 AFTER an absence of one album, the Jimmy Castor Bunch are back within the Atlantic family — this time on the Cotillion label. The first album under the new affiliation — titled simply "The Jimmy Castor Bunch" — is due for immediate release and it's a situation that greatly excites the affable Mr. Castor. "It really is like coming back home," he enthuses. "I was at a reception at Studio 54 and I saw some of the guys from Atlantic and they asked me when I was coming back home. It was the 'coming back home' bit that got me because things hadn't really gone that well in Miami (with T.K.). I guess the company is outgrowing the people down there but it was my worst experience in the record business. I feel that the material was good but that it wasn't give half a chance. The "Let It Out" track got all kinds of exposure — including Dick Clarke's show. And I did a 25 minute spot on Don Kirschner's show. In the end, I knew I just had to leave."
Faced with this predicament, what did our intrepid friend do?" "My back was really against the wall and so I spent my money on cutting some new things," Jimmy tells. "I could afford to do four sides and my plan was simply to pedal them. But I went right back to my roots and I honestly believe they are the four best sides of my career. Henry Allen (President of Cotillion) says the same thing and although I'm gunshy of record company people right now, I am excited that someone like Henry is enthusiastic because I have great respect for him. I'm happy to be back with him but the onus is now on them to show me what they can do."
The album itself? "Well, there's one cut called "Don't Do That" that is built around TV characters — but it really isn't so much a novelty — and it is really funky," Jimmy comments. "We cut Gino Vannelli's "I Just Wanna Stop" — you know, with me playing tenor sax and then the vocals coming in at the end. The rest of the songs are originals. Oh, yes — and we brought in the original Chantels to do the background vocals. I went up to the Bronx and found Jackie Gray, Lois Powell and Sonia Wilson — the same three girls who had "Maybe" and all those other hits some years back. For a while, it looked as though we would never get it together because they were snowed in and all kinds of catastrophes occurred before we all actually got into the studio."
Meanwhile, on a more personal note, Jimmy has built himself a new house in New Jersey and comes in every day to his office on his 750cc motorcycle — the one that is featured on the "E-Man Boogie" cover.
To kick off his second Atlantic stint, the company is rush-releasing the "Don't Do That" track from the upcoming album.
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