Friends Of Distinction – Love Can Make It Easier / Reviviscence ‘Live To Light Again’ CD (Expansion)

Vocal harmony quartet The Friends of Distinction were formed in 1966 by Floyd Butler and Harry Elston, two members of an earlier group the Hi-Fis.
The group recorded seven albums for RCA, the final two released in 1973 and 1975 respectively, presented together here for their first time on CD. By now the female vocalists were Dani McCormick and Dianne Jackson. Both had previously sung with a rock group Walrus and went on to do other things, Dani to record with Randy Brown, Minnie Riperton and Donna Summer.

“Thumb Tripping (I’ll Be Moving On)” was the first single, released in 1972 as a title song from a hitchhiking movie. “Love Shack (Opened Up A Shop), Part 1” was the only single from “Reviviscence (Live To Light Again)”. It was written and produced by Carl Maults-By who was an A&R man at RCA, also involved creatively with Zulema. What did not become a single at the time was “When A Little Love Began To Die” so Expansion are thrilled to be able to offer this song as a 45 now for the first time. It’s a song that contributes towards the original vinyl album on RCA exchanging hands for vast sums.

Both album represent a lighter shade of soul, sometimes referred to as event ‘cravat soul’, definitively so on “Let Yourself Go” by Friends of Distinction back in 1969, released by Expansion on “Richard Searling’s Music From The Soul”.

Following the 1975 album the group retired from both recording and touring, all going their separate ways but leaving behind a quality body of work we enjoy to this day and are pleased to be able to revive.