This Time I'll Be Sweeter

Last updated

"This Time I'll Be Sweeter" is a soul ballad written by Haras Fyre (professionally known as Pat Grant) and Gwen Guthrie.

Contents

The first release of "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" was as the B-side of the May 1975 Arista Records single release "Love Blind" by Martha Reeves; both sides of Reeves' single were produced by Bert De Coteaux and Tony Silvester who had hired composers Gwen Guthrie and Haras Fyre (a.k.a. Patrick/Pat Grant) as staff writers for the De Coteaux/Silvester company Penumbra Music in 1973. The Martha Reeves version of "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" was included on Reeves' 1976 album release The Rest of My Life. [1]

Early versions

Angela Bofill version

"This Time I'll Be Sweeter"
Single by Angela Bofill
from the album Angie [5]
B-side "Baby, I Need Your Love"
Released21 November 1978 (1978-11-21)
Recorded1978
Genre
Length4:21
Label GRP Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Angela Bofill singles chronology
"This Time I'll Be Sweeter"
(1978)
"Baby, I Need Your Love"
(1979)

"This Time I'll Be Sweeter" had its highest profile incarnation as the debut single for Angela Bofill who recorded "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" for her Angie album. Bofill's producer Dave Grusin knew of the song due to his being acquainted with its composer Gwen Guthrie who he had frequently utilized as a session singer (Guthrie was a member of the chorale featured on the Angie album although the chorale is not featured on "This Time I'll Be Sweeter"). Co-released with the Angie album on 21 November 1978, Bofill's "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" single would reach #23 on the Hot Soul Singles chart: [6] although Bofill would subsequently score higher-placing Soul chart hits, "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" would remain her only single to approach the Billboard Hot 100, bubbling under at #104. A duet version with Sharon Cuneta was released and performed in the 1983 movie Friends in Love. A live version of "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" is featured on Bofill's 2006 Live from Manila concert album.

Related Research Articles

Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. In 1979, they released their breakthrough album We Are Family, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and included the 1979 US top-10 singles "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family". "We Are Family" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Reeves</span> American singer (born 1941)

Martha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and pop singer. She is best known for being the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas, which scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Come and Get These Memories", "Nowhere to Run", "Heat Wave", "Jimmy Mack", and their signature "Dancing in the Street". From 2005 until 2009, Reeves served as an elected councilwoman in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Reeves at number 151 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Cameo is an American funk band that formed in 1974. Cameo was initially a 14-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo.

Gwendolyn Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and pianist who also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, The Limit and Madonna, among others, and who wrote songs made famous by Ben E. King, Angela Bofill and Roberta Flack. Guthrie is well known for her 1986 anthem "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On but the Rent," and for her 1986 cover of the song "(They Long to Be) Close to You."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Andantes</span> American female session group

The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, the Supremes, the Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye and the Isley Brothers, among others. It is estimated they appeared on 20,000 recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sylvers</span> American R&B family vocal group

The Sylvers were an American R&B family vocal group from Watts, Los Angeles, California. They were active during the 1970s, recording the singles "Fool's Paradise", "Boogie Fever", and "Hot Line". Prior to becoming the Sylvers, the four eldest members recorded as the Little Angels, appearing on shows such as You Bet Your Life and Make Room for Daddy, and opening for acts such as Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles. During this time, they released two singles: "Santa Claus Parade" b/w "I'll Be a Little Angel" on Warwick Records and "Says You" b/w "Olympia" on Capitol Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Main Ingredient</span> American soul and R&B group

The Main Ingredient was an American soul and R&B group which had a run of hits in the 1970s, including their 1972 million-selling song "Everybody Plays the Fool".

<i>Angie</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Angela Bofill

Angie is the debut album by American R&B singer Angela Bofill. It was produced by the GRP Records label heads Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen. It was released in 1978 on the GRP label; a digitally remastered version was released on Buddah Records in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Bofill</span> American R&B singer (1954–2024)

Angela Tomasa Bofill was an American singer, songwriter and composer of Cuban-Puerto Rican origins. A New York native, she began her professional career in the mid-1970s and is most known for singles such as "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", "Angel of the Night", and "I Try". Her career spanned over four decades.

James Earl Gilstrap is an American singer and session musician. He is best known for his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.

Jimmy Maelen was an American percussionist from the 1960s to 1980s, who worked with many artists including Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Peter Gabriel, James Taylor, Dire Straits, Barry Manilow, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and John Lennon. He also played on hit records by Bob James, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Yoko Ono, Meatloaf, Alice Cooper, BJ Thomas, and many others.

<i>G. G.</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Gary Glitter

G.G. is the third studio album by English singer Gary Glitter, released in 1975.

"My Foolish Heart" is a popular song and jazz standard that was published in 1949. In the UK, the song reached No. 1 in the chart based on sales of sheet music, staying at the top spot for 11 weeks in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feel Like Makin' Love (Roberta Flack song)</span> 1974 single by Roberta Flack

"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song composed by singer-songwriter and producer Eugene McDaniels, and recorded originally by soul singer-songwriter Roberta Flack. The song has been covered by R&B and jazz artists including D’Angelo, Roy Ayers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hays, George Benson, Jeffrey Osborne, Larry Coryell, Johnny Mathis, and Marlena Shaw.

<i>Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway</i> 1980 studio album by Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Roberta Flack. Released via Atlantic in March 1980, the album features posthumous vocals by close friend and collaborator Donny Hathaway, who had died in 1979. At the 23rd Grammy Awards in 1981, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The award, however, went to Stephanie Mills for "Never Knew Love Like This Before."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haras Fyre</span> American singer-songwriter

Haras Fyre is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. After writing songs for Sister Sledge and Ben E. King early in his career in a songwriting duo with his girlfriend Gwen Guthrie, Fyre spent some time in the backing band for The Drifters, before relocating to Switzerland to become a composer of music for corporate events.

<i>Just a Matter of Time</i> (Marlena Shaw album) 1976 studio album by Marlena Shaw

Just a Matter of Time is an album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded in 1976 and released on the Blue Note label.

<i>Not a Little Girl Anymore</i> (Linda Lewis album) 1975 studio album by Linda Lewis

Not a Little Girl Anymore is a studio album by English singer Linda Lewis, first released in 1975. It was Lewis’ fourth album and it peaked at number 40 in the UK album chart. The album features, along with the lighter songs such as the cover of Cat Steven’s "(Remember the Days of) The Old School Yard" and the gentle pastiche "My Grandaddy Could Reggae", more sultry numbers such as "This Time I’ll be Sweeter" and "It's in His Kiss". Her album made clear the intention of re-branding the singer, moving her towards a more adult audience.

"Supernatural Thing" is a song recorded by American soul and R&B singer Ben E. King. The single, released in 1975 by Atlantic Records, was a No. 1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart for one week. It also reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Supernatural Thing" was written by Haras Fyre and Gwen Guthrie and was produced by Tony Silvester and Bert DeCoteaux. The song was included on King's 1975 album Supernatural.

<i>Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Fifteen</i> 1992 live album by Buddy Montgomery

Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Fifteen is a 1992 live album by jazz pianist Buddy Montgomery, recorded at the Maybeck Recital Hall in Berkeley, California.

References

  1. "Martha Reeves : The Rest of My Life". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  2. "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 13 September 1975 via Google Books.
  3. "Marlena Shaw : Just a Matter of Time". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. "Roberta Flack : Blue Lights in the Basement". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  5. "Angela Bofill : This Time I'll Be Sweeter". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 68.