BARBARA MOORE

Vocal Shades And Tones is a miraculous le}field library classic from the genius mind  of celebrated UK composer/singer/vocal arranger Barbara Moore. It's a heavenly  groove-based blend of jazz, La2n, so}-psych, folk-funk and gospel soul. Recorded for  the legendary Music De Wolfe in 1972, it's an audacious start-to-finish listen, as  dizzying as it is dazzling. It's a perfect snapshot of a musical era, supported by  Moore's glorious vocal arrangements. Widely regarded among collectors, DJs, and  lounge/easy-listening acolytes as an absolute essen2al it is viewed as the holy grail by  many produc2on music heads, rarely appearing for sale and disappearing in a flash  when it does. Indeed, originals now go for over £300 and it's easy to see why. Just  one of the reasons why this fresh Be With reissue, part of a wider De Wolfe reissue  campaign, is so uberly crucial.  

Racing out the gate, the driving "Hot Heels" is a bright, sophis2cated scat groove  which sounds Brazilian, richly produced as if coming by the hand of Arthur Verocai.  Yes, *that* good. It's followed by "It's Gospel" which is, er, a wonderfully slow and  deeply soulful gospel treasure. The appropriately monikered "Steam Heat" is a  darker, breathy gem, one for salacious crates and one of the record's most infamous  tracks. "Fly Away" is pastoral West Coast so} rock, very much in conversa2on with  John Cameron and Keith Mansfield's epochal KPM recording, Voices In Harmony. "His  Name Was" is a stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks Beach Boys accapella church-organ  stunner, whilst "Swing Over" is another carefree, richly produced sun-dappled 

smasher. The gentle Bossa and sunshine soul of the aptly-2tled "Touch Of Warmth"  closes out a virtually perfect A-Side.  

The B-Side opens with the easy grace and drama2c build of "Voice Force Nine". The  jaunty "Very Fine Fellow" may be the only track to slightly grate so we advise heading  to the slower, moody "Shades-Tones", eminently more compelling with sparkling,  hypno2c piano throughout, underpinning the gorgeous wordless vocals. Just  beau2ful. It was sampled by Redman for his Method Man-featuring "Do What Ya  Feel" on the great Muddy Waters. We're back in Brazilian territory with the cool,  uptempo "I'm Feather" before swooning to the warm, relaxed "Dri}ing", another  total highlight which was famously sampled by Koushik on his legendary remix of  Madvillain's "America's Most Blunted (Doom's Verse)". The penul2mate track, "Take  Off" is a bright, organ lounge groove before this remarkable set is rounded out by the  beaty "Fly Paradise". It's so so good, it sounds like Rotary Connec2on fronted by The  Mamas & the Papas. As noted in a recent Guardian ar2cle on Moore's life, "there is a  plushness and electricity in the 2ght vocal harmonies that spring out, sung with the  precision of cathedral choristers decades before Auto-Tune." Amen.  

In the 1960s, Barbara Moore was a member of Top of the Pops’ resident vocal harmony group, The Ladybirds and sang backing vocals for Dusty Springfield’s TV  show. Her own ourit, the Barbara Moore Singers, were regulars on TOTP, singing with  Jimi Hendrix when he performed "Hey Joe" live in Lime Grove Studios. An important  detail for Moore was the shepherd’s pie she bought Hendrix when she found him  alone, looking emaciated, near the BBC canteen. By 1970, she was working as a  session singer for De Wolfe and, by 1972, was composing her own tracks for De Wolfe  and working within their 2ght crea2ve strictures. Each short track had to evoke an  obvious mood and theme, with no significant key or tempo changes. Her response,  this very album, managed to stay between the lines while cohering as an overarching  ar2s2c masterpiece.