MINNIE RIPERTON
JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS
MINNIE RIPERTON
 Minnie Riperton - Come To My Garden |
| Minnie Riperton - Come To My Garden |
The tragic 1979 death of 31-year-old Minnie Riperton silenced one of soul music's most unique and unforgettable voices -- blessed with an angelic five-octave vocal range, she scored her greatest commercial success with the chart-topping pop ballad "Lovin' You." Riperton was born in Chicago on November 8, 1947; as a youth she studied music, drama and dance at the city's Lincoln Center, and later contemplated a career in opera. Her pop career began in 1961 when she joined the local girl group called the Gems, signing to the famed Chess label to release a handful of singles as well as lending backing vocals to acts including Fontella Bass, the Dells and Etta James. After graduating high school, Riperton went to work at Chess as a receptionist; following the Gems' dissolution, she also signed with the label as a solo act, releasing a single, "Lonely Girl," under the alias Andrea Davis.
In 1968, Riperton was installed as the lead vocalist of the psychedelic soul band the Rotary Connection, which debuted that year with a self-titled LP on Cadet Concepts; the singles "Amen" and "Lady Jane" found a home on underground FM radio, but the group failed to make much of an impression on mainstream outlets. While still a member of the Connection, Riperton mounted a solo career; teaming with producer/arranger Charles Stepney and her husband/composer Richard Rudolph, she issued her brilliant debut Come to My Garden in 1970, but again commercial success eluded her grasp. After the Rotary Connection dissolved in the wake of 1971's Hey Love, she and Rudolph took a two-year sabbatical in Florida before relocating to Los Angeles, where she sang on Stevie Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale and toured as a member of his backing unit Wonderlove.
Wonder agreed to co-produce Riperton's 1974 album Perfect Angel, which contained the international blockbuster "Lovin' You; " the record made her a household name, although subsequent LPs like 1975's Adventures in Paradise and 1977's Stay in Love failed to repeat its success. By this time, however, commercial woes were the least of Riperton's concerns -- diagnosed with breast cancer, she underwent a mastectomy in 1976, later becoming a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society and earning a Society Courage Award from then-President Jimmy Carter. Riperton continued performing despite her declining condition, with 1979's Minnie the final record completed during her lifetime -- she died in L.A. on July 12 of that year. Unreleased vocal tracks with new instrumental backing comprised 1980's posthumous collection Love Lives Forever. -- Jason Ankeny
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01. Perfect Angel 02. Lover And Friend (Single Version) 03. Memory Lane (Single Version) 04. Woman Of Heart And Mind 05. Lovin' You 06. Young Willing And Able 07. Can You Feel What I'm Saying 08. Stick Together 09. Wouldn't Matter Where You Are |
10. Stay In Love 11. Inside My Love 12. Here We Go 13. Give Me Time (Single Version) 14. You Take My Breath Away 15. Advertures In Paradise 16. Simple Things 17. Light My Fire |
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01. Memory Lane 02. Lover and Friend 03. Return to Forever 04. Dancin' and Actin' Crazy |
05. Love Hurts 06. Never Existed Before 07. I'm a Woman 08. Light My Fire |
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01. Can You Feel What I'm Saying 02. Could It Be I'm in Love 03. Gettin' Ready for Your Love 04. How Could I Love You More 05. Oh Darlin'...Life Goes On |
06. Stay in Love 07. Stick Together 08. Young Willing & Able 09. Wouldn't Matter Where You Are |
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01. Baby, This Love I Have 02. Feelin' That Your Feelin's Right 03. When It Comes Down To It 04. Minnie's Lament 05. Love And Its Glory |
06. Adventures In Paradise 07. Inside My Love 08. Alone In Brewster Bay 09. Simple Things 10. Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down |
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01. REASONS 02. IT'S SO NICE 03. TAKE A LITTLE TRIP 04. SEEING YOU THIS WAY 05. THE EDGE OF A DREAM |
06. PERFECT ANGEL 07. EVERY TIME HE COMES AROUND 08. LOVING YOU 09. OUR LIVES |
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01. Les fleurs 02. Completeness 03. Come to my Garden 04. Memory Band 05. Rainy Day in Centerville |
06. Close Your Eyes and Remember 07. Oh by the Way 08. Expecting 09. Only When I'm Dreaming |
