1976 Melba Moore – This Is It

This Is It is the fifth album by singer Melba Moore, released in 1976.

Melba Moore would give credit to her husband/manager Charles Huggins, whom she married in September 1974, with getting her signed to Buddah Records in 1975 – ending a four-year recording studio absence – , and with arranging for veteran soul music songwriter/producer Van McCoy to helm Moore’s second Buddah album release, which she began recording in January 1976. The album included Moore’s rendition of McCoy’s deep soul ballad “Lean on Me”, first recorded in 1970 by Vivian Reed but most well known as the B-side to Aretha Franklin’s 1972 hit “Spanish Harlem”. Moore had herself recorded “Lean on Me” in 1972, her rendition being featured on her concert album Melba Moore Live!. However the recruitment of McCoy to helm Moore’s album was essentially due to McCoy’s success as a producer of disco records, it being hoped that a disco hit would consolidate the somewhat nebulous success Moore had to that point experienced as a recording artist: (Melba Moore quote:)”I just couldn’t ignore the (impact) that disco was having on music”.