Ronnie McNeir
Sitting In My Class / Isn't She A Pretty Girl
De.To : DS 2878
Detail
- Artist: Ronnie McNeir
- A Side: Sitting In My Class
- B Side: Isn't She A Pretty Girl
- Label: De.To
- Format: 45s
Condition
Description
Description
Does it seem possible a 15 year old could compose and convey such focused love on his classmate. It does convince us all as a personal experience he was going through. His need and wanting draws you into one of those unforgettable dancefloor classics. A monster tune for the mid-70's "Tri-Clubs" of The Mecca, The Casino and The Pier" Simultaneously a monster at all three... today for so many a chance to relive those mid-70s wonder years.
Decades later, it is mine and many others preference of this 45 is the magnificent "Isn't She A Pretty Girl" flipside. Northern Soul Detroit mid-tempo Crossover, that is again on the comeback trail... it received not much turntable action the mid-70's but today it is room lifting, euphoric soulful detonator of pure class.
For the "big" side, Floyd Jones and Billy Kyle's inspired "School Bell" intro, provoked a dance-floor feast at all the leading All Nighters circa 1977/78. With Ronnie's hopefully charged vocal dreaming of making love to the girl in the next row... (something we are all guilty of) whilst for me at school it was always gonna be the teacher.. This was a record we could all relate to, having not been too long before, when we sat there wishing, in that exact same situation. Such was the attraction of this innovative song singing about something we could all relate to. Among all the passion for the a-side the spectacular flipside somehow got overlooked..
So step forward the side which most now consider the "play" side today.. the gently jangling intro lasts but a few seconds, before big bold bold brass explodes onto the scene.. girls jostle for position, the horns blast even louder, the ladies follow the hint, lifting the arrangement another notch and brilliance unfolds.. whilst Ronnie keeps up the beseeching stance of "Sitting In My Class", as his vocal states an even stronger case. Ronnie you constructed just too much Soul!!
Two sides to die for, remembering the legal reissue that follow its success in the UK was an inferior remixed version. The song suffering, a sad weakening the whole arrangement and it's overwhelming Soulful opulence, were lost! So the only way to play this spectacular tune, is in it's authentic original form.. unless spinning a bootleg doesn't concern you..
Here is a glorious rich Red first press offering up two sides of the superior original mixes; and it matters not which side you drop the stylus on the result will be exactly the same... dancefloor devastation followed by heavy ripples of applause.
Condition Report
Check out that vinyl vista of two flawless rich-red labels, this 45 has hardly seen the light of day (red labels are of course notoriously sensitive to sunlight). A-side vinyl carries a solid full gloss, revealing only the finest soft surface blemishes, playback is flawless the few storage hairlines under light, visually Ex+ plays mint minus. Both sides plays crisp ad clean.A Side
- Title: Sitting In My Class
- Title: Isn't She A Pretty Girl
B Side
- Year: 1966
- City: De-To Records, 8311 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48204