by Andrew Hamilton
Two of Gladys Knight & the Pips' most dramatic recordings, &If I Were Your Woman& and &I Don't Want to Do Wrong,& provided the juice to send this LP all the way to #35 on Billboard's album chart. The former has evolved into an R&B classic, with remakes too numerous to mention, the most famous by Stephanie Mills. &Signed Gladys& is reminiscent of &A Letter from Tina,& an old Sue Record side by Ike & Tina Turner. Also included are two poles-apart remakes: the Fifth Dimension's &One Less Bell to Answer,& done magnificently by the group; and an excursion into funk on Sly Stone's &Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin).& The rest consists of average material upgraded by the recording skills of Gladys and her guys.