Wardell Piper - Super Sweet
Wardell Piper - Super Sweet (12'' Version)
Wardell Piper - Win Your Lovin'
Wardell Piper - Captain Boogie
Wardell Piper - Captain Boogie (12'' Version)
Wardell Piper - Don't Turn Away From Me Baby
Wardell Piper - If You Want To Make Love To Me
When I took a trip to Vancouver back in March, one of the goodies I picked up was a copy of Wardell Piper's awesome (and only) album along with one of its 12'' singles. Although there was writing on the cover and a cut-corner (thanks to DungeonDJ for the retouched photo!), luckily the record itself was in mint condition. Even better, the sleeve even included the original fold-out poster of the album cover. I had been looking for a copy of this album ever since I had heard its two singles five years ago, but the local record stores here never had any decent copies. I couldn't get enough of them then, and I still love them now.
Wardell, like many of her contemporaries, would get her start singing in church at the tender age of five. Years later, right out of high school, she would become an early member of First Choice appearing on singles like "This Is The House Where Love Died" and "Armed And Extremely Dangerous." Although online sources are somewhat unclear about exactly when she left the fold, (unfortunately my Japanese First Choice 2 CD compilation, with incorrect liner notes, is no help either), it seems she most likely departed the group shortly after those initial singles.
While on her own album, the singles "Super Sweet" and "Captain Boogie" were the major attractions, the rest of the record doesn't disappoint either. Definitely one of the funkiest, rawest albums I've heard from a female disco artist of the time. Besides the music, the "Eve and the serpent" sleeve photo has got to be one of the most outrageously stunning album covers I've seen on a disco record. Along with the music, one of the best things about collecting disco is admiring the album covers they got away with.
Recorded in her native Philadelphia at Alpha International Studios the record was produced by John H. Fitch and Reuben Cross—the duo who produced tracks for Carol Douglas and wrote Evelyn 'Champagne' King's break out signature hit "Shame." The daring glamour of the cover photo seemed perfectly matched to the grooves on the record. A perfect combination of funk and disco elements—the heavy horn section, guitars and bass lay the funk foundation, topped off with a lush string sweetening, giving things a classic disco finesse. It's one of those albums which manages to achieve a full, meaty sound, without sounding overly polished; every distinct element gets a chance to shine in the mix. There's a certain uncomplicated, uncluttered and (although I hate using this description) organic sound to the record, with the finished product bursting with an undiluted energy and spontaneity.
That being said, Wardell's voice is undoubtedly the big spectacle here, further highlighting the record's funk factor. I haven't heard too many of her later singles, but judging from what I have heard so far, they don't seem to approach quite the same vocal dynamism she displays on this album. She can come across as gutsy, smooth, and straightforward one minute, then comes practically unhinged the next. When she lets loose and turns almost feline; that voice cements itself as one of the boldest, funkiest elements on the record.
The opening track "Super Sweet" practically sets the template. Its steady groove openins with an infectious guitar line, propelled by a fat bassline and handclaps. Don Renaldo and his Strings and Horns sweep in later, kicking things up considerably. If you thought strings couldn't be funky, think again. Undaunted, even by a funny line like "I'm stuck on you, like glue on a shoe," or by that cute nod to K.C. & The Sunshine Band in the refrain, Wardell really gives it on this track. Her vocals seem to climb along with the record, getting wilder by the minute until she completely turns it loose at the five-minute mark. The second half of the song (which, in all, goes on for some 11 minutes on the album) is marked by a three-to-four minute break at the 7:50 mark, giving prime uninterrupted exposure to that big, bad-ass bassline.
The 12'' version mixed by Jimmy Simpson (brother of Valerie and Ray) is slightly shorter at eight minutes, replacing the funky guitars of the intro with a steady percussion lead-in, which later brings those light background synths up front. Overall, it's not quite as punchy as the album version, though it cuts a cleaner, more straightforward groove. It keeps Wardell's wild vocal runs and the basic dynamic, but cuts out the multi-layered breaks and coda at the end, instead focusing solely on the bass and percussion towards the close. That said, both the album and 12'' versions of this track are equally effective, complementary takes; neither strays too far from the other, yet each highlights different elements of the track.
Side one ends with a slower track, "Win Your Lovin'," which I wouldn't exactly call a ballad, but is perhaps the closest thing to one on this album. Despite the tempo, this song features the same meaty backing as the opening track. The bass hits real hard up front, keeping an extra tight groove moving along with the horns and strings. The percussion—especially at the 6:00 mark—keeps the proceedings consistently interesting and engaging. Of course, Wardell's vocals also deserve credit for that. Although slightly more subdued here, she still manages to sound assertive and gutsy, yet perpetually on the verge of letting out that signature wail of hers.
The side two opener, "Captain Boogie," is yet another major highlight on the album and easily one of my instant favourites. It's one of those "He's the Greatest Dancer" type of tracks, about admiring a super-cool dude at the disco, who "does his steps, smooth as silk, cool as he can be," leaving the ladies getting "satisfaction... watching him in action" calling him "the baddest cat I've ever seen." With those horns punching through right at the start, it cuts an infectiously fun, ferocious groove that never lets up. With Wardell going wild, horns blazing, guitars, and galloping percussion in full-force, this track packs a punch like nothing else on the record.
The 12'' version—remixed by Eddie O'Loughlin (producer, executive and founder of the Midsong and Next Plateau labels) and New York DJ Tony Gioe—extends the track from six minutes to just around eight. It starts off with a steadier, simple 4/4 beat and hi-hat instead of the horns and tones down some of the dynamics of the album version. The horns are much less prominent in the mix, and the 4/4 beat on the bass drum, which is practically buried on the album version, is brought right up front on the 12''. Although the 12" version is longer, the punchier album version feels so much more satisfying. It seems they took a similar approach to the "Super Sweet" mix here, but in an effort to provide a more straightforward groove, they ended up knocking the wind out of its sails, so to speak. Taking away and trimming down some of the track's most infectious elements makes this one of those exceptional moments where the 12'' version is actually inferior to the LP mix.
The next track on the record, "Don't Turn Away From Me Baby" is yet another strong selection. The tempo is a bit slower, but Wardell still scorches through this one, helped along by an especially fired up band behind her. I absolutely love the steaming, sexy, almost desperate tension of this track. The horns and strings make an especially explosive combination, building things to a fever pitch, at which point an awesome sax comes in towards the end, taking things even higher.
The album comes to a close with "If You Want To Make Love To Me," which is an improbable, though fitting finale. It reveals Wardell less as a disco temptress or uninhibited party girl, and more as a deftly clever tease—engaging, surprising, and charming you, giving just enough to leave you wanting more than you can have. Just when you thought the album had no surprises left, the chorus flips things around: "if you want to make love to me, you're gonna have to marry me." Given the typical connotations attached to disco, and the suggestions made by the daring cover shot and Wardell's wild vocal ways, it's perhaps the last sentiment ("that free love stuff, boy it's not enough") one might expect at the end of a record like this. It's an almost absurdly surprising, if not playfully subversive way to wrap things up. I suppose her inner church lady was never far behind—snakes and disco be damned.
That last track, in particular, reminded me of a couple of articles that I found about her on the 'Souvenirs' section of Victor Simonelli's excellent website vjsproductionsinc.com (one of the few sites out there featuring actual vintage disco magazine articles). There is one piece, in particular, entitled "Disco's Other Bad Girls" where expresses some mixed feelings about her image and the disco scene in general:
And what, you ask, is Wardell Piper? Backed by a troop of near-naked male dancers/or by a cageful of live tigers, Midsong's Wardell from Philadelphia wails, moans and disco-funks....outrageously mixing disco technology and ballsiness. Even those who do not own stereos have been known to buy Piper's album for the photographic update of Eve and the serpent depicted on the cover. Within tongue-shot of a python's head, Piper's frameable fantasy suggests that she does to a snake what Donna Summer does to a microphone.
Despite her claim as a goddess of disco-funk, in real life, Piper appears in a conservative business suit. No pythons, "I don't want people to label me a snake lady," she says. When I finish on stage, I don't wrap snakes around my neck. I go home to forget about that scene. After a while, disco gets on my nerves."
"Everybody associates me with sex and that just takes me out" pipes Piper....
.....As [an] uninhibited fan performed an impromptu bump and grind, Piper bumped right back. "I consider it an honor to inspire reaction like that," Piper commented later. And what did she do after the show? "I left the stage and prayed."
There is another great interview with her on the same site from August 1979—originally published in a trade magazine called Disco DJ—where she speaks more about how her gospel background shaped her views on disco:
"Then I discovered disco. It was something that brought everyone together, in some ways, similarly to gospel. People could just let themselves go on the dance floor—everyone could move, whether or not you could hustle, or just rock. Disco makes people happy. When you've finished working all day you can go to a disco and let loose."
From what I've found, there was evidently one B-side culled from these sessions called "How Long," which appears on some versions of the "Captain Boogie" 12'' single. From what I can tell, she'd release only one more single on Midsong in 1980, "Gimme Something Real"—a cover of the Ashford & Simpson song. She would then go on to record and release singles for the Prelude and Sam labels in the early '80s—among them "Come On Back To Mama" (1983, Sam) and the ice-cool groove of "Nobody (Can Take You From Me)" for Prelude in 1984—before more or less fading into obscurity thereafter.
Although I presume she would have been largely inactive in the music business since then, I surprisingly came across a single from 2004, a house track featuring Wardell on vocals entitled "Good Lovin'." Apparently a re-release of a track from 1999, it is credited to The David Banks Project featuring Wardell Piper and released on David Banks' (aka DJ Disciple) own label, Catch 22 Recordings. Sure enough, the voice was unmistakable.
Since then, there doesn't appear to have been anything more, but then again, who knows if or when she may resurface on record again. Regardless, this album remains, for me, one of the more distinctive records released by a female disco artist. With the raw, funky edge of the grooves, a voice that cuts through the mix, often with wild abandon, and of course, that unforgettable cover, it makes for a stunning, memorable, and fully satisfying—if not slightly surprising—package all the way through.
2007 CD Note: In the late '90s, the 12" versions of "Super Sweet" and "Captain Boogie" were released on a compilation CD entitled 12x12 Original 12'' Disco Mixes on a small label called Prophecy Entertainment. Not sure how good the sound quality was, however the CD was mostly made up of tracks from the Midsong catalogue, and is so far probably the only CD to focus on their output. The label itself has long since closed and its website has vanished along with it. Although there are few traces of it, evidently Amazon still has a listing for it, albeit with no new or used copies available as of this writing.
PREVIOUS RELATED LINKS:
DISCO DELIVERY #13: MOVE YOUR BODY ALL AROUND.. (FRIDAY MARCH 31, 2006)
LINKS:
WARDELL PIPER - S/T LP @ DISCOGS
WARDELL PIPER - SUPER SWEET 12'' @ DISCOGS
WARDELL PIPER - CAPTAIN BOOGIE 12'' @ DISCOGS
WARDELL PIPER IN DISCO DJ (AUGUST 1979) @ VJSPRODUCTIONSINC.COM
JOHN H. FITCH @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
JOHN H. FITCH @ DISCOGS
REUBEN CROSS @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
REUBEN CROSS @ DISCOGS
JIMMY SIMPSON @ DISCOGS
EDDIE O'LOUGHLIN @ DISCOGS
TONY GIOE @ DISCOGS
DISCO ARTICLES: 'SOUVENIRS" @ VJSPRODUCTIONSINC.COM
CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES
