Tracks :
Side A :
1. Sign Of The Times
2. Pyramids Of Love
3. Turn You To Love
4. Do It Again
Side B :
1. Ordinary Joe
2. Occasional Rain
3. Still Water (Love)
4. You And Me (Will Always Be In Love)
5. A Mother's Love
Reviews :
« This is easily Terry Callier's most underrated album. Chalk it up to the slick arrangement, jazzy charts, and funky rhythms in the heat of the disco era, but the year after Callier missed the boat with Fire on Ice, he was back with a slicker, shinier record. But, unlike its predecessor, it has no fat in the songwriting department. Leaving Richard Evans' production behind, Callier and Don Mizell enlisted Sonny Burke to produce, arrange, and conduct the large band. Callier handled a lot of the guitar work himself but he did have help from stalwart Larry Wade, his songwriting partner, and Tommy Tedesco. Also in the house was Motown's Randy Dunlap -- courtesy of Smokey Robinson -- and horn heroes Ernie Watts and Fred Wesley. The song selection here is impeccable, from the hard, growling gospel funk of "Sign of the Times" to the serpentine love song "Pyramids of Love" and a pair of awesome covers: Smokey's "Still Water (Love)" and Becker and Fagen's "Do It Again." On the former, Callier reaches deep into his mellifluous tenor bag for all the soul crooning gospel he could muster, to chilling effect. On the latter, the snaky, complex rhythms are accentuated and the horn section soars above the dense, heavily layered pumped up-tempo mix. Callier gets to hang back and enunciate, slipping his down and dirty funky tip on the lyrics. But the greatest surprise on the album is Callier re-recording his classic, "Occasional Rain." With a shimmering, sparse string section accompanying his acoustic guitar, Callier sings half an octave lower than the original as ghostly bells slip through the center of the mix. Every two bars or so another instrument is added, but the gauzy texture of the mix holds throughout. The listener keeps holding her breath waiting for a string section crescendo -- given how polished these proceedings are -- to wash over her, but it never comes, thank God. The set ends with the weakest, but nonetheless very soulful track on the album, "A Mother's Love." It's sentimental, but, given how sincerely Callier delivers his lyrics, it comes off as sincere, not hackneyed. This is a gorgeous set that showcases an entirely different side of Callier than the legends note. He is every bit as fine an R&B singer as he is a folksy soul singer. The man's voice and his sincerity know no limits and this disc is a perfect testament to his genius. » AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek
"Jazz guitarist, singer/songwriter Terry Callier enjoyed an unconventional career in music. A Chicago native, he was childhood friends with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler. He sang in doo wop groups and recorded briefly at Chess Records. Another piece of interesting trivia…he played in a folk duo with David Crosby. After a brief stint on Cadet Records provided limited success, he was signed to the jazz fusion division at Elektra Records. There, Callier enjoyed a brief renaissance recording Fire On Ice (1977) and Turn You To Love (1978). This earned him an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival and a charting single (“Sign Of The Times”) on the r & b charts. The remainder of his professional endeavors was sporadic and he never garnered sufficient acclaim, despite his talent,
Speakers Corner Records has released a 180-gram vinyl re-master of Callier’s signature album, Turn You To Love. This is a prime display of polished late 70’s soul/funk. Side One opens with “Sign Of The Times” (co-written by Callier and fellow guitarist Terry wade). It is a textured combination of studio production with horns, a heavy bottom mix and synthesizers. Callier’s lyrics have social contexts, but not quite the biting gravitas of Gil Scott-Heron or Marvin Gaye. The repeat coda is catchy. “Pyramids Of Love” has a slower tempo with exotic shading. The swirling, expansive sound permeates the easy-going vibe. The title track is more atmospheric with hypnotic string shading. Callier’s silky baritone articulates a spiritual message of love with excellent phrasing. There are subtle touches like mandolin and a well-timed guitar run. A certain highlight is the cover of Steely Dan’s “Do It Again”. Here, Callier’s smoky vocals are a contrast to the reedier vocals of the original. Instrumentally, the players distill the rhythmic essence and meticulous song construction of Becker/Fagan with excellent percussion and muscular horns and saxophone. it is more jaunty and less moody, and a jagged electric guitar solo precedes a rousing finish.
Side Two kicks off with a breezy pop-oriented arrangement on “Ordinary Joe”. Callier utilizes a higher voice register and some impressive vocalese. Ernie Watts’ tenor saxophone solo is compelling. There is an instrumental shift on “Occasional Rain”. This melancholic introspection is framed against acoustic guitar and violin. The scaled-back aesthetics are catchy and include subtle jazz inflection. “Still Water (Love)” is a great homage to the concise, melodic compositional skills of Smokey Robinson. The band engages in an evocative sway and the backup singers are terrific. “You And Me (Will Always Be In Love)” is reminiscent of the vaunted Philly sound with its patented hooks and sweet vocal finesse. There is also a nimble guitar solo. The finale, “A Mother’s Love” is straightforward maternal gratitude with an engaging Island-infused glow.
Kudos to Speakers Corner records for giving some relevance to an under-appreciated r & b performer. The overall mix is excellent with quality stereo separation. The layered acoustics are rendered with precision and mellowness. This vinyl pressing is flawless. » Robbie Gerson, Audiophile Audition, Apr 27, 2021
When you listen to Terry Callier’s music, it really makes you wonder why it took three decades after the release of his debut album for this singer to be able to live from his music. "Turn You To Love", »easily Terry Callier’s most underrated album« (allmusic.com), may in the first moment be somewhat astonishing for its rather disparate mix of numbers. Unlike the works by other soul mates, Callier’s songs demonstrate not how soul should be but rather what soul can be.
His musical language does away with angry attitudes, and cultivates instead deep and sincerely felt sentiment. This is expressed not only in sprightly funk ("Sign Of The Times") but also in moderately paced and soulful songs such as "Pyramids Of Love". His vocal prowess is shown in a wide variation of numbers – from well rounded to smoky, gauze-like phrases ("Turn You To Love"), via a rhythmically freely swinging number with a lengthy text ("Ordinary Joe"), and a narrative, meditative atmosphere ("Occasional Rain"). In between we find a fine mix of diverse voices ("You And Me") and a drop of the cultivated, indestructible groovy sound of the times ("Still Water").
Ratings :
Allmusic : 4 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.11 / 5 ; Audiophile Audition : 4 / 5
