I'VE BEEN DOWN by SYLVESTER

One of the Sylvester's big big tunes has been criminally underplayed and underappreciated for way too long! No doubt ignored and overlooked due to the style sitting in the middle of Disco, Soul and Funk - yet not quite fitting into any of them.“I've Been Down” sees Izora Rhodes and Martha Wash (named on the album as ‘Two tons of fun’ in deference to their rotund stature) in conversation about the duality of their relationships. Moaning about their men though the verse then fawning over them though the chorus the record flits between street talk and gospel highs while maintaining a solid ‘70s funk groove. The ‘Two tons of fun’ then went on to become the Weather Girls and had a huge international hot with “Raining Men”. The b-side is a mid tempo disco floater co-written and named after Sylvester’s lead guitar player Tipp Wirrick; an end of night slow groover could have been a huge Rare Groove spin were it not for disco being a bad word in the ‘90s