Sweet Exorcist (album)

1974 studio album by Curtis Mayfield

Sweet Exorcist

Studio album by

Curtis Mayfield

Released

May 1974 (1974-05)

Studio

Curtom Studios, Chicago, Illinois

Genre

Progressive soul^[1]

Length

32:30

Label

Curtom

Producer

Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Mayfield chronology

Claudine
(1974)

Sweet Exorcist
(1974)

Got to Find a Way
(1974)

Singles from Sweet Exorcist

"Kung Fu / Right On for the Darkness"
Released: 1974
"Sweet Exorcist / Suffer"
Released: 1974

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	C^[3]
Rolling Stone	unfavorable^[4]

Sweet Exorcist is the fifth studio album by Curtis Mayfield, released in May 1974. It peaked at number 39 on the Billboard 200 chart,^[5] as well as number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[6]

Background

Art Kass, co-founder of Buddah Records, announced Sweet Exorcist in the April 13, 1974 issue of Cashbox magazine. "As a poet and spokesman, as well as a musician, Curtis Mayfield has helped bring black music to its place in the center of American popular music. Sweet Exorcist is a deeply lyrical album and, at the same time, its rhythms and themes capture our times as only Curtis could do," Art Kass said at a press conference.^[7]

Cover art

The original vinyl release cover, designed by Bill Ronalds, shows men like Greek gods holding planets in the middle of a sea of human skeletons.^[8] The title of the album Sweet Exorcist is prominently displayed in capital letters. Below is the first verse of "To Be Invisible".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Curtis Mayfield, except "Suffer" by Mayfield and Donny Hathaway

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Ain't Got Time"	5:11
2.	"Sweet Exorcist"	3:53
3.	"To Be Invisible"	4:13
4.	"Power to the People"	3:29
5.	"Kung Fu"	6:12
6.	"Suffer"	4:04
7.	"Make Me Believe in You"	5:28
Total length:		32:30

Reissue edition bonus track
No.	Title	Length
8.	"Kung Fu" (Single Edit)	3:49

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Curtis Mayfield – production
Rich Tufo – arrangement (except "Power to the People", "Kung Fu", and "Suffer")
Gil Askey – arrangement (on "Power to the People", "Kung Fu", and "Suffer")
R. Anfinsen – engineering
J. Janus – engineering
Milton Sincoff – creative packaging design
Bill Ronalds – illustration
Marv Stuart – management

Charts

Chart	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[5]	39
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[6]	2

References

^ Donovan, Charles (March 6, 2019). "Chapter One of Curtis Mayfield's Solo Career Gets a Much-Needed Makeover". PopMatters. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
^ Wynn, Ron. "Sweet Exorcist - Curtis Mayfield". AllMusic. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 7, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ Gersten, Russell (August 1, 1974). "Curtis Mayfield: Sweet Exorcist". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Curtis Mayfield - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Curtis Mayfield - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ "Mayfield Keys Buddah LP Release" (PDF). Cash Box. 35 (48): 12. 1974-04-13. ISSN 0008-7289. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
^ Donovan, Charles (2019-03-06). "Chapter One of Curtis Mayfield's Solo Career Gets a Much-Needed Makeover". PopMatters. Retrieved 2024-05-14.