We Need Each Other

We Need Each Other is a fascinating slice of sun-dappled disco funk, effortlessly conjuring the low-key vibe of endless summer afternoons. Leo’s Sunshipp was a Los Angeles–based vocal trio operating on the periphery of the city’s burgeoning late-‘70s soul scene. Lead singer Johnny Simone spent most of the decade plying the L.A. studio circuit as a backup vocalist, while Kenny Stover was a staff songwriter for a small local label. Together with fellow singer Alvin Few, Simone and Stover cut the four vocal tunes that make up the first half of this remarkable album. Then, in the midst of the recording process, Simone was stricken by a fatal illness. We Need Each Other went unfinished. Eventually, the album appeared on the tiny Lyon’s imprint, its runtime bolstered by instrumental versions of the four finished tracks. Had We Need Each Other been completed, its beautiful arrangements and delightfully laid-back optimism might have made it one of the era's best soul releases. Even in its truncated form, the album is a minor wonder; it's must-listen for fans of late-‘70s soul.