{"product_id":"spread-love-vinyl-lp-cd","title":"Spread Love – Vinyl LP\/CD","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e*PLEASE NOTE: This is a pre-order only of this vinyl LP\/CD, and will be shipping 6th November 2026*\u2028\u2028\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you order additional products from our site they will be sent out with 'Spread Love', so please place a separate order for those.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1. Ecstasy, Fantasy \u0026amp; Dreamland \/ 2. Let Me Be With You Awhile \/ 3. Here I Go (Through These Changes Again) \/ 4. Feelings \/5. A Piece Of Mine \/ 6. Spread Love \/ 7. Keep My Fire Burning \/ 8. You Opened My Eyes To The World \/ 9. Afterwhile\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the saying goes, ‘There's nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come’. \u003cstrong\u003e50 years since Michael Orr and Carey Harris self-released \u003cem\u003eSpread Love\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, this iconic \u003cstrong\u003eunderground cult masterpiece \u003c\/strong\u003eis finally getting the attention it’s deserved all along.\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003etimeless release\u003c\/strong\u003e, with a sound, production and level of songwriting that could go \u003cstrong\u003etoe-to-toe with the best\u003c\/strong\u003e, it was passed over by a number of labels back in ’75, leading to Michael and Carey putting it out themselves. \u003cem\u003eSpread Love\u003c\/em\u003e radiates with a message that is as pertinent as ever - \u003cstrong\u003eheartfelt lyrics and soaring melodies \u003c\/strong\u003ecovering a spectrum of genres including \u003cstrong\u003emodern and classic soul, gospel, early disco, and jazz-funk\u003c\/strong\u003e. What was too quickly cast aside back then has found its destiny all these years on as a \u003cstrong\u003eprized and cherished\u003c\/strong\u003e album for collectors, DJs and music lovers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaised in Detroit before moving to\u003cstrong\u003e rural West Virginia\u003c\/strong\u003e, Michael learned to play piano at a young age copying his cousin with what his mother deemed ‘perfect pitch’. Those early influences of \u003cstrong\u003eRay Charles, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick \u003c\/strong\u003eand many more, led him to form a band who played local ‘sock hops’ as well as getting paid $5 a week at age 14 to play piano for the church choir. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward 10 years, and whilst working for the local county, Michael would travel back home \u003cstrong\u003eevery lunch to write songs on his baby grand in his basement. \u003c\/strong\u003eHis dream was to be a songwriter, and his intention was never the limelight. He penned \u003cstrong\u003e‘Feelings’ with Gladys Knight in mind \u003c\/strong\u003eand sent it to his childhood friend \u003cstrong\u003eCarey Harris\u003c\/strong\u003e, who was the bassist in her band. Gladys liked it but didn’t think it fit with where she was going at the time. That initial rejection sparked the idea of \u003cstrong\u003eCarey and Michael recording it themselves\u003c\/strong\u003e. With the help of Michael’s wife who sold some of her possessions to fund the studio time, they recorded the album at \u003cstrong\u003eAgency Recording Studio in Cleveland \u003c\/strong\u003ealongside one of the O'Jays drummers\u003cstrong\u003e Ricardo “Ricky Speed” Nixon, Adolph Burton and Bernardine Mitchell.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat DIY drive paved the way for the \u003cstrong\u003enow-iconic cover\u003c\/strong\u003e, with Michael’s sister-in-law painting the genie and rainbow and his brother drawing the sun \/ star logo for what became their record label. \u003cem\u003eSpread Love\u003c\/em\u003e’s time though hadn’t come, with labels like \u003cstrong\u003eBuddah and countless radio DJs\u003c\/strong\u003e turning the album down. No matter how many Michael could sell to shops out of the boot of his car, the message couldn’t reach far enough to break it out to the wider world – \u003cstrong\u003eultimately putting him in a 50-year hiatus.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpread Love\u003c\/em\u003e is most known for its\u003cstrong\u003e sublime anthemic title track\u003c\/strong\u003e. A celestial, soul-rousing cut with a message which feels more apt than ever, it was recently the centrepiece on\u003cstrong\u003e Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura Vol. 3 compilation\u003c\/strong\u003e. The album though is stacked start to finish with gems. There’s a balance between beauty and sadness in the \u003cstrong\u003emodern-soul dancer \u003c\/strong\u003e‘Here I Go (Through These Changes Again)’, a song that \u003cstrong\u003eJohnnie Taylor \u003c\/strong\u003ewould later cover. It features a superb vocal performance by Michael reminiscent of \u003cstrong\u003eGil Scott-Heron\u003c\/strong\u003e. In fact, we remember thinking it was by Gil when hearing it in the ‘90s but could never find the song on any of his albums. Elsewhere, \u003cstrong\u003eBernardine Mitchell\u003c\/strong\u003e takes the place of Gladys Knight for ‘Feelings’ with her vocals resonating deep down inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther highlights include the opening song, ‘Ecstasy, Fantasy \u0026amp; Dreamland’ - it is sheer brilliance with an \u003cstrong\u003eawesome flute solo by Michael Neal\u003c\/strong\u003e. Then there’s ‘A Piece Of Mine’ an\u003cstrong\u003e early disco\/jazz-funk instrumental \u003c\/strong\u003ewith vibraphone by Bernard James, whilst ‘You Opened My Eyes To The World’ has a \u003cstrong\u003eStrata East jazz meets soul\u003c\/strong\u003e quality that is spacey, uplifting, and spiritual. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a genuine shame that a character, songwriter, and musician as talented as Michael never had his break back in his day. It’s been a\u003cstrong\u003e joy working with him and his son Jamal\u003c\/strong\u003e, who restored and remastered the original tapes, to reissue this forgotten gem and\u003cstrong\u003e spread that love all over the world. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl housed in a tip-on sleeve. Available in black or gold vinyl variants.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PQDB37TcehE?si=RpM1UUjLgaCO7C-f\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e \u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xrO-DfcpKZM?si=fndJMNqTHHjpA7x1\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e \u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uSaqLCQhIm4?si=-ncNiUANThs6nPJ7\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carey Harris and Michael Orr","offers":[{"title":"Black Vinyl LP","offer_id":56883810992514,"sku":"MRBLP342","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold Vinyl LP w\/ Obi Strip","offer_id":56883868172674,"sku":"MRBLP342G","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56883811025282,"sku":"MRBCD342","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0165\/3366\/files\/Spread-love---Shopify_sq.jpg?v=1788339682","url":"https:\/\/www.mrbongo.com\/products\/spread-love-vinyl-lp-cd","provider":"Mr Bongo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}