Rene Moore and Angela Winbush are clearly talented individuals, but put them together and magic happened that resonates to this day.
From Los Angeles, Ivan Rene Moore played with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra and did keyboard sessions with Leon Russell and The Brothers Johnson. Angela Winbush moved to Los Angeles from her birthplace St. Louis and sang backgrounds with Dolly Parton, Jean Carn, Lenny Williams and played a concert as a member of Wonderlove for Stevie Wonder.
A chance meeting through a mutual friend provided the springboard for a prolific seven year relationship of writing, production and soul music’s best husband and wife team since Ashford & Simpson! As producers they worked with Rufus, Janet Jackson, Tavares, Odyssey, Lamont Dozier, Alton McLain & Destiny, Ronnie McNeir, Plush and Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King. Individually they recorded their own albums, Rene Moore more prolific in the studio for artists including Michael Jackson; Angela Winbush fared better as a solo artist with her fantastic voice (she later married Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers).
“Rene & Angela” and “Wall To Wall” were their first two albums from a time all was well with them and the musical world. Co-producer on their excellent debut album was Skip Drinkwater who had brought an r&b flavour to jazz fusion artists Norman Connors, Eddie Henderson and Alphonse Mouzon earlier in the 70s, while “Wall To Wall” had more input from Rene & Angela as producers and included their biggest ‘rare groove’ memory “Secret Rendezvous”, though for me soul music gets no better than “Imaginary Playmates” and “Come My Way”.
Tracklist :
Rene & Angela :
Do You Really Love Me (3:21)
Turn It out (4:20)
Everything We Do (5:27)
Hotel California (4:49)
I Don't Know (Where Love Comes From) (4:15)
Free And Easy (5:50)
Love Won't Slip Away (4:36)
Strangers Again (2:58)
Wall To Wall
Wall To Wall (5:23)
Just Friends (3:23)
Secret Rendezvous (4:10)
Wanna Be Close To You (6:02)
I Love You More (5:30)
Love's Alright (3:40)
Imaginary Playmates (4:30)
Come My Way (4:46)
Label : Expansion
Cat No: EXP2CD19
Ean : 5019421601920