Vernon Burch - Love-A-Thon (1978)

Review by Alex Henderson
Vernon Burch did his share of label-hopping in the late 1970s. After recording for United Artists in 1975 and Columbia in 1977, the Stevie Wonder-influenced singer/guitarist moved to Casablanca's Chocolate City label in 1978 with his third album, Love-A-Thon. Burch hoped that this LP would be his big commercial breakthrough, but the album received very little attention. Although competent, Love-A-Thon isn't as strong or as memorable as its predecessor, When I Get Back Home. That 1977 album was his crowning achievement, whereas Love-A-Thon is merely adequate. This isn't a bad album; gritty funk items like "Baptized in Your Love" and the title song are OK, and so are the more laid-back tracks (which include "Mama" and "Let's Make Love"). But Burch was capable of a lot more. However, it wasn't a lack of five-star material that caused this release to fall through the cracks -- a lot of albums that are merely competent become huge sellers. Inadequate promotion was the thing that caused Love-A-Thon to become a commercial flop and wind up in the cutout bins.