Luther – Luther 1976

Most of the members of Luther had deep and shared histories when they released the first of their two albums. Namesake and leader Luther Vandross, Diane Sumler, Anthony Hinton, and Robin Clark started singing together in 1966 and were part of Listen My Brother, a workshop ensemble featured in early seasons of Sesame Street. Vandross' group signed with Avco Embassy in 1973. The deal didn't result in any commercial recordings, but they kept at it as they did assorted background work -- most famously lending credibility to David Bowie's Young Americans, a gig they landed through Listen My Brother associate Carlos Alomar -- and they eventually seized a new opportunity with the Cotillion label. By the time Luther recorded their self-titled debut, Clark had left and was replaced with Christine Wiltshire, and Theresa Reed was added to make them a five-member vocal group. There's no doubting that this is Vandross' thing -- he's the sole writer and producer and either fronts or shares the lead on every song, and the high level of finesse in the vocal arrangements sure sounds like his work. (The great Paul Riser is the only credited arranger.) Although Never Too Much is rightly considered Vandross' true debut and breakthrough, this is an accomplished first step. Both singles reached the upper half of Billboard's R&B chart. Opener and number 34 R&B hit "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)" isn't exactly "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker," but only a sourpuss could deny its joyousness; when Luther performed the song on the Young Americans tour, it caught Bowie's attention, and he reworked it as "Fascination." "It's Good for the Soul," the other single, persuasively encourages indulgence though a winding and layered groove driven in part by guitarist Alomar and keyboardist Nat Adderley, Jr., another Listen My Brother player and long-term creative partner. The consoling "The 2nd Time Around," one of two songs here that Vandross reworked over a decade later, charted as the B-side of "Funky Music" and showed that he could be a sneaky-powerful balladeer and an effective jingle writer. Another noteworthy deep cut is "Everybody Rejoice," a lively number given an even more exultant group-vocal treatment for The Wiz (as "A Brand New Day," introduced on the theatrical version by Vandross). After Cotillion deleted both Luther albums, Vandross acquired the rights to them. They remained out of print until 2024, when his estate arranged a licensing deal.