Contact is Freda Payne's fourth American released album and her second for Invictus Records. The album was released in 1971. The majority of the material on this album contains sad themes, with the exception of "You Brought the Joy." The album begins with a dramatic 11-minute medley of "I'm Not Getting Any Better" and "Suddenly It's Yesterday," both of which were written by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. Some people thought that Holland and Dozier were trying to compete with Diana Ross's hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" as both songs contain spoken segments and dramatic musical arrangements. The only cover song is "He's in My Life", which was an album track by The Glass House featuring Freda's sister Scherrie Payne. It was written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland (under their common pseudonym "Edythe Wayne" to avoid copyright claims by their former employer Motown), jointly with Ron Dunbar.
Reception
Ron Wynn of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stating "She found her niche in the early '70s, doing silky, sophisticated pop/soul with excellent production, arrangements, and material supplied by the Holland/Dozier/Holland team."
The track, "Bring the Boys Home", was the album's most popular hit, going to No. 3 and selling a million copies.
Track listing
Later pressings contain the 1971 hit "Bring the Boys Home" in place of "He's In My Life" as the fourth track on side one.
Album credits Adapted from liner notes.Freda Payne – Contact (liner notes): 1971. All songs published by: Gold Forever Music Inc., BMI Produced by: Greg Perry, William Weatherspoon and Ronald Dunbar Arrangers: H.B. Barnum, McKinley Jackson and Tony Camillo Engineers: Lawrence T. Horn, Barney Perkins Album design/concept: CRAIGBRAUNINC Photography: Steve Berman Jacket/poster: Mfg'd by SOUND PACKAGING CORP.
Charts Album Chart (1970)PeakpositionPop Albums76Black Albums12
Singles
SingleChart (1971)Peakposition"Cherish What Is Dear to You (While It's Near to You)"Black Singles11Pop Singles44UK Singles Chart46"Bring the Boys Home"Black Singles3Pop Singles12"You Brought the Joy"Black Singles21Pop Singles52
SingleChart (1972)Peakposition"The Road We Didn't Take"Pop Singles100
References