Family Circle - Family Circle (2014)

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.

Tracklisting:
01. Family Circle - I Hope You Really Love Me (2:26)
02. Family Circle - It Doesn’t Make Sense (4:22)
03. Family Circle - Try It, You’ll Like It (3:29)
04. Family Circle - La La So Lu cky (2:43)
05. Family Circle - Mariya (3:53)
06. Family Circle - Loving You Makes The World Go Round (2:57)
07. Family Circle - If You Really Want To Make It (3:38)
08. Family Circle - Well Runs Dry (2:41)
09. Family Circle - Change (2:42)
10. Family Circle - Bridge With One Side Down (3:18)