Come, Brothers; Hum Real Pretty Now!

Bunny Sigler - Love Train (Pts. 1 & 2)

Walter "Bunny" Sigler was no novice to showbiz when he took a break from his songwriting chores at Philadelphia International Records to record the 1974 LP That's How Long I'll Be Loving You, having had hits in the '60s for Cameo-Parkway (most notably with a medley of "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Feels So Good") and having penned quite a few hit records for Gamble and Huff's label, such as the O'Jays' "Sunshine." Although Sigler enjoyed a few hits at PIR (I believe today's selection was his biggest hit for the label) and then afterward for Goldmind and Salsoul, he never reached the level of success of many of his brothers-in-TSOP, but his recordings were consistently satisfying and showed off Sigler's immense talent.

Sigler's take on the O'Jays' 1972 smash "Love Train" was pulled from the 1974 album to be a two-part single that same year. Sigler turned the Philly dancer into a slow, churchy thing, with great effect. Taking the tempo down allows Sigler to really bring out the "People Get Ready" nature of the song's lyrics and the vocal work by the TNJ's (a group from Trenton, New Jersey that Sigler worked with) is the icing on the cake. Sigler gives the group ample opportunity to shine, with their humming intro effectively setting the tone of the tune and then providing a nice "church" moment later in the tune. After giving the group's hometown a shout-out, Sigler says "come, brothers; hum real pretty now." And they do!