Betty Wright “Hard To Stop”

Betty Wright

“Hard To Stop”
( LP Alston Records, 1973 )
Catalog # SD 7026

Tracklisting:
A1 – I Am Woman (4:20)
A2 – Sweet Wonder (2:26)
A3 – The Experts (3:02)
A4 – We The Two Of Us (3:00)
A5 – Let Me Go Down (2:57)
B1 – Gimme Back My Man (3:28)
B2 – Who’ll Be The Fool (3:17)
B3 – The Babysitter (3:02)
B4 – If You Think You’ve Got Soul (2:15)
B5 – It’s Hard To Stop (Doing Something When It’s Good To You) (3:14)

Personnel & Credits:
Steve Alaimo Producer
Arnold Albury Keyboards
Ron Bogdon Bass, Horn Section
Fred Bogert Keyboards
Joel Brodsky Photography
Harry Wayne “K.C.” Casey Vocals (bckgr)
Willie Clarke Producer
Loring Eutemey Design, Cover Design
Fermin Goytisolo Conga
Willlie “Little Beaver” Hale Guitar, Arranger
Gary Hobish Reissue Remastering
Jeannette Holloway Vocals (bckgr)
Billy Kennedy Arranger
Al Kooper Arranger, Keyboards
Benny Latimore Keyboards
Mike Lewis Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Horn Section
Me Vocals (bckgr)
Joey Murcia Guitar
Ivan “Breeze” Olander Drums
The Perfections Vocals (bckgr)
Bobby “Birdwatcher” Pucetti Keyboards
Clarence Reid Arranger, Keyboards, Producer
Patrick Roques Art Direction
Tony Rounce Liner Notes, Images
Joanne Shelby Arranger, Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr)
Gerald “Eli” Smith Saxophone, Soloist
Vinnie Tanno Horn Section
Simon Taylor Conga
Pat Thomas Reissue Producer
Betty Wright Arranger, Vocals
Philip Wright Guitar

Review:
While Hard to Stop lacked a big classic hit on the order of “Clean Up Woman,” it was a very solid and varied platter of early-’70s soul. Distinguished by the tight, lean Miami funk-soul of the backup players (particularly guitarist Willie “Little Beaver” Hale), it did offer a couple of pretty big R&B hits with the jittery rhythms of “The Babysitter” and “It’s Hard to Stop (Doing Something When It’s Good to You),” which was about as bluesy as soul got in 1973. A far more off-the-wall highlight was the radical reinterpretation of Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman,” which changed it from a hokey pop tune into something that sounded far more grittily proud and defiant. However, it’s a pretty consistent record throughout, with other cuts of note including “We the Two of Us,” which has a great effervescent Miami organ, and “If You Think You’ve Got Soul,” which weaves in and out of a quasi-tropical groove. The “Clean Up Woman” guitar rhythm is reprised on “Gimme Back My Man,” though to less memorable effect than on the hit single.

By Celo