The Sweet Inspirations - Let It Be Me: The Atlantic Recordings (1967-1970) (2021)

Cissy Houston, Myrna Smith, Sylvia Shemwell, and Estelle Brown had deep separate and shared histories when they became the Sweet Inspirations in 1967. That April, hot off backing Aretha Franklin and Van Morrison at the studio dates that yielded "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Brown Eyed Girl," the singers recorded their first session as headliners for Atlantic. The group left Atlantic Recording Studios with ardent interpretations of contemporary material that, depending on the source, either reaffirmed its gospel foundation or took it to church, but none of the resulting songs -- all eventual A-sides -- truly shook up the charts. This would typify the Sweet Inspirations' four years with the label. Perhaps the women were underserved. Only two of their nine charting singles were written for them, and the one that did best, "Sweet Inspiration" -- their lone Top 20 pop and Top Ten soul hit -- was dashed off by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham after the songwriting duo watched them attempt to spin gold from straw in the studio. Unfulfilled commercial promise notwithstanding, the group during these years -- with Ann Williams replacing Houston in 1969, then leaving her partners a trio the next year -- produced a high volume of powerful R&B and gospel. Beyond the singles, there are numerous deep cuts that either rival or surpass them. When the material is substandard, which isn't all that often, the leads and harmonies still stir the soul. It's all collected on this three-disc, 66-track anthology featuring the entirety of the Sweet Inspirations' first five albums, including the all-gospel Songs of Faith & Inspiration, as well as nonalbum cuts and archival selections, none of which were previously unreleased. The SoulMusic label takes great care of their subject by supplying a lengthy essay (with quotes from Estelle Brown) and all of the recording details, down to scans of the record labels and sleeves. It's astonishing that the women were so productive on their own during an era when they were augmenting live performances and recordings for the aforementioned, Dusty Springfield, Elvis Presley, and Yusef Lateef, among many others. ~ Andy Kellman