A group that should have been much bigger than it was, the 70s/80s funk/rock/R&B collective Manchild takes the gritty guitar work of masters like Jimi Hendrix & Sly & The Family Stone and adds exquisite harmonizing reminiscent of Earth, Wind & Fire to create beautifully textured music that any fan of the above-mentioned groups should definitely want to check out. This group was also the first musical endeavor undertaken by the now-legendary Babyface. This compilation disc is probably the best place to start for a good introduction to this group, as it contains material made both before and after Babyface became a member of the group, and many of the group's original albums are available only as expensive import CDs, and the original LPs/cassettes are long out of print and very difficult to come by these days.

These guys were phenomenal! I bought both albums new, and knew instantly that they were special. However a new (very progressive) power r&b/funk rock group was just too much for the "dumbing down the masses" strategy of urban radio. Too bad. These guys would have been a great compliment to the achievements of EWF, Marvin and Stevie Wonder. Of course Kenny Edmonds went on to the Deele (thanks to Midnight Star) and later vast riches and musical sterility.

Oh the shame.

What would have been, what could have been....

The title of this 1997 compilation is a misnomer, as Kenneth "babyface" Edwards was not the lead singer for the band, founded in Indianapolis in 1974. It would take three years for the group to score a hit and yes, Face shared writing credit. Manchild's lead vocalist, Flash Ferrel, had a grittier, funky tenor than Face's subdued sound, which was well suited to the band's musical style. The seven-member outfit developed a local following and eventually signed with the now-defunct Chi-Sound Records. The lushly arranged, etheral ballad, "Especially For You," went to No. 70 on the R&B charts in 1978. That track is included on this disc, which features the cuts from the two LPs Manchild released before it broke up in 1980. Manchild was a true R&B band that developed a sound that mixed elements of R&B with jazz. This CD features raw, bottom-heavy,funk-laced tracks,particularly the southern blues thump of "Don't Get Me Rowdy," penned by Reggie Griffin. Griffin, Face and band member Daryl Simmons have all enjoyed successful careers as R&B writers, producers and performers. This CD is an excellent addition to music lovers who also enjoy entertainment history.

A comment on the band. I remember these guys from the East side of Indianapolis, the "In Crowd" night club, circa 1974-5. Knew Kenny, too. But it was the BAND, Manchild, that was as progressive as they come, real "Cool People." There should be more honest-to-goodness bands like that doin' it in the clubs today.

--Majok

I had this in LP form years ago but let it get away from me. After years of searching I pretty much gave up on any hope of finding this music again. What a pleasant surprise in finding this on none other than Amazon. I am happy with this CD. It's still great and timeless music from back in the day.