I'm H.A.P.P.Y., Yes I am, I know I am

This release couples the first two albums by the 1970s British soul band Kokomo, the first self titled album and the second Rise and Shine. The band never became enormously successful, getting stuck between a rock and a hard place as the brand of soul they epitomised morphed into disco and their natural club habitat became overwhelmed by punk and new wave. But live they were tremendous and provided me with some great evenings on the club scene in and around London. They had an extremely tight rhythm section and solo expertise in such as guitarists Jim Mullen ( for the first album only ) and Neil Hubbard and reedman Mel Collins. Keyboard player Tony O'Malley provided characterful gravelly vocals but the distinguishing factor of the band was the vocal trio of Dyan Birch, Paddie McHugh and Frank Collins and especially the vocal arrangements of Collins which drove the music along and gave a marvellous feelgood factor to many tracks. The trio were also fine solo singers in the showcases they got and it is no surprise that they continued as an entity post Kokomo, working with many other major recording artists in a backing capacity. Rise and Shine is a highly competant album with stand out anthems in the title track and Use Your Imagination. But their masterpiece remains the first album with highlights such as the soaring vocal by McHigh on Aretha Franklin's Angel, the bouncing southern beat of I'm Sorry Baby and the irresistable funk of It Ain't Cool and Sweet Sugar Thing. And all that before mentioning the band's live show stopper and piece de resistance which is the cover of Bobby Womack's I Can Understand It and the extended coda of Jim Mullen's guitar solo and Frank Collins's vocal arrangement.