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May 1978 was certainly Linda Clifford’s month.  The Chicago songstress had taken to the top of the Billboard Disco chart – and wasn’t about to let it go for five consecutive weeks.  The bold reinvention of Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ Sweet Charity showstopper “If My Friends Could See Me Now” established Clifford in the top tier of disco superstars, and now Blixa Sounds is revisiting that golden era.  On Friday, the label will reissue four of Clifford’s albums for Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label on CD.  All four titles – If My Friends Could See Me Now (1978), Let Me Be Your Woman (1979), Here’s My Love (1979), and I’m Yours (1980) – have been expanded with bonus tracks.  This campaign marks the first time these have been reissued on U.S. CD.  A “Who’s Who” of R&B talent is represented on these albums including Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Norman Harris, Ron Tyson, and Gil Askey, all in support of Clifford’s expressive, powerhouse vocals.

Motown veteran Askey (Lady Sings the Blues) produced and arranged Clifford’s 1977 Curtom debut Linda in Chicago. That LP, not included in this campaign, found the singer wrapping her soulful pipes around disco-fied pop and R&B songs from Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green.  For her sophomore set, Askey concentrated on original material – with the notable exception of title track “If My Friends Could See Me Now.”  The effervescent showtune was given a lavish, slick, and extended disco makeover which earned the appreciation of the song’s composer, Cy Coleman.  (Coincidentally, Clifford had been an extra in Bob Fosse’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical!) Curtis Mayfield contributed three songs to the LP including “You Are,” “Gypsy Lady,” and “Broadway Gypsy Lady” (the latter co-written with Askey).  Neither of Mayfield’s “Gypsy” compositions should be confused with his prior hit, “Gypsy Woman.”  Askey also wrote the pulsating “Runaway Love,” a No. 3 R&B hit, and teamed with Clifford for the swooning “Please Darling, Don’t Say Goodbye,” the lone ballad offering.  The Jones Girls provided background vocals throughout If My Friends Could See Me Now.  The R&B top 10 album (a No. 22 entry on the Billboard 200) has been expanded with three bonus tracks, the chart-topping 12-inch mixes of “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “Runaway Love,” and “Gypsy Lady.”  (The much shorter 7-inch edits are absent.)

Gil Askey returned for Let Me Be Your Woman, as well as The Jones Girls and guitarist Keni Burke.  Guitarist Bobby Eli, branching out from his usual duties in Philadelphia, joined the rhythm section.  The double album format allowed Clifford and Askey (again arranging for an orchestra) to indulge their most expansive musical fantasies – including the closing, side-long disco version of the Simon & Garfunkel standard “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as a near-duet between Clifford and the prominent Jones Girls.  Despite the uptempo chart, Clifford still brought deep emotion to her reading of the lyrics.  Curtis Mayfield penned the driving opener, “Hold Me Close,” and Clifford co-wrote another couple of songs herself including the smoldering ballad “Don’t Let Me Have Another Bad Dream.”  Ed Fournier authored the warm, sensual title track, the album’s only other ballad.  Perhaps the most unusual choice on the LP was “One of Those Songs” by French composer Gerard Calvi with English lyrics by Will Holt.  Clifford remembered the tune from Jimmy Durante’s rendition but made it her own in the urgent dance arrangement.  “Bridge Over Troubled Water” made to No. 11 Disco, and the Clifford/Askey original “Don’t Give It Up” placed within the top 20 of the R&B chart, aiding the album on its way to a No. 26 slot on the Billboard 200.  The 12-inch version of “Don’t Give It Up” has been appended as a bonus track, along with three 7-inch single edits.

1979’s Here’s My Love took Linda in a new direction with new producers and new studios (in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles).  It was primarily produced by Juergen Koppers with arrangements by Thor Baldursson, both of whom had worked with artists including Donna Summer.  But the album also featured three productions cut in Philly with the team of writer-producers Norman Harris and Ron Tyson, as well as one produced in Chicago by Mayfield.  Harris and Tyson got both the opening and closing tracks – the sultry “King for a Night” and throbbing “Repossessed” – plus the sizzling “Bailin’ Out.”  Mayfield helmed Keith Echols and Anthony Miller’s sweet, silky ballad “Here’s My Love.”  The Euro-disco stylings of the Koppers tracks also fit Clifford comfortably, a testament to her versatility, as on the Baldursson co-write which became her eighth R&B hit, the surprisingly relaxed “I Just Wanna Wanna.”   The single of “I Just Wanna Wanna” and 12-inch mix of “King for a Night” comprise this disc’s bonus material.

Linda followed up Here’s My Love with a collaborative album with Curtis Mayfield.  (The aptly-titled The Right Combination is not included in this campaign.)  Clifford’s next solo LP, I’m Yours, reprised her memorable contribution to the soundtrack of Fame (Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford’s “Red Light,” produced by Gore and Gil Askey) but its remaining six tracks were produced and mostly written by a true legend: Isaac Hayes.  Despite recording the tracks in Atlanta (Linda would add her leads in Chicago) with a rhythm section, singers, and The Atlanta Horns and Strings, Hayes knew how to deploy Clifford’s instrument.  Hayes’ upbeat “Shoot Your Best Shot” returned the singer to the top of the Dance chart, while he also showcased her voice at its purest on mellow grooves like the slow, cool “I Had a Talk with My Man,” “If You Let Me,” and “I’m Yours.”  The latter subtly evinced the influence of Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick’s sound on Hayes.  The singles of both “I Had a Talk with My Man” and “Shoot Your Best Shot” appear as bonus tracks.

Blixa Sounds has simply but attractively packaged all four titles in sturdy gatefold digipaks with original art elements present.  Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz at d2 Mastering have beautifully remastered all four titles from the original tapes.  One only wishes liner notes with commentary from the artist and historical context had been included in these otherwise exemplary sets.  Credits for the songwriters are curiously absent, too, as they were originally listed on the LP labels only.  Linda Clifford moved to Capitol with her next release and then onto Chicago’s Red Label.  This quartet of outstanding releases from Blixa is a reminder of how well she bridged the worlds of disco, soul, R&B, and pop into a style of her own.

Linda Clifford, If My Friends Could See Me Now (Curtom LP CUK 5021, 1978 – reissued Blixa Sounds ETA 810, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. If My Friends Could See Me Now
2. You Are, You Are
3. Runaway Love
4. Broadway Gypsy Lady
5. I Feel Like Falling in Love Again
6. Please Darling, Don’t Say Goodbye
7. Gypsy Lady
8. If My Friends Could See Me Now (12″ Disco Mix)
9. Runaway Love (12″ Disco Mix)
10. Gypsy Lady (12″ Disco Mix)

Linda Clifford, Let Me Be Your Woman (Curtom/RSO RS-2-3902, 1979 – reissued Blixa Sounds ETA 812, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Hold Me Close
2. Let Me Be Your Woman
3. Don’t Give It Up
4. I Can’t Let This Good Thing Get Away
5. Don’t Let Me Have Another Bad Dream
6. Sweet Melodies
7. One of Those Songs
8. Bridge Over Troubled Water
9. Don’t Give It Up (12″ Disco Mix)
10. Sweet Melodies (Single Version)
11. Bridge Over Troubled Water (Single Version)
12. Don’t Give It Up (Single Version)

Linda Clifford, Here’s My Love (Curtom/RSO LP RS-1-3067, 1979 – reissued Blixa Sounds ETA 811, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. King for a Night
2. Here’s My Love
3. I Just Wanna Wanna
4. Bailin’ Out
5. Never Gonna Stop
6. Lonely Night
7. Repossessed
8. I Just Wanna Wanna (Single Version)
9. King for a Night (12″ Disco Mix)

Linda Clifford, I’m Yours (Curtom/RSO LP RS1-3087, 1980 – reissued Blixa Sounds ETA 813, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Shoot Your Best Shot
2. I Had a Talk with My Man
3. It Don’t Hurt No More
4. Red Light
5. I Want to Get Away with You
6. If You Let Me
7. I’m Yours
8. I Had a Talk with My Man (Single Version)
9. Shoot Your Best Shot (Single Version)