The years have been kind to this trio of lovelies as just when you think they are off the scene a record company jumps to the rescue with a re-issue package that has your audio buds working overtime. First there were the Philly re-issues from Westside, and now the early recordings from Sequel.

This twenty track CD covers their career from the late sixties until they signed for Gamble & Huff’s mighty Philadelphia International empire and covers recordings that were issued on UK Ember, and US labels such as Music Merchant, and Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label.

The move to Music Merchant in 1972 was to be a turning point for the girls as they has two singles issued on the short lived Holland, Dozier and Holland label with ‘Your The Only Bargain I’ve Got/Come Back’ and the excellent ‘Taster Of The Honey’ which has to be one of the standout tracks on this CD. Compare this song with that that the Honeycone were recording and there is a real conflict of interests between the two sets of girls. Rumour has it that there is an unreleased set of songs in the HDH vaults.

The standout modern track on this set was recorded in 1974 when the girls moved from the then defunct Music Merchant label to Curtis Mayfield’s enterprise and the joyful dancer ‘If You Don’t Want Me No More’ (US Paramount).

Their next single that same year also for Paramount entitled ‘Will You Be There’ finds obvious influences from Stax supergroup The Staple Singers, whereas their vocal dexterity is brought to the forefront with the superb ballad ‘I Turn To You’

Additional influences can be found on the previously unissued track included here called ‘The Proof Is In The Pudding’ which takes a leaf out of the book of I Want You Back by the Jackson Five a few years earlier. Another unreleased side is the gorgeous track ‘Waiting For The Last Goodbye’ which could easily have found itself on any of their later albums for Philly. So easy to see where the girls were going at that stage in their career.

Having toured as backing singers for Diana Ross in the seventies they have also appeared on the bill with major acts such as the Four Tops, BB King, Little Richard, and The Impressions. This led to the girls being spotted by Gamble and Huff who signed them to their now legendary organisation in the late seventies and two albums followed with numerous singles all of which are highly collectable.

In 1987 EMI issued the superb Shirley Jones solo LP from which ‘Do You Get Enough Love’ was lifted as a 45. At a time where there was no shortage of girl groups on the scene such as the Emotions, Honeycone, for example, they went from strength to strength and it is no wonder that they were, and still are, held in such high esteem.

Personal rating 9/10
Expect to pay around £10.00 in the UK
Released August 2000