford & Simpson musical lore by star remixers whose admiration for the songs pulses through every groove. "These remixers,” noted Simpson, “did an incredible job breathing new life into our songs while maintaining the integrity of them."  

 Highlights include DJ Tom Moulton's revealing take on the hit "Found A Cure," including his unearthing of elements that were long forgotten. Joe Claussell takes "Bourgie Bourgie" to another level with a rhythmic tour de force of synths and percussion and Paul Simpson and John Morales reconsider both "Over And Over" and "Tried, Tested And Found True." Dimitri re-edits Jimmy Simpson's inspired 12" remix of "One More Try" and turns in two versions of "Stay Free," including a slamming club mix. Joey Negro shines on a house-centric remix of "Love Don't Make It Right" and Tommy Musto “re-touches” "It Seems To Hang On" to create a sexy between the sheets groove.  

 Ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby. 

Selection # 347964