High Inergy - High Inergy (1981)

 When you think of great female R&B vocal groups that were active in the 1970s, High Inergy isn't a name that comes to mind. One thinks of Honeycone, the Three Degrees, First Choice, the Emotions, the Pointer Sisters, or Labelle. Under the right circumstances, however, High Inergy could have become a major force in R&B. If the ladies had been signed to Philadelphia International and worked with Gamble & Huff, Bunny Sigler, and Bobby Martin on a regular basis -- or if Norman Whitfield, Quincy Jones, or the Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards team had been in their corner -- perhaps their chops and talent would have paid off. But they didn't have the right guidance, and consequently, most of their albums were unfocused. Released in 1981, this self-titled release is generally disappointing but does have a few worthwhile tracks. The sentimental "Heaven's Just a Step Away (Every Time I Hold You)" isn't bad, and their performance of Ashford & Simpson's "Now That There's You" is enjoyable. But the LP didn't contain a strong single and has its share of inferior material, so it was added to the list of High Inergy albums that went nowhere commercially.