Freda Payne Albums (12)
What The Critics Say
When Freda Payne signed with the reactivated Volt label in 2000, many of the diehard soul lovers who knew her for "Band of Gold" and "Bring the Boys Home" were no doubt hoping for an album of Detroit soul and Holland/Dozier/Holland classics. But the veteran singer is more versatile than that. Before she became known for Motor City soul, Payne recorded jazz for ABC/Paramount, MGM, and Bob Thiele's Impulse! label (home of heavyweights like John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders). Payne is no more an R&B purist than Nancy Wilson (one of her influences) is a jazz purist. Recorded in 2000 and released in 2001, Come See About Me contains only a few examples of retro soul. "First Impression" and the title track (a cover of Diana Ross & the Supremes' 1964 smash) recall her soul output of the late '60s and early '70s, but the CD also offers everything from urban and quiet storm to adult contemporary. Payne (who was 55 when this album was recorded) even gets into dance-pop on the anthemic "I Live for New York City." None of the material is straight-ahead jazz, although "Let's Make Beautiful Music," "You Complete Me," and an arrangement of the standard "You Turned the Tables on Me" are the sort of mellow quiet storm offerings that one would expect from Anita Baker. Come See About Me isn't a masterpiece and isn't among Payne's essential albums, but it's a pleasant, enjoyable effort that should please her diehard fans. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Freda Payne is visually (check out the cover photo) and musically spellbinding on this awesome showcase. The 19 tracks give her room to strut her stuff and she doesn't disappoint on this palate consisting primarily of pop standards. She revisits her chart-making early-'70s days with strong deliveries of "Band of Gold," "Cherish What Is Dear to You," "Bring the Boys Home," "Through the Memory of My Mind," and "The Road We Didn't Take"; Sherrie Payne's (Freda's sister) shimmering vocal runs accentuate the latter. The five old-school tracks flow sequentially from selections five to nine, with the tenth re-addressing the CD's middle-of-the-road theme with a serving of three Duke Ellington entrees: "It Don't Mean a Thing," "Take the 'A' Train," and "In a Sentimental Mood." Every song's a highlight, but a couple of standouts are Payne's sassy update of Alberta Hunter's "Rough and Ready Man" and a medley where she impersonates Eartha Kitt, Billie Holiday, and others, eliciting howls, cheers, and ecstatic clapping from the audience. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide
'Christmas with Freda and Friends'
Release Date 10/15/1996
Tracks 11
Label Dove
See Album Tracklist and Review
'An Evening with Freda Payne: Live'
Release Date 7/23/1996
Tracks 19
Label Dove
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Skip Scarborough (Earth, Wind & Fire, Con Funk Shun, Patti Labelle) produced this pleasant collection of disco songs (many of which were club hits), ballads, and mid-tempo tracks from singer Freda Payne. There's a rousing melody that makes good use of the standard "Happy Days Are Here Again." Other highlights are the stimulating "Pullin' Back," the playful "Tell Me Please," a chugging clavinet-filled "Livin' for the Beat" (co-written by her then-husband Gregory Abbott), the soft "Just the Thought of You" (co-written by Thom Bell), and the jazzy string/sax-woven slow jam "Falling in Love," co-written by Deniece Williams. Payne's sister Scherrie Payne wrote the dynamic "Storybook Romance" and later redid it as half of Scherrie & Susaye on the 1979 Motown LP Partners. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Motown alumnus Frank Wilson (Eddie Kendricks, Lenny Williams) produced this 1977 disco-oriented album for the singer best known for her gold singles, "Band of Gold" and "Bring the Boys Home." One of the LP's singles, "Bring Back the Joy" is melodic, has two tempos, and conga breaks. Other standouts are the loping, spacy mid-tempo single " I Get High (On Your Memory)" and the coy "Loving You Means So Much to Me," co-written by Gregory Abbott of "Shake You Down" fame. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Freda Payne was a onetime flagship of Invictus, the label established by Motown mutineers Holland-Dozier-Holland. Though she only made three albums with the former Detroit hit machine, it was through the first two singles both artist and label became instantly known. Parting with Motown proved the right decision for HDH in their search for more creative recognition. Through Payne's "Unhooked Generation" and " "Band of Gold" they nurtured a newfound soul style. Combining the infectious rhythmic base of their earlier efforts with the Supremes and the Four Tops, HDH ventured into a more funk-oriented approach, with a little less emphasis on the familiar orchestration.Payne's debut album may have been a standout. By the time Reaching Out was released, Holland-Dozier-Holland seemed to have focused their attention elsewhere. They only took writing credits for three compositions, leaving the bulk to Smith and co-producer Dunbar and some ill-advised cover versions. A little less attention to the packaging would have been at its place; not even a bikini-clad Payne can make up for a tragic misstep like treating listeners to her version of "If You Go Away." Her voice remains sensual throughout the album; however, it never comes close to the spine tickling capacities of the debut. Also, Reaching Out is heavily in need of more playful album tracks like "The Easiest Way to Fall" or "Love on Borrowed Time" from her debut album. Only in one instance does Payne revitalize the memory of earlier hits: the darkly grooving "Mother Misery's Favourite Child" reflects the way she had with domestic drama. Though it can't be all blamed on Payne; if only HDH and Dunbar had supplied her with some of the quality stuff they took to the Honey Cone. ~ Quint Kik, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although much of soul vocalist Freda Payne's early '70s association with the mighty Invictus label would be fraught with stress, her 1970 debut album, Band of Gold, was nevertheless a masterpiece of epic proportions. Touted on the sleeve as "people music, for people who like pop, rhythm and blues, ballad, hymns -- just about anything," Payne's set certainly reflects that wide range and, while the overall sonic tone of Band of Gold reflects her producers' Motown history, especially across songs like "Unhooked Generation" and the Holland-Dozier penned "The World Don't Owe You a Thing," there are other more spontaneous moments here as well. With a majority of the songs co-written by Ron Dunbar, who would go on to become part of the P-Funk empire, "Payne" wowed her audience first with the top hit "Band of Gold" before diving into "Deeper and Deeper." Both are downtempo love ballads, delivered with a maturity and richness that belies much of the balladeering of the era. Other standouts include the young love remembrances of "Through the Memory of My Mind," which allows Payne's vocals to stay fully in front and even includes a subtle Shangri-Las-y spoken work bridge and the smoky intro'd "This Girl Is a Woman Now." It must be said, however, that the title song -- truly one of the greatest soul ballads of all time -- so dominates proceedings that it is very easy to overlook these other gems, one reason why Band of Gold rarely attracts much attention today. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide
