Rose Royce
'The Collection'
Universal/Spectrum Music
Released March 2002
Catalogue # 544 7042

Rose Royce first came to the attention of the record buying public during the mid seventies with their title song from the movie ‘Car Wash’ which apart from being a hit at dance floor level at the time, has become a disco classic with its opening hand-claps becoming a samplers paradise. It is a sad but true fact, that the vast majority of general record collectors are unaware of the groups other output over the next decade and the title song is often the only one they are known for.

Soul music collectors will know otherwise of course, as the group clocked up an impressive array of UK chart hits during the seventies and early eighties (although not all of the main hits are on this CD). Ex Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield had been responsible for launching the group having worked with the Undisputed Truth during the early part of the decade as well as the Temptations from 1969-1974.

The group had also backed Edwin Starr at one point (as Total Concept Ltd) as well as Yvonne Fair (as Magic Wand) and had backed the Temptations at one point. It was during 1976 that they added Gwen Dickey as lead vocalist and the rest as they say is history. The early years for Rose Royce were almost like an experiment for Norman Whitfield as he crafted his own brand of psycho-funk around the group in order to come up with the ‘ultimate sound’.

On the back of the Temptation’s album ‘Masterpiece’ in 1973 he set to work on Rose Royce and over the next seven years helped them clock up numerous hits on this side of the Atlantic. This collection of songs features a couple of really funky workouts, especially ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ (issued as a 12” in the UK) and the type of workout that Brass Construction would have been proud of. This kind of production was also tailor made for the glut of Blaxploitation movies doing the rounds at the time. Another track very much in the same funky vein is ‘Born To Love You’

Not all of the bands output however, was aimed at the dance market as two stunning ballads ‘I Wanna Get Next To You’ and ‘I’m Going Down’ were both hits over here and displayed the groups ability to change from one style of music to another (a very important quality as so many other soul acts were known for disco songs only). The influence of Norman Whitfield’s work with the Temptations’ LP of 1973 ‘Masterpiece’ is so evident when you listen to ‘Yo Yo’ as it could have come from that same set.

The standout song on this CD has to be the EWF influenced ballad ‘Sunrise’ which again is a style that Maurice White/Phillip Bailey used so well on their early LP’s for CBS. The more you listen to this CD, the more you realise just what a talent Rose Royce were, and how one producers dream turned them into a reality. Whilst the group recorded a number of other hit songs such as ‘Do Your Dance’ ‘Is It Love Your After’ ‘Wishing On A Star’ ‘Love Me Right Now’ none of these are featured on this particular disc. For those who prefer their soul a little on the funkier side then this disc will appeal.