Friends and Buddies

Milton Wright recorded two fascinating synth-dusted funk albums for Henry Stone and Steve Alaimo’s Alston imprint in the mid-'70s. Neither record could be reckoned a commercial success, but both 1975’s Friends and Buddies and 1977’s Spaced were unusual, highly personal affairs notable for their lush arrangements, futuristic aesthetics, and inventive use of synthesizers. Friends and Buddies boasted a minor hit with the slinky, synth-drenched dance floor workout “Keep It Up.” The remainder of the album is equally accomplished. Listeners fond of Marvin Gaye’s experiments with synthetic textures on 1978’s acrimonious masterpiece Here My Dear will find much to appreciate here. Though the rank and file of Alston’s ace session musicians—including Latimore, Timmy Thomas, and Milton’s more famous sister Betty Wright—all make appearances on Friends and Buddies, the album remains thoroughly idiosyncratic. It's a few degrees more eccentric than the streamlined disco funk that Alston was becoming famous for during this period.