American Gold: 24 Million Sellers [sic] In A Two Record Set

Title: American Gold
Artist: Henry Jerome
Purchased: Half-Priced Books, Madison, WI June 2004 (estimate)
Verdict: Squeaks by

Based on the artwork alone, this is a tough call. The gate-fold cover of a woman in a wig and ill-fitting sequined minidress looking like she is greatly amused or, um, pleased by being surrounded by a handful of gold records-–seemingly of French origin–-is tacky-neat, but not on the par of a Whipped Cream and Other Delights or a Jorge Negrette. That caveat aside, if the album indeed had the boasted 24 million-sellers…Well, let's just say it’s hard to argue with those numbers.

A cursory listen of American Gold reveals Henry Jerome's instrumental orchestration of several hits circa 1970. I was turned off by "Son Of A Preacher Man," because I, like anyone who went into a bar the year after the Pulp Fiction soundtrack came out, was subjected to the original enough to hate preachers, men, and Dusty Springfield. The album really shines, though, with the swinging horns on upbeat soul numbers ["Uptight (Everything's Alright)"] and the evocative sentimental mooshiness of the slower numbers ("You Make Me So Very Happy" or "What the World Needs Now Is Love"). Jerome did manage to take the sass out of "Respect," and the whole thing could have been one album, but on the whole, it's worth hanging on to.

It says a lot that music I dismissed as uncool elevator music in my youth now sounds cooler than the originals. Possibly, it says that most of the music covered on American Gold has been reduced to wallpaper by appropriation in commercials, television and soundtracks. More likely, it says that I am old and in the way.