24 Carat Black ”Ghetto Misfortune’s Wealth”

24 Carat Black

”Ghetto Misfortune’s Wealth”
( LP Enterprise Records, 1973 )
Catalog # ENS-1030

Tracklisting:
A1 – Synopsis One: In The Ghetto, God Save The World
A2 – Poverty’s Paradise
A3 – Brown-Baggin’
B1 – Synopsis Two: Mother’s Day
B2 – Mother’s Day
B3 – Foodstamps
B4 – Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth
B5 – 24-Carat Black (Theme)

Personnel & Credits:
Arranged By – Gregory Ingram , William Talbert
Bass – Larry Austin
Cello – Barbara Thompson, Vincent De Frank
Composed By – 24-Carat Black, The, Dale O. Warren
Electric Piano – James Talbert
Engineer – Dale O. Warren, Glenn Quackenbush
Engineer [Re-mix] – Brian Dumbroski, Dale O. Warren, Pete Bishop
Flute – Edwin Hubbard, James Terry
Guitar – Ernest Latimore
Oboe – Nick Vergos
Organ – William Talbert
Other [Art Direction] – David Hogan, Ron Gorden
Other [Creative Direction] – Larry Shaw, Ron Gorden
Percussion – Tyrone Steele
Photography – Frederick Toma
Piano, Vibraphone – Dale O. Warren
Producer – Dale O. Warren
Saxophone [Alto] – Gregory Ingram
Saxophone [Tenor] – Jerome Derrickson
Trumpet – Ricky Foster, William Gentry
Viola – Dale Warren , David Becker, John Wehlan
Violin – Albert Edelman, Joan Gilbert, Noel Gilbert, Robert Snyder
Vocals – Ernest Latimore, Kathleen Dent, Princess Hearn, Tyrone Steele, Valerie Malone

Notes:
Recorded at Morgan Sound Theatre, Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Review:
This beautiful LP was released by Stax in the early 70’s, but somehow got lost in the shuffle between all the Isaac Hayes LPs. Fortunately, it was rediscovered by the international groove community about 10 years ago, and it’s been at the top of everyone’s playlist (and want list) ever since! This is sort of a politically conscious mini-opera, or suite, with 8 tracks of spiritual funk and soul, all strung together in a righteous package that’s as perfectly-conceived as you could imagine for an independent soul release from the 70s. You’ve probably heard at least one sample from this LP maybe from the cuts “Brown-Baggin”, “Food Stamps”, or the title cut “Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth”, a great sample cut but the whole album’s great, and it totally deserves its massive reputation!.
From Dusty Groove America

By Celo