Black Ivory - Don't Turn Around

The recording and release of Black Ivory’s Don’t Turn Around LP on Today/Perception Records in 1972 marks a remarkable moment in Black music history as Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess forge the beginnings of a creative partnership that would later manifest itself as The Universal Robot Band.

For Don’t Turn Around we see Patrick Adams contributing as an instrumentalist playing bass, lead guitar, piano and drums across the tracklist as well as taking charge of musical arrangements, production and conducting duties. Leroy Burgess adds his voice to the vocal trio, with Stuart Bascombe and Russell Patterson, as well as being the lead arranger for the string sections and the vocal parts.

The album also benefits from the input of guitarist and composer Norman Harris, a founder member of Philadelphia International’s in-house band MFSB as well as the writer of two of Loleatta Holloway’s biggest hits Hit and Run and Dreamin’. Joined by fellow MFSB member and founder of The Salsoul Orchestra, vibes player and future ‘Godfather of Disco’, Vince Montana and a young drummer named Larry Blackmon of future Cameo and Cashflow fame it is clear to see the historical and cultural significance of this album.

Black Ivory’s Don’t Turn Around is an album of soul fuelled ballads, upbeat funk and proto- Disco RnB that rates alongside releases from contemporary acts The Impressions, The Dramatics, The Dells and The Temptations.