Jerry Butler – The Spice Of Life

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Label:	Mercury – SRM 2 7502
Format:	2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country:	US
Released:	1972
Genre:	Funk / Soul
Style:	Soul

Tracklist

A1	What's So Good About It (You're My Baby) Written-By – J. Butler, S.F. Brown III	4:54
A2	If I Could Remember (Not Ever Having You) Written-By – J. Butler, S.F. Brown III	6:25
A3	I Only Have Eyes For You Written-By – A. Dubin, H. Warren	3:31
A4	That's The Way It Was (That's The Way It Is) Written-By – J. Butler, S.F. Brown III	4:59
B1	One Night Affair Written-By – Gamble & Huff	3:25
B2	A Prayer Written-By – J. Butler, S.F. Brown III	3:24
B3	Get On The Case Written-By – C. Carter, J. Blumenberg, J.D. Jones*	5:21
B4	So Far Away Written-By – C. King*	5:06
C1	I Need You Written-By – J. Peters*	5:55
C2	You Can't Always Tell Featuring – Brenda Lee Eager Written-By – B. Butler, L. Wade, T. Callier*	5:47
C3	Stop Steppin' On My Dreams Written-By – J. Butler, S.F. Brown III	3:52
C4	Baby I'm A Want You Written-By – D. Gates*	3:20
D1	(They Long To Be) Close To You Featuring – Brenda Lee Eager Written-By – Bacharach & David*	4:13
D2	Don't Rip Me Off Written-By – D. Sherman*	4:01
D3	The Masquerade Is Over / Since I Fell For You Written By [The Masquerade Is Over] – H. Smith, S. Barzman Written-By [Since I Fell For You] – B. Johnson* Written-By [The Masquerade Is Over] – B. Shefter*	6:10
D4	All Kinds Of People Written-By – Bacharach & David*	4:53

Credits

Arranged By [Backing Vocals] – Lee Charles (tracks: C3, D4), Sonny Burke (2) (tracks: A3, D2)
Art Direction – Des Strobel*
Backing Vocals – Robert Bowles*, Brenda Lee Eager, Carolyn Johnson, Deidre Tig, Earl Batts, Larry Wade, Lee Charles, Mattie C. Butler*, Sonny Burke (2), Terrence Callier*
Bass – Wayne Douglass*
Bongos, Congas – Derf Reklaw
Cello – Earl Madison, Sam Sciacchitano*
Design [Liner Collage] – John C. Youssi*
Drums – Ira "Pisces" Gates*
Engineer – Martin Feldman*, Steve Stepanian
Engineer, Mastered By – Pete Bishop
Engineer, Remix [Engineer] – Don Holden
Executive-Producer – Jerry Butler
Flute – Kenny Soderblom*, Richie Fudoli*, Rich Corpolongo*
French Horn – Dale Clevenger, Julia Studebaker*, Richard Olberg Jr.*
Guitar, Mandolin, Harmonica – Robert Bowles*
Harp – Ed Druzinsky*
Organ – Samuel F. Brown III* (tracks: A4), Sonny Burke (2) (tracks: A1 to A3, B1 to D4)
Photography By – Tom Zamiar
Piano – Samuel F. Brown III*
Piano, Keyboards [Additional] – Sonny Burke (2)
Producer, Orchestrated By, Arranged By, Conductor, Remix [Engineer] – Samuel F. Brown III*
Remix [Engineer] – Robert Bowles*, Jerry Butler
Saxophone – Roscoe Mitchell, Steele Seals
Saxophone, Soloist, Alto Saxophone – Gene Barge
Soloist, Cello – Leonard Chausow
Soloist, Flute, Saxophone – Lenny Druss*
Soloist, Violin – Joe Golan*
Supervised By [Graphics] – Jim Ladwig
Technician – Joseph Lopes*
Trombone – Billy Howell, Frank Tesinsky, John Avant, Morris Ellis, Paul Krumbaugh*
Trombone [Bass] – Ralph Craig
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Art Hoyle*, Burgess Gardner, George Bean (2), Murray Watson
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Soloist – Bobby Lewis (3)
Vibraphone, Bells, Percussion – Bobby Christian
Viola – Bruce Hayden, Isadore Zverow, Samuel Feinzimer, William Schoen
Violin – Edgar Muenzer, Fred Spector, Jerry Sabransky, Perry Crafton, Richard Ferrin, Samuel Magad, Theodore Silavin, William Faldner

Notes

Recorded at
- Universal Recording Studio (A division of Memphis Corporation), Memphis Tennessee
- RCA Mid-America Recording Studio (Studio A), Chicago, Illinois
- Paragon Recording Studio, Chicago, Illinois

Remixed at RCA Recording Studio, Chicago, Illinois

Other Versions (5 of 12)

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	Title (Format)	Label	Cat#	Country	Year
New Submission	Spice Of Life (LP, Album)	Mercury	6338 102	UK	1972
New Submission	Spice Of Life (2×LP, Album, Gatefold)	Mercury, Mercury	SRM.2.7502, SRM 2 7502	Canada	1972
New Submission	Offering The Spice Of Life (8-Track Cartridge, Album)	Mercury	7708 160	UK	1972
Recently Edited	The Spice Of Life (2×LP, Album, Gatefold)	Mercury, Mercury	SRM 2 7502, SRM-2-7502	US	1972
	The Spice Of Life (2×LP, Album, Promo, Gatefold)	Mercury	SRM 2 7502	US	1972

Reviews

thevinylrecordplayer Jan 15, 2023
While I would agree that this is a supersized, almost too much (if there is such a thing) for one sitting kind of serving of Jerry Butler, it is him in his prime. A LOT of fantastic soul grooves on this one, powered by drummer Ira Gates and bassist Wayne Douglass. Just well played, extended songs all over the place, sounding like where Isaac Hayes could have gone if he wanted a much less disco route. That production, shared by Robert Bowles and Samuel F Brown III, is as sumptuous as it gets, with strings, horns, mandolins - even unnecessary mandolins - and it's just fantastic progressive soul, Or baroque soul at the very least. The hits are all over this, including "One Night Affair", an urgent, strutting classic. The opener, "What's So Good About It (You're My Baby)" is just an epic of cool time changes, wild string bursts, and as it is throughout this album, urgent, funky drums. Check it out one LP worth of tunes at a time, and it might end up your favorite double LP ever.