It's time to circle back to the sisters known as Pointers. I touched on them in 2023 when I listened to their 1983 opus, Break Out, and circled back to them in 2025 when I started from the beginning of their 80's journey with 1980's Special Things. These were both relatively enjoyable listening sessions, resulting in some tracks being pulled for my shuffle.
I touched pretty extensively on the girl's history in the above noted posts, so there's not much more to really be added to that at this point in time. As such, we'll just dive right into 1981's Black & White.
The album stays rooted in the groups R&B / soul era, which is not my favorite style from the sisters. I much prefer their later new wave / pop material. As such, while I wouldn't call this a terrible album, there were definitely more moments of boredom versus songs I actually enjoyed.
Of the nine tracks, three stood out; Someday We'll Be Together, Slow Hands, and Should I Do It. The first noted feels reminiscent of the original Supreme's song. Despite this, it's not a remake. Meanwhile, Slow Hands stands out as their biggest single from the album, and the reason I bought it.
The final track was a nice hidden doo-wop gem, and oddly one that was recorded and released by both the Pointers, and Tanya Tucker at the same time. Obviously, the Pointer Sisters put the track on Black & White, while Tucker released it on her album of the same name.
I think what disappoints me the most about the girls is that they don't seem to put much effort into their music. Wait a moment before you blow up. Let me explain. The girls don't play any instruments on their music, nor do they contribute to much of the writing. They essentially show up, sing, serving as a conduit for other people's creative juices. The writing aspect is particularly odd to me because the girls wrote one of their biggest hits, I'm So Excited. So, clearly, they have the talent to pen their own music.
Coincidentally, So Excited is where we head to next in their storied discography, and if you're like me, you'll be baffled by how initially that classic track floundered, only to become a massive smash after being revived years later. I'll get into those details tomorrow.
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