Black Gold: The Very Best Of Rotary Connection
Not your typical psychedelic pop record, this was the brainchild of Marshall Chess (son of Chess Records founder Leonard), who wanted to take the Beatles' innovations of classical instrumentation, phenomenal production values, and crazy experimentation to their extreme. He assembled a very talented team: arranger and composer Charles Stephney went on to tremendous success with Earth Wind & Fire; band member Sidney Barnes was soon to work with George Clinton; and backup singer Riperton would later make her name as a solo artist. The arrangements rely heavily on choral singing, plus organ and strings, and occasional sitar, theremin and tabla: no guitars to speak of.  The record integrates classical methods better than anything else going on at the time. This album will definitely be of interest to students of '60s psychedelia. Universal. 2006.