The Manhattans - With These Hands (Expanded Version) (1970/2016) [HDtracks]

Life after Carnival Records finds the Manhattans recording for the Deluxe label, where they cut some charmers. George "Smitty" Smith had polished his God-given, captivating, crying tenor into an instrument that ranked with the greats. With These Hands is the closest the Manhattans came to recording an album of standards or pop material. The album's ten songs consist of five standards and five cold-blooded originals. You can't help but feel the aching pain in "It's Gonna Take a Lot to Bring Me Back," a minor R&B hit that had major potential; the slow weeper oozes soul. "Give Him Up" displays the quintet's lovely uptempo harmony; the shuffler unfortunately got lost as a B-side. The tear jerking "If My Heart Could Speak" is a slow, tenderly sung ballad and one of their best. Winnie Lovett, Kenny Kelly, Ernest Bivens and Richard Taylor provides splendid backing to Smitty's lead on "People Get Ready," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," "Georgia on My Mind," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and the title track, all ably arranged by Chico O'Farrill.