God's Children - Music Is The Answer: The Complete Collection (1971/2017)

Music Is The Answer: The Complete Collection is the first full length release of long lost 1971 sessions from the East L.A. supergroup God's Children, featuring eight never-before-issued tracks as well as six from long out of print 45s. "With God's Children, we thought we could speak to the people out there who were hurting, experiencing life and it's battles" states the outfit's co-founder Little Willie G. Garcia. For young Latinos Willie Garcia, Ray Jimenez, and Lydia Amescua - the main voices in the group - the door was abierto, and the time was ahora for a mixed-gender, multi-racial Southern Californian combo to stake their claim in rock 'n' soul redemption. God's Children was conceived of by Garcia and Lil' Ray Jimenez who had already experienced great regional success with Thee Midniters, crowned princes of the Eastside Los Angeles music scene, who cast the mold for brown-eyed soul and helped define West Coast low rider music in the early '60s. Thee Midniters eventually ran it's course but Lil' Ray and Willie both agreed to work together on a new project, adding a teenage girl with a big voice, Lydia Amescua - to be known as Amesqua in the group - to the mix. Inspired by the work of artists diverse as Johnny Rivers and Stevie Wonder, God's Children began to blend doo wop, funk, and choreography into their new brand of soulful sound. Studio time was booked and arranged for a 40-piece orchestra. Soon, the band was signed to the UNi label and sent into the studio for more recording, this time with Phil Spector's famed Wrecking Crew. At the time, two singles came out on UNi, but soon, dealing with label hierarchy disillusioned the band members who went their separate ways. These holy relics of Latino Rock conjure the circumstances and conditions under which they were made, and also the sounds of right now: elation and heartbreak, pride of celebration and the ceremonies of Spanish-speaking Californians, living their lives out loud, contributing to the evolution of Chicano rock from Santana and El Chicano, to the Zeros and Ozomatli.