Valerie Carter
Wild Child
CBS (US) 1978
SBP 237255 (LP) Promotional copy. White label. w/original inner sleeve (SPSE: tear on spine)
sleeve : VG+(DJS, SRW, wear on side and corner)
media : EX-/EX-(some slightly noise. some slightly hairlines that does not affect to sounds)
Featured in the first edition of the guidebook Obscure Sound. A 1978 second album—and a masterpiece—by American singer-songwriter Valerie Carter, who first gained attention through her backing vocals for James Taylor. Compared with her debut, the country and folk elements are toned down in favor of a lighter, more danceable soul/R&B direction. A2 is beautifully mellow, combining a laid-back bluesy backing with Carter’s slightly husky, wonderfully expressive voice, while B3 brings to mind Steely Dan and Donald Fagen. B5 is another highlight, a ballad filled with subdued urban mellowness. The overall atmosphere feels somewhere between Minnie Riperton and Lani Hall, with Carter’s distinctive vocal tone giving the album an especially seductive charm.
A2: Da Doo Rendevous
B3: Changing in Luck
B5: Wild Child