Sweet Talking Soul 1965-1990
08/19/2008 | Shout Factory
Lyrics from Sweet Talking Soul 1965-1990
All Music Guide Review
Amidst considerable competition in soul music, the Manhattans are often forgotten and seldom repackaged, which makes this career-spanning collection -- the first box set in their chronology -- all the more valuable. It's easy to understand the lack of recognition; the Manhattans' two pop hits were severely slick ballads that may have ruled the pop charts but never gained a foothold among discriminating soul fans. Further, their material wasn't a match for the Top Five or Top Ten soul groups of the '70s, and although they recorded at Philly's vaunted Sigma Sound studio, they naturally didn't get the high-quality charts that the O'Jays or Harold Melvin did. Still, from the mid-'60s through the '80s, the Manhattans maintained a high quality of smooth, sweet soul harmonies -- no matter how times and tastes changed. Early on it was supper-club soul akin to the Impressions, then after vocal frontman George Smith died and was replaced with Gerald Alston, slick Philly soul from Sigma Sound. While there, the group recorded the songs that led to the highest chart placing of its career -- the pop and R&B number one "Kiss and Say Goodbye" in 1976. They continued charting high during the '70s, and notched their second Top Ten hit in 1980 with "Shining Star." Although the Manhattans were superseded in the '70s by a myriad of acts doing more exciting music, their '60s output for the Carnival label holds up very well indeed; it may not equal the high example of the Impressions, but the band's high-tenor harmonies were just as exquisite. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Sweet Talking Soul 1965-1990 Track Listing
Credits of Sweet Talking Soul 1965-1990
- Peter Humphrey
- Assistant Engineer
- Elaine Mack
- French Horn
- James Mack
- Piano, Arranger, Conductor, Associate Producer
- Samuel Magad
- Violin
- Jay Mark
- Engineer
- Joe McEwen
- Executive Producer
- Phyllis McKenny
- Violin
- David McLees
- Compilation Producer
- Don Meehan
- Engineer
- Alan Meyerson
- Engineer
- Tom Miller
- Assistant Engineer
- Cornelius Mims
- Bass
- Vince Montana
- Vibraphone
- Roger Moulton
- Viola
- Don Murray
- Engineer
- Chico O'Farrill
- Arranger
- Richard Oldberg
- French Horn
- Lenny Pakula
- Organ
- Knox Phillips
- Audio Supervisor
- Kenny Present
- Engineer, Mixing
- Don Puluse
- Engineer
- Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
- Drums
- Paul Richmond
- Bass
- Bob Riley
- Producer
- Stew Romain
- Mastering
- Hahn Rowe
- Assistant Engineer
- Jerry Sabransky
- Violin
- Richard Scher
- Producer
- Theodore Silavin
- Violin
- Kenneth Soderblom
- Flute, Saxophone
- Richard Tee
- Piano
- Kurt Upper
- Assistant Engineer
- Peter Weiss
- Engineer
- Earl Young
- Drums
- Bert de Coteaux
- Arranger, Producer, Conductor
- Robert Swan
- Viola
- Marc Blatte
- Producer
- Marlou Johnston
- Violin
- Myrna March
- Producer
- Edgar Muenzer
- Violin
- Craig Mumm
- Viola
- Mary Ann Mumm
- Violin
- Joyce Noh
- Violin
- Carl Paruolo
- Engineer
- Chuck Stewart
- Photography
- Hal Neely
- Producer
- Al Pazant
- Group Member
- Edward "Sonny" Bivins
- Group Member
- Kenneth "Wally" Kelly
- Group Member
- Winfred "Blue" Lovett
- Group Member
- Ken Roberts
- Engineer
- George "Smitty" Smith
- Group Member
- Bobby Lewis
- Trumpet
- Mark Chalecki
- Remastering
- Karen Lee Grant
- Cover Design
- Lajuana Johnson
- Coordination
- David Tyson
- Group Member
- Darrell Bloch
- Violin
- Philip Hilson
- Violin
- Carol Weiss
- Violin
- Anthony Barboza
- Photography
- Richard Posner
- Violin
- Ted Brosnan
- Engineer
- Arnold Roth
- Violin
- Joe Shay
- Engineer
- Phil Terrell
- Group Member
- Robert Y. Kim
- Compilation Producer
- Mathieu Bitton
- Art Direction, Design
- Jonathan Coffino
- Coordination
- Lance McVickar
- Assistant Engineer
- Dave Barber
- Trumpet
- David Lazer
- Project Coordinator
- Larry Gottlieb
- Producer
- Adrian Da Prato
- Violin
- Bobby Martin
- Arranger, Producer
- David K. Edge
- Violin
- Joe Evans & Arthur McClain
- Arranger, Liner Notes, Producer
- Steve "Syco Steve" Williams
- Producer
- Frank Fiatarone
- Violin
- Nancy Howell
- French Horn
- Seals Steele
- Flute, Saxophone
- Michael d'Wayne Mason
- Assistant Engineer
- Ronnie Baker
- Bass
- Michael Meyers
- Trombone
- Hillery Johnson
- Executive Producer
- Dorothy Stefanski
- Editorial Supervision
- Jeff Palo
- Producer
- Pete Dauria
- Engineer
- Buddy Scott
- Producer
- Eddie Smith & the Hornets
- Engineer
- Michael Thompson
- Guitar
- Bobby Smith & His Orchestra
- Producer
- Chuck Sagle
- Arranger
- Gerald Alston
- Group Member
- Lotti Golden
- Producer
- Teddy Randazzo
- Arranger
- Martin Abrams
- Viola
- Steve Addabbo
- Engineer
- Chuck Ange
- Engineer
- John Avant
- Trombone
- Ron Banks
- Assistant Engineer
- Edmund Bauer
- Violin
- Regina Belle
- Group Member
- Stephen Berry
- Trombone
- Elmer Brown
- Trumpet
- Fil Brown
- Engineer, Mixing
- Morris Brown
- Producer, Executive Producer
- Charles Chalmers
- Arranger
- Roland Chambers
- Guitar
- Bobby Christian
- Percussion
- Liz Cifani
- Harp
- Kaye Clements
- Flute, Saxophone
- Dale Clevenger
- French Horn
- Lynn Davis
- Vocals (Background)
- Larry DeCarmine
- Engineer, Assistant Engineer
- Don Renaldo
- Horn Section, String Section, String Conductor, Horn Conductor
- Bobby Eli
- Guitar
- Jack Faith
- Arranger, Producer
- Richard Ferrin
- Violin
- Michael Foreman
- Bass
- Karl B. Fruh
- French Horn
- Terry Fryer
- Synthesizer
- Eric Gale
- Guitar
- Jim Gallagher
- Engineer
- Bob Gallo
- Engineer
- Adrian Gola
- Violin
- Steve Goldman
- Engineer, Mixing
- Elliot Golub
- Violin
- Byron Gregory
- Guitar
- Barbara Haffner
- French Horn
- Dennis Harris
- Guitar
- Norman Harris
- Guitar
- Roger Harris
- Group Member
- Keith Henderson
- Guitar
- David Hildner
- Violin
- Thomas Howell
- French Horn
- Arthur Hoyle
- Trumpet
- Peter Humphreys
- Assistant Engineer
- Natalie Jackson
- Vocals (Background)
- Morris Jennings
- Drums
- Bruce Jones
- Coordination
- Geoff Keehn
- Engineer
- George Kerr
- Producer
- Ron Kersey
- Piano
- Melanie Kocher
- French Horn
- Frank Laico
- Engineer
- Danny Leake
- Guitar
- Chuck Rainey
- Bass














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