BLOODSTONE

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Biography
Formed in 1962 in Kansas City, Missouri, the group was originally a high school doo-wop group named the Sinceres. The members renamed themselves Bloodstone, learned to play instruments, started a funk band, and eventually moved to Los Angeles. Their eponymous first album, Bloodstone, introduced the songs, "That's The Way We Make Our Music", and "Natural High" which reached the R&B Top Ten, with "Natural High" reaching number ten on the Pop chart. Bloodstone became known for their funk/soul tracks that blended Jimi Hendrix-styled rock music with doo-wop and gospel music undertones. The groups other hits include, "Never Let You Go", "Outside Woman" and "My Lady". Bloodstone was instrumental in the "black rock" and funk movement of the 1970s, and even had a hand in the brown-eyed soul movement with some Latin music-tinged hits. Bloodstone performed with Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Elton John, and The Impressions.

They achieved a moderate comeback in the early 1980s with their album We Go a Long Way Back (1982), whose title track reached the R&B chart top five. The follow-up single "Go Ahead and Cry" reached number 18. The group continued to record into the mid 1980s. Bloodstone also starred in and wrote all the music for a film entitled Train Ride To Hollywood (1975). Founding member Willis Draffen died on February 8, 2002 at the age of 56.

Review:
This reissue of NATURAL HIGH (1996) contains several tracks that did not appear on the original release: "Girl (You Look So Fine)," "Judy, Judy," "Sadie Mae," "Take These Chains," "You Don`t Mean Nothin`" and "Little Green Apples."

Principally recorded at The Village Recorder, West Los Angeles, California and Command Studios, London, England in 1972. Originally released on London (620). If you went by the name alone, you`d expect a group of gothic heavy-metallers, but in fact Bloodstone is one of the most underrated R&B groups of the `70s. Though best known for the mellow hit that gives this album its name, the band used R&B/soul music as a foundation for a fresh new style that owed as much to the Beatles as to Smokey Robinson. NATURAL HIGH was Bloodstone`s commercial and artistic peak (it reached number 30 on the pop-albums chart). Throughout the album, psychedelic experimental touches like backwards tapes and heavily-processed lead guitar mingle with soulful ballads and hard-edged funk. The title track, a top-10 hit, is a beautiful ballad featuring classic falsetto soul vocals and jazzy guitar playing. Bloodstone pays homage to one of its rock and roll influences on a funked-up medley of "Bo Diddley" and "Diddley Daddy." The band can even take a pop song like "Little Green Apples" (one of several bonus tracks on this reissue) and personalize it in its inimitably soulful fashion.