I was playing this album in the car and my husband asked me, “Who is this?” It was then I had the sudden realization I was old. I guess the collection of vintage T-shirts and gray hair should have been a clue.
Still, it was shocking the younger members of the LGBT community have no first-hand recollection of Sylvester. Actually, Sylvester’s death was well before I came out. I didn’t find him, and my musical self, until later.
Now, many more have the opportunity to discover not only a gay icon, but fantastic disco music which still stands the test of time. Originally released in August 1978, Step II has been captured in all its glory by Craft Recording, who painstakingly prepared it for digital release to coincide with Gay Pride and Black Music Month.
The album, produced by Sylvester with Harvey Faqua, is musically ambitious. Sylvester’s fashion sense and flair often got more attention than his musicianship, but songs like “Dance (Disco Heat)” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” are disco classics.
With unmistakable grooves, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Step II was played by top-flight R&B musicians to Sylvester’s arrangements. Drummer Randy Merritt and bassist Bob Kingson did most of the rhythm section’s heavy lifting – without the aid of Pro Tools and studio trickery. Soul giants James Jamerson Jr. and James Gadson bring the funk on “Just You and Me, Forever.”
The real star, however, is Sylvester with his stunning and soulful falsetto on standout tracks like “Was It Something I Said,” with their excellent vocal arrangements. As an added bonus, you get Two Tons O’ Fun – Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes, the ladies who would soon become the Weather Girls (“It’s Raining Men“).
Returning to Sylvester’s Step II is a perfect way to not only celebrate Gay Pride Month, but to relive great music from the height of the disco era.
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