A product of North Memphis' segregated Dixie Homes housing complex, The Sweet & Innocent arrived during the Soulsville U.S.A. renaissance in the early '70s. While Al Bell was busy across town turning Stax into a national Black powerhouse, Ron and Sari Bledsoe's short-lived Active imprint operated out of a storefront on Chelsea Avenue, using nearby Manassas High as a talent pool. Rubye James and Linda Royston-Sweet & Innocent-joined a roster that included The Epics, First Company, and The Memphis Mustangs, groups all lost to the tide of time. The Sweet & Innocent's are a rare blend of atmospheric blues, post-Beehive girl group harmony, and Jacksons-inspired kid soul. 'Spin it one time for me,' Ron Bledsoe penned on promo copies of their January 1972 burner 'Cry Love.' Let's spin it again.
Tracks
1~1~Express Your Love1~2~Cry Love
Details
Format: Vinyl 7"Artist: Sweet & Innocent & The Memphis Mustangs
Release Date: 15 October 2021
Genre: Soul
Label: NUMERO
Distributor: Rocket Group
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