We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
Motown Records had been looking for a certain act for years. A white, rock act that could play with a soul sensibility. They found it in 1969 right there in Detroit. The band known as Rare Earth had been playing around the Motor City for years and the folks at Motown finally signed them. They recorded some songs that had been hits for the Temptations and low & behold the rock versions of Get Ready and I Know I’m Losing You did better than the Temps versions.
The band was led by singer and drummer Peter Hoorelbeke (also known as Pete Rivera). He had a powerful, soulful voice with few frills. The band also featured some solid guitar work from Ray Monette and the added sweetness of sax & flute provided by Gil Bridges.
In 1971 they recorded their 4th Lp, titled One World. It included the smash hit ‘I Just Want To Celebrate” which was everywhere that summer. It also had a nice cover of the Ray Charles classic What’d I Say.
Hoorebelke contributed a couple of topical songs, “If I Die”, written from a soldier’s perspective in Viet Nam…and “The Seed”, a song about the struggling ecology. Bridges added “Someone To Love” and bassist John Persh came up with ‘Any Man Can Be A Fool” . Monette, along with keyboardist Mark Olson and percussionist Eddie Guzman wrote a funky little number called ‘Under God’s Light”.
One World isn’t a great record…but it does have “I Just Want To Celebrate”…which isn’t nothing. My advice is to pick up the two LP Live set released later in 1971…you remember that one…it came in a cover shaped like a backpack and included long, extended jams on many of their classic tunes. For now, roll down the windows and dig in to some meat and potatoes rock ….
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