The Emotions: Blessed - The Emotions Anthology 1969-1985, 2CD

***RE-PRESS: CD ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 2016***

“Working with the Emotions gave me a chance to explore a softer, sweeter side of music. Their sound was unique and I am glad I was involved in helping them share their gifts with the world." - MAURICE WHITE, January 2016.

• Although their biggest hit came eight years later with the blissful ‘Best of My Love’, sisters Sheila, Wanda and Jeanette Hutchison emerged as The Emotions with the quiet but urgent ‘So I Can Love You’ in 1969 on Stax’s Volt subsidiary followed by further hits ‘Stealing Love’ ‘My Baby and Me’, ‘From Toys To Boys’, ‘Show Me How’ and the classic B-Side, ‘Blind Alley’, many of which had been produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.

• The switch to Columbia with 1976’s FLOWERS would mark the beginning of a successful collaboration with Charles Stepney of Chess records before his untimely death, and Maurice White (Earth. Wind and Fire) who revitalized the band. The title track and first single returned them to the R&B top twenty. The single’s B-side however, ‘I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love’, proved to be a bigger chart success that leans more into funk and is an effective signpost for their next single release and chart success in the #1 ‘Best of My Love’.

• 1977’s REJOICE catapulted the band into platinum sales and spun off ‘Don’t Ask My Neighbors’ and featured a version of the Deniece Williams penned ‘Slip Away’. The band would continue their revitalized identity as well as regularity of musical output with 1978’s SUNBEAM delivered another top ten hit with ‘Smile’.

• Their 1979 collaboration with Earth, Wind and Fire on another career-defining disco smash, ‘Boogie Wonderland’ assured their international appeal. They would release a further two albums with Columbia, 1979’s COME INTO OUR WORLD and 1981’s NEW AFFAIR, before recording albums with Red Label and Motown in the mid-eighties.

Includes forty classic tracks, 24 of which made the Billboard R&B charts. Featuring recent interviews with Wanda Hutchinson Vaughn and the late Maurice White and a 24 page booklet, Blessed – The Emotions Anthology is a must for all Soul, Funk and Disco fans.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE
1. SO I CAN LOVE YOU
2. FLOWERS
3. MY HONEY AND ME
4. BABY I’M THROUGH
5. FROM TOYS TO BOYS
6. BLIND ALLEY
7. STEALING LOVE
8. THE BEST PART OF A LOVE AFFAIR
9. SHOW ME HOW
10. HOW CAN YOU STOP LOVING SOMEONE
11. DON’T ASK MY NEIGHBORS
12. LOVE VIBES
13. SHOUTING OUT LOVE
14. WHOLE LOT OF SHAKIN’
15. HOW’D I KNOW THAT LOVE WOULD SLIP AWAY
16. WALKING THE LINE
17. SPECIAL PART
18. PUT A LITTLE LOVE AWAY
19. WHERE IS YOUR LOVE
20. KEY TO MY HEART
21. WE GO THROUGH CHANGES

DISC TWO
1. TURN IT OUT
2. BEST OF MY LOVE
3. I DON’T WANNA LOSE YOUR LOVE
4. SMILE
5. BOOGIE WONDERLAND –With EARTH WIND & FIRE–
(SINGLE VERSION)
6. I SHOULD BE DANCING
7. WHAT’S THE NAME OF YOUR LOVE
8. REJOICE
9. CHANGES
10. NOW THAT I KNOW
11. YOU’RE THE ONE
12. MISS YOUR LOVE (SINGLE VERSION)
13. YOU’RE THE BEST (SINGLE VERSION)
14. ALL NIGHT, ALRIGHT
15. TIME IS PASSING BY
16. COME INTO MY WORLD
17. THERE’LL NEVER BE ANOTHER MOMENT
18. ARE YOU THROUGH WITH MY HEART
19. BLESSED