Kim Weston - Kim Kim Kim (Volt, 1970)

Would you believe that one of my all-time favorite male-female duet performance happens to be Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston's "It Takes Two"? In fact, I think that song is one of the greatest singles from Tamla/Motown's classic mid-1960s period. While Gaye would go on to have considerable success as a Barry Gordy-affiliated artist until the early 1980s, Weston never seemed to receive the commercial success that a singer of her talent deserved. By 1967, she left the label on bad terms and spent time recording for MGM, People, and Stax/Volt for the remainder of the decade. Despite the quality of much of this material, none of her singles or albums made an impact on the charts. Weston, however, did enjoy a bit of a renaissance during the 1980s in the UK thanks to Northern Soul fans who have always held her in high esteem.


Kim Kim Kim was the singer's lone album for Stax/Volt and dates from 1970, although I've also seen 1971 listed as the year of its release. Very much a product of its time, the record was part of the label's more ostensibly Afrocentric "Mikim Series," whose logo was a black woman in attire similar to what Weston sports on the cover of this LP. Despite outward appearances, this is not really a Black Power album. With production from Isaac Hayes, Al Bell, and Clarence Pauling, much of the material unsurprisingly has a pronounced late 1960s-early 1970s Memphis feel to it, although you can still hear traces of the Motown Sound on certain numbers as well. Overall, this is a fantastic LP with a very nice variety of songs that has yet to receive its just due. Magnificently orchestrated tracks such as "You Just Don't Know" (dig the punchy bass guitar throughout), "The Love I've Been Looking For," "What Could Be Better," "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby," "Buy Myself a Man," and "Penny Blues" perfectly balance the heavier almost-funk sounds of "Love Vibrations," "Soul on Fire," and "Brothers & Sisters (Get Together)," with the last item being Kim Kim Kim's lone example of a racial and politically-themed piece. Further adding to the album's eclectic nature, "Got to Get You Off My Mind" harkens back to Weston's days in Detroit, while "The Choice Is Up to You (Walk with Me Jesus)" finds her capably handling gospel.

KIM WESTON PERFORMS AT WATTSTAX IN 1972 WHILE JESSE
JACKSON GIVES THE BLACK POWER SALUTE IN THE BACKGROUND

1. You Just Don't Know
2. The Love I've Been Looking For
3. What Could Be Better
4. When Something Is Wrong with My Baby
5. Love Vibrations
6. Buy Myself a Man
7. Got to Get You Off My Mind
8. Soul on Fire
9. Brothers and Sisters (Get Together)
10. Penny Blues
11. The Choice Is Up to You (Walk with Me Jesus)