Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel (Deluxe Edition) (1974/2017) [HDtracks]

Perfect Angel is the best Minnie Riperton album, and still the closest she came to stardom. Stevie Wonder chipped in on drums, keyboards, and other instruments, and also wrote several tracks. "Reasons" was her finest uptempo tune, while the title track was a wonderful change-of-pace number. She also got her biggest hit, "Lovin' You," which became a signature tune. In 2017, following numerous reissues that quickly went out of print, original label Capitol released a definitive Deluxe Edition, expanded with extended versions mixed by John Morales.

Perfect Angel: Deluxe Edition includes 11 bonus tracks to the remastered original album, making in essence an alternate, extended version of Perfect Angel. Included is a duet version of "Take A Little Trip" with Stevie Wonder; an acoustic version of "Seeing You This Way;" and an alternate take of "Lovin' You," notable for its backing by the Wonderlove band, as the hit single version only used Rudolph on guitar and Wonder on keyboards. The seven-inch single version, with a synth overdub, plus a countdown by Rudolph not on the original, is also included. A bonus to the alternate LP is a 'Perfect Angel version' of "Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down," with Wonder playing most of the instruments, along with Hubert Laws on flute. The song was re-recorded with a different producer and band for Minnie's follow-up album, Adventures In Paradise. Other cuts extend well past the LP's original fadeouts. They feature extraordinary solos and jams by Wonder and his band members, who were 20-year-old Michael Sembello and Marlo Henderson on guitars, Reggie McBride on bass and Ollie Brown on drums, with guests Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel guitar and percussionist Rocky Dzidzornu. On background vocals with Minnie are Wonderlove vocalists Deniece Williams, a future solo star, Lani Groves and Shirley Brewer, and the songwriter Yvonne Wright.