Sunday Funnies-Benediction (1972)

Sunday Funnies, along with Rare Earth, were among the first all-white bands to sign with the predominantly Black Detroit-based Motown label. Formed in the 1960s, they gained some recognition after being taken under the wing of Andrew Loog Oldham, the Rolling Stones' producer and manager at the time. Their psychedelic style, influenced by soul and gospel, is clearly reflected in their two releases. The lineup consisted of Richard Mitchell (drums), Richard Fidge (vocals), Ron Aiken (guitar, bass, and vocals), and Richard Kosinski (keyboards and vocals). For a time, under Motown's wing, Sunday Funnies toured extensively, opening for Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown, and the James Gang, earning a solid reputation as a live act. Following in the footsteps of the muscular soul rock, with its rich harmonies and funky rhythms, of their first album, in 1972 they released their second album, "Benediction", in which they achieved even better arrangements and more psychedelic musical atmospheres. The raspy voice of their lead singer, the distorted guitar, a thunderous bass, and a sharp keyboard drive the album's content, as heard in the funk track "Get Funk", the energetic "Double Grace", the reflective ballad "Two Halves of a Whole", the bluesy "Keep on Trucking", the gospel-infused "Power & The Glory", the poignant "The Pillow", and the reworked version of the Motown classic "Reach Out I'll Be There". By the time the album was released, Motown had already lost what little interest it had in the band, to the point of not even bothering to promote them properly. This fact, along with other issues, would lead the band to end its days some time later, lost in the immense darkness of the tunnel of time.