The Softones - Carla My Love (1998)

The Softones at their very best. Marvin Brown and the rest of this Baltimore, MD vocal group give us those classic Sweet Soulful Sounds. A timeless journey into "Old School Harmony",features their signature "Carla My Love" and other favorites.

Softones are a "Sweet Soul" group from the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Their biggest hits were: "My Dream", "Can't Help Falling in Love", "I'm Gonna Prove It", "Carla My Love", and "That Old Black Magic". The group recorded for the Avco and H&L Record label, in the early to mid 1970s. They were a very underrated singing group, whose initial breakout recordings were blessed with superb production. A single listen to the lush production of "My Dream" transforms you to another place, a magical kingdom, with the majestic use of strings and French horns that is this tune's opening signature... in the same fashion as Thom Bell's early arrangements for The Delfonics and the Stylistics. Lead singer Marvin Brown's high falsetto, similar to that of Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey, only higher and smoother and almost as instantly recognizable. The group also featured signers Steven Jackson, Elton Lynch and Byron Summerville. Like The Stylistics, The Softones were also produced by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, Joseph E. Levine, and the late Van McCoy, whose orchestra, comprising the top New York session players of the era, served as the house band for many of these Avco recording. This Forevermore Records release is the group’s Sophomore effort for the label, recorded in 1998 and produced by label president Christopher Biehler (Russell Thompkins, Jr. & The Stylistics, Bill Doggett, Hank Ballard, Jay Proctor & The Techniques, Legendary Dukes)