Mother Night -

Mother Night was an American soul-funk band from NYC that released a self-titled album on Columbia in 1972, followed by a standalone single on Buddah in 1973.

Members: Ronnie Pace (vocals, trumpet, piano, congas), Eddie Martinez (guitar, vocals), Val Burke (bass, vocals), Arnold Ramsey (drums, organ, guitar, bass, saxophone), Skip McPhee (organ, vocals), Sonny McPhee (alto saxophone, vocals), Gary Pribek (tenor saxophone, flute), Bill Ohashi (trombone)

Background

Mother Night formed in New York City around lead vocalist/trumpeter/pianist/percussionist Ronnie Pace and bassist/vocalist Val Burke, who connected through prior work with Willie & The Mighty Magnificents and other local R&B acts.

Organist/vocalist Skip McPhee and alto saxophonist/vocalist Sonny McPhee, brothers, joined through Harlem and Bronx soul circuits. Lead guitarist/vocalist Eddie Martinez, a versatile rock-jazz player, added fiery solos after gigging in Manhattan clubs. Drummer/multi-instrumentalist Arnold Ramsey, also from the Mighty Magnificents, brought dynamic rhythms, while tenor saxophonist/flutist Gary Pribek and trombonist Bill Ohashi completed the horn section.

The octet’s blend of Latin, funk, soul, and rock impressed Stan Vincent, who linked them with Columbia Records.

Mother Night (1972)

Mother Night released their self-titled album in April 1972 on Columbia.

The album fuses Latin-funk rock with jazzy brass and soul vocals, recorded by lead vocalist/trumpeter/pianist/percussionist Ronnie Pace, bassist/vocalist Val Burke, organist/vocalist Skip McPhee, alto saxophonist/vocalist Sonny McPhee, lead guitarist/vocalist Eddie Martinez, drummer/multi-instrumentalist Arnold Ramsey (drums, organ, guitar, bass, saxophone), tenor saxophonist/flutist Gary Pribek, and trombonist Bill Ohashi. Pace wrote three songs (co-writing two with Skip McPhee); Burke wrote three; Ramsey wrote two (co-writing one with Pace); Alfred Rosenstein co-wrote one.

Tracks split between upright funk and dynamic instrumentals. “Scuffle” opens with rock guitars, funky horns, and tight rhythms, “Today’s Another Day” surprises with contrapuntal breaks amid soul rasps, “Julie Nixon” pairs bizarre lyrics with classic funk patterns, “Utopia” drives on brass and bass pulses. “Take a Trip” stamps short funky bursts, “Fools Are You” shifts to Steely Dan-like jazz jams with Afro-Cuban rhythms, “Warm Spot” revolves around vocal choruses and jazzy brass, “Groupie” spins a flugelhorn intro into scorching guitar and refined alto sax, while “Guitar Man” exhibits raw guitar flash.

A1. “Scuffle” (3:40)
A2. “Today’s Another Day” (4:06)
A3. “Julie Nixon” (3:59)
A4. “Utopia” (3:13)
A5. “Take a Trip” (3:00)

B1. “Fools Are You” (4:47)
B2. “Warm Spot” (3:21)
B3. “Groupie” (8:12)
B4. “Guitar Man” (4:57)

Sessions occurred at CBS studios in New York City with producer Stan Vincent, recording engineers Doug Pomeroy, Lehman Yates, and Lou Schlossberg, and mixing engineer Pete Weiss. Ed Lee designed the cover; Peter Schaumann created cover art; Don Hunstein provided back cover photography; Kip Cohen wrote liner notes. The album was mastered at Customatrix and pressed at Columbia’s Pitman plant.

Singles

“Scuffle” / “Julie Nixon” (1973, Columbia 4-45628): A 7″ single with “Scuffle” (3:05) and “Julie Nixon” (2:53).
“Say Brother” / “Say Brother (Instr.)” (1973, Buddah BDA 376): A 7″ single with vocal (3:31) and instrumental (3:49) versions, written by Eddie Martinez and Skip McPhee, mastered at Bell Sound Studios by Robin C. Kruse.

Postlude

Mother Night disbanded after 1973. Val Burke joined Spooky Tooth for their 1974 swan song, The Mirror, and cut two albums in 1979/80 with Twennynine Featuring Lenny White. Eddie Martinez became a session guitarist for David Lee Roth, Run-D.M.C., Robert Palmer, and others, releasing No Lies (1984) with Chic’s Bernard Edwards. Arnold Ramsey backed The Moments, Jack McDuff, and Jermaine Jackson. Skip McPhee played in the late-stage lineup of The Exciters.

Discography: