NUM1215
Album cover

Family Circle

Family Circle

Family Circle’s 1973 LP draws a tight ring around the most beguiling soul tropes of its era, with its full house of ambitious players and hook-laden originals. Newark, New Jersey’s Simmons siblings—George, James, Mary, Don, and David—rallied around journeyman arranger George Andrews and business maven/producer Randy Irwin, whose industry ties brought studio luminaries into the Simmons orbit: session guitar giant Cornell Dupree, guitarist/songwriter Billy Vera, and the inimitable Bernard “Pretty” Purdie on drums. Charles Simmons’ “Well Runs Dry” dipped several toes into Jackson 5-saturated waters, while “I Hope You Really Love Me” stayed together with the Al Green ethos. Where the bowling, basketball, and karate-obsessed Simmons fivesome was hitching to—thumbs unfurled and dressed to impress in Central Park on Family Circle’s back cover—is anyone’s guess, but their sparkling, layered sound, gospel-honed vocal chops, and instantly relatable melodies should’ve dropped them off on everybody’s turntable. Give Family Circle a lift, drive ‘em around awhile.

  • LP

    1 150g LP
    1 tip-on single LP jacket
    1 side-spine obi
    1 download coupon

Track List

  1. Family Circle I Hope You Really Love Me
  2. Family Circle It Doesn't Make Sense
  3. Family Circle Try It You'll Like It
  4. Family Circle La La So Lucky
  5. Family Circle Mariya
  6. Family Circle Loving Makes The World
  7. Family Circle If You Really Want To Make It
  8. Family Circle Well Runs Dry
  9. Family Circle Change
  10. Family Circle Bridge With One Side