Ecology [Olive Green Opaque Vinyl]

Rare Earth: Rod Richards (guitar, vocal); Gil Bridges (saxophone, tambourine, flute, vocal); Kenny James (organ); John Persh (bass, trombone, vocal); Pete Riveria (drums, vocal); Ed Guzman (conga).
All songs written by T. Baird except "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (C. Grant/ E. Holland/N. Whitfield), "Nice Place to Visit" (J. Persh) and "Eleanor Rigby" (J. Lennon/P. McCartney).
Two strong tracks propelled Ecology up the pop charts: the swaggering, bravado-laden "Born to Wander," written by Tom Baird, and a hard-hitting, rocking rendition of the Temptations' "I Know I'm Losing You," written by Cornelius Grant, Eddie Holland, and Norman Whitfield; the epic remake of the latter is almost eleven minutes of pure funk-rock. Lead singer Pete Riviera had a powerful voice, similar to Dennis Edwards, that could sell a song; the percussion and echo vocals accentuate the classic. The guys do a nice job on John Lennon and Paul McCartney's "Eleanor Rigby," and bass player John Persh's "Nice Place to Visit" adds a different twist to Rare Earth's legacy. ~ Andrew Hamilton