Prolifics

Male soul vocal groups were not a strong feature of recordings in Muscle Shoals. Aside from the Dells, the Kelly Brothers and the Meadows Brothers (and their previous incarnation the Zircons), most of the sessions were one offs like Nobody’s Child, the Entertainers on Chess and the Delacardos. One fine group to add to the list is the Prolifics, who were produced by that stalwart Brad Shapiro, who leased their material to Avco. Their first 45 was only so so with the lively “A Place Called Home” just beating the funky “Let Your Love Be Purified” thanks to a fine gritty lead vocal. The Prolifics other 45 was considerably better. Their version of Phillip Mitchell’s melodic ballad ListenI Would Still Be There is a superior piece of country soul. I prefer the arrangement on this cut to the one that Joe Simon recorded for his wonderful “Mood Heart And Soul” album in the same year, 1974. But nobody could beat Joe’s vocal style, and he pips the lead singer of the Prolifics, despite the latter’s lovely falsetto bursts.




Discography

A place called home / Let your love be purified ~ AVCO 4623 (1973)
ListenI would still be there / I don’t know what’s the matter ~ AVCO 4644 (1974)

Note ~ The Prolifics on Drive are apparently a different group altogether.

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