Minnie Riperton had a short but very esteemed career in music. In her teens Riperton was the lead singer of a band The Gems and was affiliated early on with Chess Records. Riperton is likely best remembered for her song "Loving You" where her five and a half octave vocal stylings were highlighted. In this track, "Young, Willing and Able", a more funky side of Minnie is expressed. This song, released in 1977 on Epic, was produced by Freddie Perren who was known for producing two tracks on the Saturday Night Fever album, "I will Survive/Substitute"(produced with Dino Fekaris) and many of the Jackson Five's first hits. Minnie's sultry vocals are perfectly backed with a sprinkling of horns, electric guitar, cascading synths and smooth strings. This song just drips with sensuality. So good.
Minnie Riperton: Young Willing and Able
Ahhhh... yes! I just love to hear Minnie get a little funky! I mean, I love Minnie to death, but I sometimes find the ballads and midtempo material she's best known for these days to be a little... saccharine.
ReplyDelete(And I usually love the syrup... But I need a little more backbone in there too!)
I agree with the former speaker. This one of her best, absolutely!
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