Wynd Chymes - 1983 - Pretty Girls, Everywhere

Wynd Chymes

1983

Pretty Girls, Everywhere

01. We Are Wynd Chymes 4:35

02. Pretty Girls, Everywhere 3:27

03. Unconditional Love 3:38

04. Stand Up And Shout About Love 3:55

05. You Are Everything To Me 4:17

06. Festival 3:53

07. I Can't Say Goodnight 3:28

08. Stank 5:39

09. I'm Gonna Love You Forever 4:04

10. Unemployment Line 3:28

11. Lonely Lady 3:56

Bass – Kénee Morris

Drums – Jimmy Graham 

Guitar – Emanuel Godfrey

Keyboards – John Alford

Saxophone – Michael Bartley

Trombone – Morris Henderson

Trumpet – Henry Clay Rogers

Vocals – Michael Bethea

Producer – Larry Graham

In the early 1980s Jackson, Mississippi, was not exactly the first place most major labels looked when hunting for the next funk sensation, yet that is precisely where Wynd Chymes had been quietly sharpening their skills since 1973. The group began as classmates in Jackson State University’s celebrated marching band, originally calling themselves The Family before adopting the more enigmatic Wynd Chymes moniker. After nearly a decade of local gigs and a strong independent single, they signed with RCA and delivered the impressive Arrival in 1982 under the guidance of Cameo’s Anthony Lockett. One year later they returned with Pretty Girls, Everywhere, this time placing themselves in the capable hands of funk royalty himself: Larry Graham. The move made perfect sense. Graham, the slap-bass pioneer from Sly & the Family Stone and Graham Central Station, still carried the grit and groove of the 1970s while understanding the smoother, more radio-friendly demands of the new decade. The result was a second album that balanced hard-driving funk with quiet-storm romance and still managed to sound like a natural extension of the band’s personality.

The lineup for Pretty Girls, Everywhere featured lead vocalist Michael Bethea, guitarist Emanuel “Friend” Godfrey, bassist Kenneth “Kenee” Morris, keyboardist John “Boy” Alford, saxophonist Michael “Ice” Bartley, trumpeter Henry “Clay” Rogers, trombonist Morris “Bo” Henderson, drummer Jimmy Graham, and percussionist Forrest “Juice” Gordon. Graham himself produced, arranged the rhythm section and strings, and even contributed horn arrangements on selected tracks. Guest vocalist Alfie Silas appears on the duet “You Are Everything to Me,” while a couple of tracks originated from the soundtrack of the film Lonely Lady. Executive production came from Lee King and Ron Nadel. The sessions retained the tight, professional sheen RCA expected, yet Graham’s presence kept the bottom end thick and the grooves authentically funky rather than overly polished.

The album opens with the self-referential “We Are Wynd Chymes,” a horn-powered declaration of identity that wastes no time establishing the band’s confidence. The title track, “Pretty Girls, Everywhere,” is pure early-eighties charm—bright, melodic, and radio-ready without sacrificing rhythmic snap. From there the record pivots between moods with ease. “Unconditional Love,” “I Can’t Say Goodnight,” and “I’m Gonna Love You Forever” showcase the group’s romantic side, while “Stand Up and Shout About Love” (a Sam Dees co-write previously recorded by Graham himself) brings an uplifting, almost gospel-tinged energy. The real funk arrives in tracks like Graham’s own composition “Stank,” the socially conscious “Unemployment Line,” and the lively “Festival.” “Lonely Lady” and the Alfie Silas duet add further quiet-storm texture. Throughout, the arrangements are clean and punchy, the horns tight, the rhythm section locked, and the vocals warm and engaging. Graham’s production never overwhelms the band; instead it frames their strengths with the authority of someone who had already rewritten the rules of funk bass decades earlier.

The artwork reflects the same confident, slightly glamorous sensibility. Art direction by Art Sims and design by 11:24 Design present the group in a sleek, urban visual style typical of early-1980s RCA releases—stylish photographs, bold typography, and an overall package that suggests both accessibility and self-assurance. It looks like an album that expected to be seen as much as heard.

Commercially Pretty Girls, Everywhere performed modestly. The title track received some chart attention and radio play, yet the album never became a major national hit. RCA’s promotional machinery was solid, but the group remained more of a regional favorite than a household name. Critical notices at the time were generally positive among those who heard it, praising the production and the band’s versatility, though the record was often overshadowed by bigger releases of 1983. Over the years its reputation has steadily grown among funk and modern-soul collectors. The 2015 Funkytowngrooves expanded reissue, complete with 12-inch versions of two tracks from Arrival, introduced the album to a new generation and confirmed what longtime fans already knew: this was a consistently strong, well-crafted record that deserved better than the relative obscurity it initially received. Wynd Chymes never made a third album, and the group eventually dissolved in the mid-1980s, but Pretty Girls, Everywhere stands as a satisfying final statement—a Southern funk band working with a living legend and delivering music that still feels lively, heartfelt, and completely at ease in its own skin.