Mink DeVille had an unexpected Top 20 hit in 1977 with "Spanish Stroll". Riding on the emergence of New Wave it combined elements of soul, Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, and a spoken word section in Spanish by bassist Rubén Sigüenza during the break adding a distinct Latin flavor to it.
The album "Cabretta" received some critical acclaim in the UK music press, but the band then quickly vanished with barely a trace.
"Return to Magenta" was the follow-up album and although I remembered reading a favourable review of it in either Sounds or New Musical Express, it made few waves. I came across it some time later when browsing through the bargain bins, with the sticker showing it had already been reduced to £2.20 and then even further to just £1. With not much to lose I snapped it up, and was very pleased with myself as I thought it was an excellent album with a range of different styles.
I thought the tender ballads generally worked best and they were the tracks I most easily remembered, but there were also R&B, Latin, Motown, jazz and funk influences.
The album opens with "Guardian Angel", a gorgeous ballad with strings, gently strummed electric guitar, lyrical bass and a superb vocal. It is an outstanding song which should be much more widely known, and on its own was worth the £1 paid. It's subsequently been described as The Righteous Brothers meet Phil Spector !
"Soul Twist" is an uptempo number with 1960s R&B Duane Eddy style guitar and saxophone, although the mood then changes back again with the gentle "A" Train Lady", which has a quasi-duet with guitarist David Forman, Drifters influenced Motown backing vocals and some seductive sax. It's another brilliant track.
It's back to R&B with "Rolene". Written by Moon Martin, who is perhaps more famous for writing Robert Palmer's "Bad Case Of Loving You ( Doctor, Doctor )", it has a Chuck Berry style guitar and 60's piano.
Side one closes with the upbeat fun Latin/Jazz of "Desperate Days", with more saxophone to the fore.
Side two begins with "Just Your Friends" which has a slow, Latin beat and a long harmonica outro. The Bo Diddley driven "Steady Drivin' Man" follows and is perhaps the best of the R&B numbers here.
"Easy Slider" has a bluesy/funky rhythm, featuring piano and sax but "I Broke That Promise" comes next, another gorgeous soulful ballad, with a great vocal, strings and a Latin speak-over as per "Spanish Stroll"
The album concludes with "Confidence To Kill", a forgettable slab of R&B but thankfully it is short !
In conclusion, "Return To Magenta" easily falls into the "under rated" category, and has three memorable songs in "Guardian Angel", "A Train Lady", and "I Broke That Promise" and several more in the good rating.
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. Guardian Angel
2. Soul Twist
3. 'A' Train Lady
4. Rolene
5. Desperate Days
1. Just Your Friends
2. Steady Drivin' Man
3. Easy Slider
4. I Broke That Promise
5. Confidence To Kill
Released 1978
UK Chart Position :-
Singles :
Just Your Friends ( - 1978 )
Guardian Angel ( - 1978 )
Soul Twist ( - 1978 )
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