Perfect 10 Series: A Cappella Soul - Essential Recordings

Album Review

A cappella sensations the Persuasions have been wowing audiences since they first appeared on the scene with their debut album A Cappella on Frank Zappa's Bizarre imprint. It's not that their music was in any way "bizarre," but more that Zappa was an unabashed lover of doo wop and a cappella R&B singing and a collector of recordings. The group reached the peak of its popularity when they were asked to be part of Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light tour in the late '70s. And that's where this ten-track Rounder compilation begins (chronologically, at least), with three tracks from 1979's Flying Fish LP Comin' at Ya. These cuts are classics of the vernacular: "Cryin' in the Chapel," "Let Them Talk," and "Return to Sender." Other cuts included here are versions of Al Green's "Let's Get Married" in a medley with Harvey Fuqua's "Sincerely," the gospel nugget "Ain't That Good News," and Sam Cooke's "That's Heaven to Me." The albums these cuts were culled from were either released on Rounder or by one of its distributed labels such as Bullseye Blues between 1979 and 1988. This is a terrific little comp for the money.