Sing About Life

by Andrew Hamilton The Ebonys' second LP (the first was on Philadelphia International) doesn't have the highs of the Gamble & Huff production, but it doesn't have the lows, namely "Sexy Ways" and "Hook Up and Get Down," either. Their only Buddah hit "Makin' Love Ain't No Fun," charted at number 83 in 1976 but didn't make this party for some inexplicable reason. The label did, however, include that song's successor, "Neighborhood Gossip," which made some club noise but didn't chart. There's some heavy soul wailing on "If You're in Need," and "Mr. Me, Mrs. You," which producer Tony Camillo did again with Creme D'Cocoa; Jennifer Holmes, who co-leads it here, did the same on the Creme D'Cocoa version, a group whose lineup included Holmes and three former Ambassadors ("I Really Love You"). The other Ebonys were David Beasley, James Tuten, and Clarence Vaughn. Also contained here is a torchy rendition of Average White Band's "A Love of Your Own."