Soulful Tapestry

Album information

The name of the album was based on and inspired by Carole King's Pop/Rock break-through 1971 album Tapestry. The album contained the group's three highest charting singles including; the funky soul upbeat number "Want Ads" - In the vein of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," this single became the group's highest charting single and biggest single of their career hitting number one in June, 1971; "Stick-Up" - a similar follow up to "Want Ads," the song peaked at number eleven in the US in August, 1971; and "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Pt. 1)" - a Latin flavoured slam at a lover gone cold with similar chord progressions akin to The Isley Brothers' 1962 hit "Twist & Shout", a number fifteen hit in November, 1971.

Lyrically, the material was quietly instrumental in developing the message of female empowerment through song. With the aggressive funk music fronted by lead singer, Edna Wright's gospel growl, and lyrics centered on love abandoned and love found, female commentary on modern relationships was becoming less out-of-place. Other notable moments on the album include "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Pt. 2)" - an instrumental to the first part, the gospel-inspired "Who's It Gonna Be?," the gritty ballad "All The King's Men," and the funky bass-driven ballad "The Day I Found Myself."

Though out of print, like the group's other releases, all of the tracks on this album are featured on Honey Cone's Soulful Sugar: The Complete Hot Wax Recordings (2001, Castle Music UK). This album was also issued on CD by the Japanese label P-Vine (PCD-4958).

Production