I Wanna Be Selfish: Expanded Edition

Digitally remastered and expanded edition. Having contributed to reshaping soul music of the mid 1960s and early 1970s via other recording artists (notably Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, The 5th Dimension), Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson were a long established songwriting success before expanding on this as a recording duo in 1973. Following on from their surprisingly low-key Warner Bros. debut Gimme Something Real, their sophomore Release I WANNA BE SELFISH saw Ashford & Simpson reintegrating their trademark smooth, and joyous soul sound into the quieter moods of their debut. First single 'Main Line' (R&B #37) is an irresistible upbeat love song that made moves in the burgeoning disco scene whilst 'Everybody's Got to Give It Up' (R&B #53) maintains their effortless ability to create instant, accessible grooves. However, the album tracks are equally as strong as the singles: 'Spoiled' is a fine continuation of their debut with subtle reiterations of their immortalized Motown sound and 'Ain't That Somethin' captures the sensation of reciprocated love within just over two minutes, reprising their ecstatic vocal interplay alongside engaging instrumentation led by Paul Riser. The slower grooves of their debut return here with third single 'Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe' and 'Take All The Time You Need' amongst their most affecting ballads to date.