Barbara Acklin - Seven Days of Night

An excellent second album by Barbara Acklin - and a perfect demonstration of her really unique Chicago soul talents! Acklin's really at the cusp of two generations here - at one level still with some of the sweetness of the earlier style of 60s girl soul, but at another full of the power and pride that was really flowing into other artists of the 70s - a balance that's a great summation of the unique way that Chicago artists could play both ends of the spectrum, and come up with something really unique in the process! The album includes the great cut "Am I The Same Girl", a loping soul groover that was all set to be a big single for Barbara - but for some reason, Brunswick held the tape back, stripped off the vocals, put on some piano, and released it as the instrumental "Soulful Strut" by Young-Holt Unlimited at the same time! Yet we still dig Barbara's version better, though - nestled here alongside other great cuts that include "Seven Days of Night", "A Raggedy Ride", "Go With Love", "Mr Sunshine", "Until You Return", and "Where Would I Go"