Kristi Kimsey

As I Look Back

(Undercover Music)

8/10

By Andy Rawll

Rootsy soul with a breezy west coast allure - there's sprinkling of solid gold Dusty in Kristi's voice, unlocked from the vaults of time, that enchants and mesmerizes. A most appealing release from a hitherto unsung voice.

‘As I Look Back' a nine-song compilation of recently uncovered, previously unreleased songs by singer-songwriter Kristi Kimsey, originally recorded and now remastered by renowned engineer and producer Chris Kimsey (Rolling Stones, Marillion, Peter Frampton, Killing Joke, The Cult).

The album's songs were recorded in various locations between 1977 and 1979 when as Kristi Barton (sometimes credited as Kristi B), the future Mrs Kimsey was already an accomplished artist in her own right, with significant vocal credits on cult 70s albums such as the symphonic disco classic ‘Love Train’ by Crystal Glass and Anglo-Australian glam-rockers Strapps' 'Secret Damage, including 1977 single 'Child of the City' (whose prominent background vocals also feature Madeline Bell, Pauline Stone and Sue & Sunny). She also featured on Carillo's 1978 Atlantic Records debut and west-coast classic 'Rings Around The Moon', where she sang alongside Yvonne Elliman.

In fact, the musicians on the majority of the tracks on ‘As I Look Back’ are Frank Carillo's band, including David Donen on drums and Kevin Keane on bass. For the uninitiated, Frank Carillo first rose to prominence as the Gretsch guy for hire, when he played on Peter Frampton's early solo albums, "Wind Of Change" (1972) and "Frampton's Camel" (1973). A chance encounter at Olympic studios with Led Zeppelin during a recording session for Houses Of The Holy led to an inter-band jam and a recommendation that resulted in a multi-album deal with Atlantic Records.

'As I look back' might be reflective in nature, yet the songs sparkle with life, particularly the West Coast breeze of 'Ring Around The Sun', with its Hispanic refrain and Carillo's alluring lead guitar.

The delicate roll of 'Loves Rhythm' sonically evokes the sound of the sea, with a yearning and soulful vocal, reminiscent of PP Arnold on her own recently released ‘lost’ 70s album ‘The Turning Tide’.

The short-yet-sweet porch-swing, farewell-to-the-King, lament of 'Sweet Elvis' features impassioned Ronstadt-Esque harmonies.

Two very different versions of 'Trying To Get Back To You' feature on the album. The earlier and more stately version of this Kimsey original is particularly notable, as it resulted from a late-night impromptu session at Alvin Lee's Tudor mansion, Hook End, whose subsequently owners have included David Gilmour and Trevor Horn. The smoky insouciance of Kristi's warm and sultry voice embellishes a resonant arrangement, engineered by Alvin and featuring the atmospheric organ playing of fellow house-guest Mick Ralphs of Bad Company.

As the Rolling Stones' trusted engineer and studio confidante, these recordings span the period when Chris Kimsey was working on the albums 'Some Girls' and 'Emotional Rescue' and there's a definite Honky Tonk swagger to 'Hold Me Baby', that melds the countrified air of Jagger-Richards' "Far Away Eyes" and the rootsy stomp of "She's So Cold".

Undercover of a late-night Caribbean recording session for 'Emotional Rescue' in 1979 at Nassau’s Compass Point Studios, Keith Richards invited Kristi to sing on an impromptu duet of the Sam Cooke staple "Let’s Go Steady Again" (written by his longtime collaborator JW Alexander). Chris managed to bottle the genius of that single-take performance at the time, yet it had remained unreleased until the open sesame moment when the original tapes were recently relocated. With Keef's approval, and Chris Kimsey's engineering nous, the song now appears as the vibrant zenith of a captivating release that will surely appeal well beyond Stones' completists and collectors.

There's a sprinkling of solid gold Dusty in Kristi's voice, unlocked from the vaults of time, that similarly enchants and mesmerizes as if the songs were only recorded yesterday. A most appealing release from a hitherto unsung voice.

Released on Undercover Music on 24th September 2021, ‘As I Look Back’ is available on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, and all other major platforms.