Spread Love

As the saying goes, 'There's nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come'. 50 years since Michael Orr and Carey Harris self-released Spread Love, this iconic underground cult masterpiece is finally getting the attention it deserved all along.

A timeless release, with a sound, production and level of songwriting that could go toe-to-toe with the best, it was passed over by a number of labels back in '75, leading to Michael and Carey putting it out themselves. Spread Love radiates with a message that is as pertinent as ever - heartfelt lyrics and soaring melodies covering a spectrum of genres including modern and classic soul, gospel, early disco, and jazz-funk.

Spread Love is most known for its sublime anthemic title track. A celestial, soul-rousing cut with a message which feels more apt than ever, it was recently the centrepiece on Luke Una's É Soul Cultura Vol. 3 compilation. The album though is stacked start to finish with gems. There's a balance between beauty and sadness in the modern-soul dancer 'Here I Go (Through These Changes Again)', a song that Johnnie Taylor would later cover. It features a superb vocal performance by Michael reminiscent of Gil Scott-Heron. In fact, we remember thinking it was by Gil when hearing it in the '90s but could never find the song on any of his albums. Elsewhere, Bernardine Mitchell takes the place of Gladys Knight for 'Feelings' with her vocals resonating deep down inside.

Other highlights include the opening song, 'Ecstasy, Fantasy & Dreamland' - it is sheer brilliance with an awesome flute solo by Michael Neal. Then there's 'A Piece Of Mine' an early disco/jazz-funk instrumental with vibraphone by Bernard James, whilst 'You Opened My Eyes To The World' has a Strata East jazz meets soul quality that is spacey, uplifting, and spiritual.