Rarity - Sealed Lead Vocals, Piano – Sylvester Backing Vocals – Izora Rhodes, Martha Wash Guitar – Tip Wirrick Organ, Electric Piano, Clavinet – Michael C. Finden Percussion – David Frazier Synthesizer [String, Electro-comp 101 And 200 Models, Oberheim Ds-2 Sequencer], Effects [Special Effects] – Pat Cowley Bass – Bob Kingson (A1 to B3) Drums – Randy Merritt (A1 to B3) Concertmaster – Charles Veal Strings And Horns arranged by Leslie Drayton Written by Tip Wirrick (A1), Sylvester (A1, B1, B3), Eric Robinson (A2, B4), Orsborn (A2, B4), Michael C. Finden (B1), Bacharach (B2), David (B2), Fuqua (B3) 1 LP, Standard sleeve Limited Edition Original analog Master tape : YES Heavy Press : 180gr Record color : black Speed : 33 RPM Size : 12'’ Stereo Studio Record Press : Quality Record Pressings Label : VMP - Vinyl Me Please, Classics series Original Label : Fantasy Recorded at Fantasy Studio (Berkeley, California), Conway Studio (Los Angeles, California), Clark-Brown Audio Studio (Los Angeles, California) Engineered by Buddy Bruno, Eddie Bill Harris Remixed by Eddie Bill Harris at Fantasy Studio Produced by Harvey Fuqua, Sylvester Mastered by George Horn at Kendun Recorders Lacquer cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound Art Direction by Phil Carroll Design by Dennis Gassner Photography by Phil Bray Originally released in 1978 Reissued in 2022Tracks : Side A You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) Dance (Disco Heat) You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (Epilogue) Side B Grateful I Took My Strength From You Was It Something That I Said Just You And Me Forever Review : "By the time of 1979's Step II, Sylvester had already been through a career's worth of musical changes. On his previous self-titled LP from 1977, he had dipped a toe into the world of disco; on Step II he jumped in headfirst. With the help of electronics and synthesizer whiz kid Patrick Cowley and the dynamic vocal duo of Martha Wash and Izora Armstead, Sylvester came up with an almost-perfect expression of the unbridled joy and unstoppable soul of disco at its best. Kicking off with two classic songs -- "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and "Dance (Disco Heat)" -- propelled by sequencers, Wash and Armstead's mighty vocals, and a very tight studio band, then taken to the heavens by Sylvester's skyscraping falsetto, it could have stopped right there and been groundbreaking. It keeps going, though, and while it can't possibly keep up that insane pace, there are great moments that follow. The slow gospel redo of "Mighty Real" adds some serious soul, the rollicking "Grateful" is a swell slice of string-laden Love Boat disco, "Was It Something I Said" is a slow-walking funk delight, and "I Took My Strength from You" is a spacey, smooth, and peacefully sad ballad that unspools over seven glorious minutes. Step II cemented Sylvester's place as a disco icon and an inspiration; there was also a fine soul album hiding in among the classic dance tracks. It also launched Wash's and Armstead's careers as they soon began releasing records under the name Two Tons o' Fun, as well as establishing Cowley as an underground legend. For all these reasons, the album is a rock-solid cornerstone of the era and required listening for anyone who loves disco or soul music of the '70s." AllMusic Review by Tim Sendra Ratings : AllMusic : 5 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.63 / 5
