Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

This was released on vinyl back in 1980 just as California's Seawind signed a deal with a new record label A&M Records. It should have worked out so beautifully and the band should have become yet another A&M success story. The band's own music was so a tasty mix of jazz and funk and pop and the players all moonlighted as session players, most notably the band's horn section supplied the stunning brass for Michael Jackson's most successful albums. This album saw the late George Duke in the producer's chair and drummer Bob Wilson once again writing powerful songs. Top that with his wife Pauline adding her gorgeous vocals and the accomplished playing of the rest of the band, this is a catchy, stylish album. And yet the band never really managed to break out beyond their cult status for fans of jazz funk and they deserved better. Highlights for me are the catchy opener "What Cha Doin" and the upbeat "Everything Needs Love" as well as the sound of "Shout", which highlights what made the band great. Nearly 35 years after it was recorded, Seawind are still making friends with those who take the time to discover their music.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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