Underated: Too Hot To Sleep - Sylvester

[Cdnbob]

Sylvester is one of my all time ultimate favourite disco artists and one of my favourite albums by him was the 1981 release of Too Hot Too Sleep on Fantasy/Honey Records. This album seems to be rarely talked about and considered one of his poorer albums - something I don't agree with at all. I think its a great album and its a nice change to hear Sylvester sing in his wonderful baritone voice.

Just wondering what the rest of you think of this great album? Thoughts? Were there any singles released from this album, any remixes for the dance floor?




1)New Beginnings (Sylvester James)01'17"
2)Thinking Right (Stephanie Bailey)04'12"
3)Can't Forget The Love (James Tip Wirrick)04'00"
4)Too Hot To Sleep (Art Posey / Josef Powell)05'20"
5)Give It Up (don't Make Me Wait) (Sylvester James / Jeannie Tracy)03'40"*
6)Here Is My Love (Sylvester James)05'03"
7)Can't You See (James Tip Wirrick)03'20"*
8)Ooo Baby Baby (Smokey Robinson)03'17"
9)I Can't Believe I'm In Love (Joyce J Murdock)04'15"*
10)New Beginnings (reprise) (Sylvester James)01'17"

[Zef]

a nice 12" remix of Give it up (don't make me wait) on UK fantasy full release, around 7mins if I remember backed with Here is my love. Thats the only one I recall.

[markydefad]

I'm a big fan of this LP--in fact, I probably played it more than any of his other more dance-oriented LPs!!! Yeah, I said it!! This LP was more in the sexy groove style...."Too Hot To Sleep" is a prime example and the great sleaze-ballad "Here Is My Love"--both exemplify the "bedroom" seductiveness of the LP. I think he hoped to get more urban radio-action from this change in style--but it didn't fare that well. The single with "Here Is My Love" b/w "Give It Up (Don't Make Me Wait)" peaked @ #44 on the Soul chart and #20 on the dance chart.

I think Sylvester's name was too tied up in disco to get radio programmers to notice the change in style and maybe there was "homophobia" at play also...he sings "Here Is My Love" with Jeanie Tracy and maybe that was kinda weird...an "out" gay guy making bedroom murmurings with a woman--BUT it was very well done!!!

DJ Jerry Bonham played BOTH these tracks at recent Remember The Party events. "Give It Up" was played at the #5 party [I think] and "Here is My Love" is on the track list of the latest party.

"Thinking Right," "I Can't Believe I'm In Love" and the cover of Smokey Robinson's "Oooh Baby Baby" are my other faves!!! Sadly neglected and UNDERRATED, IMHO.

Pulled this outta the linen closet where I store old records and am playing it now, I wanna add:

GREAT BACKING VOCALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The failure of this LP led Sylvester to Megatone Records and the "Do You Wanna Funk" era...

[markydefad]

checked AMG for their review...

4 stars out of 5 **** "TOO HOT TO SLEEP"

Review by Andy Kellman

Many overlook the fact that Sylvester was as much of a soul artist as he was a disco artist, what with his gospel roots and his ability to wrap his voice around a slow, deliberate arrangement. That's a shame, since there are soul-loving disco haters who simply avoid Sylvester's records for his disco connections, not to mention his sexual orientation. He was one of the most versatile artists of his time, singing deeply and sensually ("Thinking Right") one moment and then reaching up for a type of falsetto that will either cause your goose pimples to rise or make you run for shelter ("Can't You See"). Too Hot to Sleep is one of his most refined and laid-back albums, a consistent but unremarkable one that puts a spotlight on his crooning (best heard on his version of "Ooo Baby Baby"). The problem with this record is that it seems too much like a compromise. It's lacking in personality and hardly captures all of what makes Sylvester Sylvester. [Fantasy reissued this album in 1999 and combined it with 1977's Sylvester; Too Hot to Sleep was retained as the title.]

[SandraDee]

I definitely feel that THTS is Sly's classiest & best LP; OK there isn't another You Make Me Feel or I Need You on it but it holds together as an album better than any of his others. He actually seemed to be going for that Al Jarreau/George Benson market with this one & I really wished it had been more successful. Maybe the jazz/soul market was a tad anti-gay but I don't know why 'cos lots of jazz & soul artists were gay, just not as outrageous in the image department as Sylvester was.

[Noman]

It was a little disappointing out of my DJ perspective BITD but it has become the only Sylvester album I'm still listening to. Absolutely his best album.

[Cdnbob]

Yes its one of his best in my opinion. Very much an early sort of quiet storm style of music. It's probably his most mainstream album he ever recorded and has a great selection of songs if you ask me. A super first rate piece of work. I always liked everything Sylvester did and I remember being very pissed off and disappointed when he cancelled a concert he was doing in Calgary Canada back in around 1980 or so. Something about the contract or payment or the like. He may have been very flamboyant but I was always impressed by him as an artist/performer. He was a performer I had always wanted to meet and think he would have been a great person to sit down and have a conversation with. Its a shame he's not with us anymore.

Originally Posted by Markydefad

The failure of this LP led Sylvester to Megatone Records and the "Do You Wanna Funk" era...

Interesting. I have always wondered why he switched labels. Also wasn't this around the same time he quit working with Izora and Martha too? Mind you, I know Martha still recorded backing vocals on several of his subsequent albums.

[discoadam]

A very sexy Sylvester album to be sure. The tracks Sylvester recorded with Fantasy are all amazing.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by Cdnbob

Interesting. I have always wondered why he switched labels.

His parting with Fantasy was apparently quite a bitter one.

[Cdnbob]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

His parting with Fantasy was apparently quite a bitter one.

That's too bad.