Search - Freda Payne :: Lost in Love

"Band of Gold" and Most of Freda Payne's Best Album to Date

James A. Allio | Oakland, CA USA | 11/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Freda Payne started as a teenage jazz singer in the 60s and was courted by Berry Gordy to record for Motown, but her mother said no. When she got a little older, she signed to Invictus, the label Holland and Dozier started when the legendary songwriting/producing team left Gordy's stable, and immediately scored a global hit with "Band of Gold," which is the first track on this fine CD. Although Payne had a string of hits for Invictus, "Band" is the only one here, as the remaining 9 cuts come from her 2 LPs for ABC, 8 of which are from her best album to date, "Out of Payne Comes Love." This is jazzy supper club r&b produced like a Rufus set and highlights Payne's most adventurous and affecting vocal, especially on the swingin' title cut, forlorn "(See Me) One Last Time," exuberant "I Hear Rumors" and triumphant "Look What I Found." I remember seeing Freda lipsync the first single from this album, the seductive and insinuating "You," on "American Bandstand" way back when. She covers Stevie Wonder, Ashford and Simpson and Evie Sands as if the songs had been written with her in mind. Freda has done a lot of good, chunky work over the years, but to date, this is her finest moment, especially cuts 2-9, which all hail from the "Out of Payne" project."

Out of Payne comes Love

blue | NY | 03/21/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Though this contains her most famous Invictus hit "Band of Gold", other songs are from her ABC recordings. After she left Invictus, she recorded 2 albums for ABC "Payne & Pleasure ('74)" "Out of Payne comes Love('75)". Actually 8 songs on this CD are from the latter which is my favorite one of hers (only "Run for your life" is from the former). She showed more versatile & mature singing style, especially her jazz backgroud. You can hear the strong Jazz influence everywhere on this CD. I definitely appereciate this release though the art work is awfull and the sound quality is only so so, you will enjoy this CD if you are fan of her or you enjoy '70s Ladies of Soul or the music like Nancy Wilson's. All songs and her performance are strong, mature, sophisticated and brilliant. Get this and program your player, 8-6-9-3-7-4-2-5 which is original order of "Out of Payne comes Love"."

An All Time Favorite

John J Passantino | Fairport, N.Y. | 04/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just found out this fantastic record is now on CD. Before I had my own CD recorder I paid $25.00 to have a local studio transfer my LP to CD! That's how much I loved this album. I purchased a second copy & never play it to keep it clean for taping or making a CD out of it! There are two gems in particular here. One is a Stevie Wonder composition "Seems So Long" that I am not aware of anyone else ever recording. What a classic! Then there's the gorgeous but sad (See Me) One Last Time. Get out the hankies! My only complaint is why this collection deleted a third gem "Million Dollar Horse" in favor of "Run For Your Life." All in all, I'm delighted to have one of my all time favorite albums of ANYONE's (not just Freda's) available on CD. If you like R&B with a jazzy slant don't miss this one!"