Crate Digger’s Gold: Minnie Ripertpon – Perfect Angel

Found this at the Rock Sale for a buck – a true gem.  This album is the source of the mega-hit “Lovin’ You.”   Minnie is famous for a few things: her incredibly high voice – that almost sounds like a whistle, being the mom of  SNL alum Maya Rudolph, and tragically dying of breast cancer at 31.

In addition to having the mega-hit “Lovin’ You,” this album is graced with a pretty amazing incognito sideman and arranger/producer: El Toro Negro (AKA Wonderlove, Stevland Hardaway Morris,  Stevland Hardaway Judkins – better known as Stevie Wonder).  Wonder, who was at the height of his powers when this album was made (1974), is all over this album without overshadowing Minnie.

The album is not traditional R&B – it is rock, it pop, and it is soul  The album has more in common with the various female singer-songwriters of the day (Joni Mitchell, Carole King, etc.) than a soul diva.

A classic pop album of the 70s.  If you have not ever heard “Lovin’ You” check it out below.