Gladys Knight: Claudine [Original Soundtrack] : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Though I haven't seen the film, its soundtrack, written and produced by Curtis Mayfield and sung by Gladys Knight & the Pips, is an attractive inducement to do so. Not nearly so dynamic as Mayfield's Super Fly, the score for Claudine (six original songs plus the instrumental "Claudine's Theme") nevertheless presents a compellingly understated evocation of problems relating to the black urban experience, its moods ranging from anger ("Mr. Welfare Man") to lyricism ("The Makings of You"). The best thing about the album is Gladys Knight's gutsy handling of Mayfield's down-to-earth lyrics. Especially on "Mr. Welfare Man," she is a dramatic interpreter with an emotional range and flexibility that does more than ample justice to programmatic material. The success of Claudine certainly owes as much to her as to Mayfield — a most harmonious team.