From my earlier notes on “I Loved And I Lost”:
I’ve always felt
that Chicago soul music never got the credit it deserves. … Curtis Mayfield, of
course, was the driving force behind much of this success. In addition to
writing nearly all of the Impressions’ material, he wrote hits for fellow
Chicagoans Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, and Major Lance, as well as for Aretha
Franklin and the Staple Singers. He also was a producer, started his own
successful record label (Curtom), and had a notable solo career in the 1970s. …
Most of the album cuts that Mayfield wrote for the Impressions are just as
strong as the tracks that got released as singles, in sharp contrast to the
filler that mars so many 1960 albums.
And I did get to see them live a couple years ago, with Jeremy Purifory
doing an amazingly good job of taking Mayfield’s vocal parts.
Favorite songs:
People Get Ready
Gypsy Woman
It's All Right
I've Been Trying
Grow Closer Together
It's Hard To Believe
I'm So Proud
Talking About My Baby
Just Another Dance
Amen
We're A Winner
Sad Sad Girl And Boy
Minstrel & Queen
You've Been Cheatin'
Keep On Pushing
Long, Long Winter
See The Real Me
Never Let Me Go
Can't Satisfy
And I should also mention “For Your Precious Love”, the initial hit from
the early version of the group featuring Jerry Butler.