Barbara & Ernie: Play With Fire and Searching The Circle
From:Prelude To…
So, continuing with the theme of my last post, today I’m giving you a couple of tracks from another legendary hard to get your hands on record, Barbara & Ernie’s Prelude To.
This record goes for serious money on eBay, partly due to it’s drums being sampled by Smif-N-Wessun’s “Wrektime”, partly due to it’s lack of a single reprint, but mostly due to it’s rather excellent music.
Probably best categorized as Psyche/Folk/Soul, it’s the kind of record that could only have been made at the end of the sixties/beginning of the seventies – the album’s truly exquisite harmonies laced with a melancholy edge making it a simply sublime record to play on a chilled summer’s day.
Primarily made up of Barbara Massey, a session vocalist for artists such as Cat Stevens, and Ernie Calabria, a guitarist in Harry Belafonte’s band in the sixties, the singers were backed up by a fine selection of musicians including legendary jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. Apart from that I’m afraid I know nada about it or the artists themselves, any light that could be sown would be gratefully received.
The first song I have for your blissed out sonic experience is Play With Fire. The track starts with the most somber of folk organs before quickly slipping into an easy, laid back groove. I can not put in words how much I love Barbara’s voice, it’s got a wonderfully relaxed edge that belies the intensity that she’s putting into the vocals. The voice is so soothing and the production so subtle that it takes a moment to fully comprehend the supreme goodness of this record.
The second song, Searching The Circle, kicks off with a cheeky little snare/bass riff before the perfected harmonies kick in. This track is all about the chorus, equal to anything I’ve ever heard the Rotary Connection do even in their prime. Like Play With Fire, the way the song builds to a crescendo is truly masterful. I don’t have the greatest knowledge of the Psyche/Folk/Soul scene (who does?) but I seriously doubt that there’s much else out there as great as this.
All I can wonder is what the hell it was a Prelude To since this is the only record I’ve ever seen by them and while 100 plus dollars is maybe a bit too high, it is indeed a damn fine album. If you get the chance to get this cheaper I seriously recommend it……
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definitely on a stepney tip. the papapa chorus of circle sounds a little CSN&Y which is great- never heard of this one so thanks for the trip!
i've heard people talk about this record, and i knew it's fairly tough to come by. didn't know it could command $100.
thanks for the post. i've never heard anything from this album til now.
Goddamnit, are ya'll gonna post up every song I've been planning to?
I need to get up on my hustle faster (though didn't another audioblog just do the Barbara and Ernie LP about two months back?)
Too many audiobloggas, not enough records
either that, or too many great minds think alike.
Yeah, that's the ticket.
Kudos – "Play With Fire" is the SHIT.
like these other kids, I had heard more about this record than the actual music. Good looking on hooking some up.
lol, yeah i seem to spend at least as much time these days trying to remember if any of the audioblogs I read have posted tracks from the same album recently as I do actually selecting the music in the first place…
Still, always good to read other people's perspectives on this stuff.
I think the album tends to go for around $50 but i do seem to recall a soulstrut thread about it going for $180, that's right, one hundred and eighty dollars, on ebay last year.
Gorgeous. I wish you'd post more of it, I long to hear.
god, that's good. never heard the album, only their cover of 'someone to love' — sooo lush.
this lp is worth 100.00
it is pure magic on wax
no one mentioned the intensity of "listen to your heart"
unparalelled .
the drums on wrecktime homie
Johnny
Ernie Calabria was my wife's uncle and made his living as a guitarist and musician his entire life. He passed away several years ago and his funeral was a musical celebration with Tony Bennet amongst others performing. Glad to hear your kind comments about his music and I will pass this along to his brother and family. Barbara and Ernie were married for a time and I believe she still resides in NYC.
Thanks for the knowledge Stephen – please do pass on my best wishes – it's a great shame that the duo never got a chance to record a follow up to this great great album.
I adore them…this is one of the best albums ever!
-For Mr. Stephen Harris.
Is there any chance to get a contact with you(e-mail)? I have so many questions.
Released on CD on the Fallout label, May 2007…happy hunting !!!!
i just bought the records a reedition i beleive as it costs 29 euros
you'reright it is amazing
thanks for the info
denis