I Love You, Yes I Do: Kent Collects The Independents' "Complete Wand Recordings"

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Fans of silky-smooth, orchestral soul likely know of The Independents, the Chicago vocal group that launched the careers of producer-songwriters Chuck Jackson (not the R&B singer of "Any Day Now" fame) and Marvin Yancy. Before Jackson and Yancy went on to guide the career of Natalie Cole (whom Yancy also married) and numerous other headliners, they were part of The Independents. Ace Records' Kent imprint has recently reissued the entire Wand Records output - equal parts shimmering and earthy - of the group on Just as Long: The Complete Wand Recordings 1972-1974.

Wordsmith Jackson and pianist-composer Yancy first teamed up as part of "Iceman" Jerry Butler's famed Black Writers Workshop in Chicago, joining other fellow writers such as Terry Callier, Larry Wade, Len Ron Hanks and Zeke Grey, and Jerry's brother Billy Butler. Jackson had always yearned to be a performer, however. He and Yancy joined with fellow Chicagoans Helen Curry and Maurice Jackson (no relation) of the group Benjamin and Company to form The Independents early in 1972. Art Productions had a deal with Florence Greenberg's Wand label that saw The Independents become Wand artists. The dramatic yet sweet ballad "Just as Long as You Need Me" - complete with a lengthy spoken-word rap - made it to No. 8 on the Billboard R&B chart and even cracked the Hot 100 at No. 84.

Marvin Yancy didn't share Chuck Jackson's ambitions for the stage, and by the time The Independents' debut LP The First Time We Met was released, only Chuck, Maurice and Helen were pictured on its sleeve. All nine tracks from the LP are naturally included on Ace's collection including "I Just Want to Be There" which went to the R&B Top 40 and its B-side, "Can't Understand It" (which Jerry Butler would subsequently record with duet partner Brenda Lee Eager). "I Just Want to Be There" was credited not to Jackson and Yancy but to Maurice Barge and Jimmie Jiles. The Barge/Jiles team was responsible for five tracks on The First Time, and though it hasn't been confirmed, suspicious exist that Barge and Jiles were, in fact, songwriter-producers Jackson and Yancy.

"Leaving Me" opened Side Two of the LP, and gave The Independents their biggest chart splash when it topped the R&B countdown and peaked at No. 21 on the Hot 100. The yearning "Baby I've Been Missing You" with its warm horns and string accompanying Helen's emotive vocal, did almost as well, making No. 4 R&B/No. 41 Pop. Though ballads were clearly The Independents' specialty, they were equally well-versed in uptempo grooves. The arrangement of the proto-disco track "I Love You, Yes I Do" recalls the melodic contours of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' Motown classic "More Love." The song is also included in Tom Moulton's 1975 remix. (There's another seeming Hitsville nod with the track "No Wind, No Rain," but the original Jackson/Yancy tune bears no relation to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough.")

The Independents' sophomore album Chuck, Helen, Eric, Maurice introduced new member Eric Thomas. The new recruit would take Marvin's place on the road, and supplement the original foursome in the studio. The album premiered Jackson and Yancy's stirring "It's All Over," a No. 12 R&B/No. 65 Pop hit, as well as their "The First Time We Met." Though it shared a title with The Independents' first LP, the song didn't actually appear there. When released as a single off Chuck, Helen, Eric, Maurice, it made it to the Top 20 R&B and "Bubbled Under" the Hot 100. A reported third album never materialized, though further singles did such as the upbeat "Arise and Shine (Let's Get It On)" (No. 19 R&B) and the impassioned "Let This Be a Lesson to You" (No. 7 R&B/No. 88 Pop).

Just as Long: The Complete Wand Recordings features, in total, eight U.S. R&B Top 40 hits - and fourteen more examples of classy, top-flight Chicago harmony soul with rich instrumentation and stunning vocals. It also serves as a ground-floor introduction to the still-enduring music left behind by the team of Jackson and Yancy. Compiler Tony Rounce recounts the group's history in his fine essay, and Nick Robbins has subtly remastered all tracks. Kent is up-front about the fact that master tapes were not available for all selections here; hence, some tracks have been sourced from pristine vinyl. Just as Long is available now at the links below!

The Independents, Just as Long: The Complete Wand Recordings 1972-74 (Kent CDKEND 448, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)