Quad LP/Tape Poll Four Tops, The: Main Street People [QS/Q8]

[steelydave]

Released in stereo in September 1973, Main Street People was the Tops second long-player for ABC and also their second quad release - first on Q8 in late '73, and then in early '74 on QS-encoded LP as part of ABC's 'Command Quadraphonic' line.

The album spawned no less than three US R&B Top-10 singles, including the #2 hit Are You Man Enough, which headlined the Shaft in Africa soundtrack. The album features a whole host of ABC's "usual suspects" session musicians, including Wilton Felder and Larry Carlton from the Crusaders, guitarist David T. Walker, drummer Paul Humphrey, and keyboardist Michael Omartian.

Even the stereo mix of this album has never seen digital release in any format. The "official" stereo versions on YouTube seem to be sourced from a needledrop, suggesting that the masters were either "misplaced" during ABC's bankruptcy or that they perished in the 2008 UMG vault fire, which would be a shame indeed.



ABC Command Quadraphonic CQD-40012 [QS LP] ABC/Dunhill C 7023-50144 (later 7023-50144 H) [Q8]
Discogs links: US LP / US Q8 / Japanese LP
Wiki page for the album: Main Street People

Side 1

1. Main Street People (Intro)
2. I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind
3. It Won't Be the First Time
4. Sweet Understanding Love
5. Am I My Brother's Keeper
6. Are You Man Enough

Side 2

1. Whenever There's Blue
2. Too Little, Too Late
3. Peace of Mind
4. One Woman Man
5. Main Street People

 

[Q-Eight]

ABC Quad mixes were some of the best, if not THE best because they weren't held back by the limitations of SQ which, I believe, is what hurts some of the Columbia mixes.
This is a shining example of how a Quad mix, or any multichannel mix, should be laid out. Drums across the front in nice, wide stereo. Bass and Lead Vocals up the middle.
Backing Vocals in either the front corners, or the back corners. Percussion in the back corners. Some vocal echo in the rear and maybe a piano in the back center and you've got a nice, full, well-rounded mix. "Are You Man Enough" is a both a fantastic song and a great mix, and although I'm not intimate with the album, it is fun to listen to and a great snapshot of early 70's R&B coming out of Los Angeles. This stuff is nowhere near as polished as the Philly Soul stuff and far removed from the southern Stax movement. This is urban soul music and very reflective of it's time.

 

[humprof]

Finally gave a beautifully clean conversion of this tape a proper listen. What Q8 said!