2010 · USBest editionCD
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab — UDCD 781
0 digital
The MFSL gold CD is highly praised on SHF for its warm, natural tone and superior detail, considered one of the best digital versions of the album.
Curtis was recorded at several studios in Chicago in 1970, primarily at Curtis Mayfield's own Curtom Records facility, which allowed him greater creative control over the production process. The album was produced by Curtis Mayfield himself along with engineer and collaborator Eddie Thomas, reflecting Mayfield's hands-on approach to craftsmanship and arrangement. The production utilized multitrack recording techniques that were contemporary for the early 1970s, with Mayfield playing multiple instruments including guitar and keyboards on various tracks. The album marked a significant moment in soul music production, as it demonstrated the viability of independent Black-owned record labels producing commercially successful and artistically sophisticated work. Curtis served as the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film of the same name, and its success established Mayfield as a major force in both cinema scoring and popular music production.
Tracklist · 17 tracks
- 1(Don’t Worry) If There Is a Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go7:51
- 2The Other Side of Town4:02
- 3The Makings of You3:44
- 4We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue6:06
- 5Move on Up (extended version)8:55
- 6Miss Black America2:59
- 7Wild and Free3:16
- 8Give It Up3:49
- 9Power to the People (demo version)2:47
- 10Underground (demo version)3:12
- 11Ghetto Child (demo version)5:10
- 12Readings in Astrology (demo version)3:31
- 13Suffer (demo version)2:32
- 14Miss Black America (demo version)2:23
- 15The Makings of You (Backing Track, take 32)4:35
- 16(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below We’re All Going to Go (Backing Track, take 1 & 2)4:18
- 17(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below We’re All Going to Go (single version)3:27
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