Osborne Smith - The Eyes of Love

Osborne Smith - The Eyes of Love - Argo LP 4000 - Argo Original Pressing, White Promo Label, Mono

Osborne Smith - Vocals
Richard Evans - Bass
Ronald Wilson - Flute
Roland Faulkner - Guitar
Marshall Thompson - Drums

Recorded - May 18 & 25, 1960, Ter-Mar Recording Studio, Chicago

Supervision - Jack Tracy
Engineer - Ron Malo
Cover - Don Bronstein

Released - 1961?

I think that this must be the strangest LP ever released by Argo. Ostensibly presented as a jazz/pop vocal side as the first release of the 4000 series, it then veers into spoken word/poetry, cabaret, and sometimes opera.

I don't think it works as a coherent LP side, but as a historical document, it does provide some fascinating insight into the spectrum of African American masculinity of the early 1960s from Paul Robeson, James Baldwin, and Miles. Of course, this release sunk without trace in 1961, and is one of the most obscure Argos. Ok fidelity after some slight restoration from the original White promo Argo vinyl.

Get it