A MOMENT IN TIME – Introducing the Al Lloyd Orchestra
What happens when the styles of Burt
Bacharach and Quincy Jones meet the arrangements of the Frank Chacksfield and
Norrie Paramor Orchestras somewhere between 1971 and 1975?
Making its debut on the easy listening stage this year, the Al Lloyd
Orchestra delivers a magical response. Premiering as an EP (i.e. Extended Play
format of 30 minutes of music or less) on CD, as well as all the usual online streaming
platforms, four original compositions by fledgling composer and musical
arranger Mr Alex Lloyd signal a welcome return of the instrumental orchestral
sound of the early 1970s. Alex Lloyd – or Al Lloyd as he prefers to be known in
the music world – has worked with the likes of the Chairmen of the Board, the
Drifters and the Motown Studio Band, The Funk Brothers. His recent productions
include hits for Hayley-Ria Christian and Dayton Grey which includes 2 number 1
R&B hits on the Amazon R&B chart as well as a top 20 UK
Soul Chart Hit. (www.alexlloydsongs.com)
Speaking to Al before putting out this review, he tells me his music for
the EP and earlier orchestrations for Dayton Grey and Steve King (the former
lead singer of the Drifters) should best be described as ‘Easy Listening Soul’.
Listening to the four tracks on this instrumental debut EP, one literally hears
a variety of influences from the big soul ballads of Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight,
and Aretha Franklin. (See back cover picture below of the CD.) ‘I Count the
Tears’ evokes the Stylistics’ signature ‘Break Up to Make Up’, Smokey Robinson’s
‘Tracks of my Tears’ and a strong hint even of ‘Kiss and Say Goodbye’ by The
Manhattans. The expansive solo of the trombone works that evocative sense of treading
the musical line between heartfelt disappointment and hope for coming back
together in a second time romance. The listener’s mind races quickly to
connect this slow groove with Bacharach’s majestic ‘A House is Not a Home’. The
next big ballad, ‘You Don’t Have to Prove I’m a Fool’, nods faithfully to Bacharach
in singing out the empathy and bittersweet feelings of lost loves. Al’s
arrangement of weaving long flowing, gently grooving violin and piano passages together
stages an aurally scintillating space for the unnamed singer on this tune.
Again, the lyrics are cleverly reminiscent of Bacharach’s ‘In Between the
Heartaches’ dressed up in a very sassy way by that unnamed vocalist.
Addressing more directly the easy listening crowd, are the remaining two
numbers, ‘Yesterday Feels like Yesterday’ and ‘Rain on Piccadilly Circus’. One
hears a bridge literally connecting the five-decade gap between the mid-late
1970s renditions of the Frank Chacksfield and Norrie Paramor Orchestras and Al’s
compositions. The sound of strings become mellower, with plenty of oboe and gentle
piano to evoke the sentimentality of mood music capturing the emotions ranging
between regret and longing for a happier time in one’s life. Is this still Soul?
It should be, while also being easy listening.
One hopes this EP release will transform into a full-blown Album/CD
release at some point in the future. Given Al Lloyd’s immense talent and
crossover inspirations, one can only look forward to more stellar productions from
this up-and-coming orchestral genius.
ALAN
November 2022
