Review: “Bad Mood” by Lonnie Gordon (CD, 1993)

Today’s POP RESCUE from a fate unknown, is the 1993 second album Bad Mood by American singer-songwriter, Lonnie Gordon. Will this album cause success to be Happening All Over Again, or will it leave you in a grump? Read on…

Lonnie Gordon - Bad Mood (1993) album cover — Lonnie Gordon – Bad Mood (1993) album

This 12 track album opens with Love Can Turn Around, which drops us in with some funky guitars and bass, with playful vocals. Lonnie is soon on the microphone and the track is bright and cheerful – far from the promised ‘bad mood’. Brass punctuates this funky start, and the vocal harmonies with backing vocalist Daniele Davoli (one of the co-writers) works well. It’s a great foot-tapping start to the album that allows Lonnie to show off her vocal range.

Next up is the titular lead single Bad Mood, which continues with the funkiness with the bass that’ll no doubt lift anyone’s mood. This really is an amazing musical and vocal performance and a furthers the sound which seems new to Lonnie. It works perfectly, and the vocal energy leads me to think of early Tina Turner. Again, despite the ‘bad mood’ of the song, it is wonderfully cheerful.

That’s followed by Sing A Song, where she sounds at ease with an audience. The catchiness returns in the ‘na na na-na naa’ vocals, which are soon joined by bass and piano. These help to build the track and Lonnie again shows that she has command of the vocals and she can really deliver. It’s a delight!

Gentle synths and a soft percussive beat leads us into Little Ghetto Boy – a cover of 1970s the Donny Hathaway track. This allows Lonnie to sing initially in a much lower register, and a slower tempo. It’s clear that she’s able to hold this track perfectly, and this combination reminds me stylistically of some Lisa Stansfield tracks. The trumpets and flugelhorn throw in a moody burst that works well with Lonnie’s vocals.

Missing You is next, and this time we have a much slower tender track – opening with some lovely sounding acoustic guitars, and soon followed by some flawless whistling. Strings soon join in as Lonnie shows off her lower register heartfelt vocals again. The backing vocalists sound wonderful and could easily worked if they’d been the Bee Gees. The string section continues to make this song moody and warm as it plods along.

That leads on to lead single Gonna Catch You, seemingly recorded in front of a live audience who clap her in. This track did hit the UK singles chart, giving Lonnie her only UK-charting single from this album, where she reached #32. The funky brass section is back again, and some synths beep and pop alongside her. Lonnie’s vocals are once again flawless and upbeat, and the chorus gives Bizarre Inc’s I’m Gonna Get You a run for its money.

Following that is Happening All Over Again (’93 Remix), which is a new mix of her previous huge 1990 hit. This new mix continues to show off her powerful vocals, drops those catchy 1990 ‘woah yeah’ samples, and plies more synth effects to the track. Other than that, it’s highly recognisable and a warming wave of familiarity, and this gave the album its second single, and whilst it gave her a #1 on the US dance chart, it didn’t chart in the UK. Despite this, it’s hard to dislike this bouncy pop gem.

A thudding beat leads us into Do You Want It, alongside Lonnie’s bursting vocals and some house piano. Here, Lonnie is taking no hostages with her big booming vocals, flanked by backing vocalists and some keyboard brass. It’s another funky dance track, that should have given us a hit single, but sadly it didn’t chart in the UK.

A rain storm takes into Stay Together, and this returns us to a nice mid-tempo lovestruck song. It almost feels like we should be reading Dionne Warwick in the credits in some 1970s gem she’d silently shelved, but no, it’s an original with Lonnie on writing credits. Whilst it may not stray far from the genre, the melody, offset by a gentle flute, works really well with a miserable Lonnie.

That leads on to Your Touch, and this gives us a wonderful bass line, as breathy vocalists whisper all sexy over handclaps. A soft beat arrives, and Lonnie drops in on top with a vocal that would make Anastasia nervous. The track effortless meanders from catchy chorus to verse and back again, accompanied by saxophone that helps to add a bit more moodiness to it.

Penultimate track is the classic I Will Survive, made most-famously by diva Gloria Gaynor. Here, the song has some serious attitude added by Lonnie’s flexing vocals. She’s joined by layers of synths and synth brass over a chaotic shuffling 90’s beat. It hints towards an orchestra, but sadly the synth strings don’t quite deliver. Cookie Watkins puts in some great backing vocal harmonies with Lonnie, that really help to give it some oomph at the right moments. Vocally and musically it’s let down by its feeling like a quick and cheap filler, and the ending just seems to wander off as if bored with itself. Some real soaring strings would have given Lonnie and Cookie a wonderful sound, as we know that Lonnie can deliver the big vocals. Alternatively, a slow ballad version might have also sounded great.

The album closes with Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me, Baby, which gives us some strings and harpsichord sounds as if a work of classical music, before throwing in some drums and screeching samples. This then launches into a track that feels like it might have been hiding on a Jamiroquai or Brand New Heavies album somewhere. Unfortunately, despite its funkiness, it runs for 8m 11s, and that’s just too long. However, the piano Thank You ending is fun.

Lonnie Gordon’s lead single ‘Gonna Catch You’ (1993)

Verdict

Over all, you won’t be prepared for just how funky this album is.

If you’re expecting the big booming vocals and dance beats of her hit UK singles and previous album, then… you’ll be fine. They are here, but they are nestled amongst some wonderfully funky, smoother tracks that really get to show us Lonnie’s vocal range. She really gives her all in tracks like Bad Mood, Gonna Catch You, Your Touch, Love Can Turn Around, and the remix of Happening All Over Again.

That’s not to say that there’s a filler or a turkey – there is, mostly in the form of I Will Survive, which could have been fantastic, but this slightly different direction just takes it to a place where it doesn’t work and results in a cheapness that jars with the rest of the album’s sound.

However, the album is a great listen, and it’s a crime against music that the UK only got a waft of Lonnie on this second album’s run of singles, and more so that neither this nor her previous album reached the UK charts.

Definitely give this album a spin – you won’t end up in a bad mood.