First-ever 100% official reissue of one of the most sought-after disco 12”s of all time. Richard Vance was a member and producer of Crown Heights Affair when he met Eleton Johns and the pair began writing music together. They collaborated as members of Unyque and established the Vanton label in 1980 as a vehicle for their music to exist free from the constraints of the major label system. “I Can’t Get Along Without You” is considerably slower and more soulful than the peak-hour disco they created as Unyqye, thanks to Eleton bringing in elements of the smooth Philadelphia sound he revered, and the intertwined vocals of Vance and childhood friend Suzzanne Slaughter, who had been a backup singer for Sister Sledge and other New York groups. The track was written overnight and cut the next day in one session; there were plans to re-record the song and add strings, but after 2,000 promo copies (which, in 1980, was an incredibly small amount of records) were pressed and distributed to Larry Levan and other DJs via record pools, the song quickly entered regular rotation in NYC and Philly nightclubs and it was a wrap. It’s been a serious collector’s piece ever since, rarely fetching fewer than triple digits and spawning several crappy bootlegs over the years; now officially repressed with the blessing of Vance’s family, housed in new pic sleeve featuring a never-before-seen press photo and extensive liner notes sourced from interviews with Eleton and Vance’s wife. Cut nice and loud at 45rpm, features the instrumental on the flip. Recommended.

• black vinyl pressing
• first ever official repress of 1980 disco holy grail
• housed in new pic sleeve w/ extensive liner notes
• 45RPM
• music label: Kalita Records 2019

reviewed by laughable butane bob 11/2019