by Craig Lytle
During Con Funk Shun's three-year stay in Memphis, they spent long hours in the studio working with their first producer, Ted Sturges, at his Audio Dimensions Studio. From the hours invested in the recording studio, Con Funk Shun assembled a host of songs recorded in 1973 and appropriately named the collection The Memphis Sessions. From this album came the song that reflected the group's name; ironically, it is a rather short composition. The septet recorded the Marvin Gaye classic "You Sure Love to Ball" in the same year Gaye did; Con Funk Shun's rendition is a crafty blend of R&B and jazz featuring Felton Pilate's subtle, flowing falsetto tenor and Michael Cooper's vocal ad lib and jazzy guitar rhythms on the vamp. "The Way It Should Be (Felton's Song)" is a beautiful wedding song paced by piano chords; Pilate expresses compassion in each lyric and delivers a heartfelt performance in the end. On "Another World," Pilate's vocals are complemented by Paul Harrell's soulful saxophone and riffing flute solos, while Cooper lends his scintillating guitar rhythms.