Betty Wright - I Love The Way You Love, Atlantic K40364 Matrix Information (A Side: Stamped) : K40364 A1 BILBO | (B Side: Stamped) : K40364 B1 Zofo   ORIGINAL 1974 1st PRESS UK VINYL LP * ATLANTIC LABEL Betty Wright's second album, and a fine one it is... 'I Love the Way You Love' is a stunning collection of luscious ballads, killer funk and bluesy, jazzy contemplations.
"I Love the Way You Love" is a wonderfully constructed Soul/Blues hybrid somewhat similar to Albert King's "I'll Play the Blues for You", right down to the very King-esque, squeezed-out guitar solo. A more smooth sound is generated on the mid-tempo, blissful ballad "I'll Love You Forever Heart and Soul", showing Betty at her most tender and sweet. Drenched in strings, yet still riding a solid groove, with persistent female backings on the song's main hook. Equally lavish and deeply romantic is the slow grinding old-school soul work-out "I Found That Guy". Betty takes the listener to funk school on "All Your Kissin'..." A riveting, blasting slab of throbbing funk, featuring a spot-on, immediately gripping guitar pattern, submerged in wah wah noise. It gets particularly hot when the groove goes into doubletime in mid-song. There's a sweaty, old-time country church vibe goin' on the tambourine-heavy "If You Love Me...", perfectly suited to Betty's nitty gritty vocalizing. Sweetened with strings, but still having a solid, rock hard rhythmic bottom. "Clean Up Woman" is the stand-out, naturally... a bouncing, slow-cruisin' funk vamp that gave Betty her first No. 1 R&B hit. The gutbucket groove - check out Little Beaver's tasty guitar chops here - is kept naked as a baby, with a hint of brass here and there. Just stupendously effective, simple, hard driving funk. Betty gets back in the dark, bluesy bag that opened this LP with the haunting "I'm Gettin' Tired", a minor-keyed gem featuring some very heavy bass lines and busy, busy drumming. "Pure Love" preceded the implicit sexiness of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" by three years. This is smokingly intense, tempting, lustful soul that combines the sweet with the 'nasty'. Miss Wright then delivers a truly goosebump inducing spin on Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", making it totally her own. Also features an inspired, unorthodox arrangement, bringing together both country soul testifyin' and breezy soul jazz mellowness. She sounds just as despondent and hurt on the mid-tempo ballad "Don't Let It End This Way", a gutwrenching lament again featuring a modest but very effective string arrangement. Concluding the album on a same note with "Let's Not Rush Down the Road of Love", which has some strings on there. 

Grading scale: NM > EX > VG+ > VG > Good > Poor)

Vinyl: VG+. Signs of use but nothing that really compromises the record visually or audibly. The finish is shiny with light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Labels are superb, clean and bright without marks. Spindle shows no sign of wear. And no warps.

Cover: VG+. SPINE: Clear, readable text | SEAMS: Slight wear | CREASES: Light | RING WEAR : Light,(barely noticeable) | DEFACING: Cut-out | (Actual images so you can check the condition)

Will combine for shipping if you buy mixed singles and albums. If you buy multiple items wait for invoice with correct shipping cost.

Records are packed well with extra protection and LPs taken out of sleeves. Double-LP usually works as 1LP but no extra protection.

Tracks:

A1I Love the Way You Love3:20 A2I'll Love You Forever Heart and Soul3:40 A3I Found That Guy3:35 A4All Your Kissin' Sho' Don't Make True Lovin'2:35 A5If You Love Me Like You Say You Love Me3:10 A6Clean Up Woman2:40 B1I'm Gettin' Tired Baby2:40 B2Pure Love2:20 B3Ain't No Sunshine3:20 B4Don't Let It End This Way2:50 B5Let's Not Rush Down the Road of Love2:54