''Self Portrait'' is the 1970 debut album by English singer

Ruth Copeland Ruth Copeland (born ) is an English former singer, based in the United States since the 1960s and known for her collaborations with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. Biography Early life Copeland was born in Consett, County Durham, in ...

. The album was released by

Invictus Records Invictus Records was an American record label based in Detroit, Michigan. It was created by former top Motown producers Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland, Jr. (known collectively as Holland–Dozier–Holland). It was the sister l ...

in 1970 and produced by Ruth Copeland, though it is widely believed that the actual producer of the album was her then husband

Jeffrey Bowen Jeffrey Bowen is an American songwriter and record producer, notable for his work at both Motown Records and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus and Hot Wax labels. Biography He is best known for his work with the groups Chairmen of the Board, ...

working under an alias. The album presumably was recorded during the same sessions that produced

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

's debut album, ''

Osmium Osmium () is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Os and atomic number 76. It is a hard, brittle, bluish-white transition metal in the platinum group that is found as a Abundance of elements in Earth's crust, trace element in a ...

''. In 1996 both Ruth Copeland albums were licensed by HDH Inc. and reissued by

P-Vine P-Vine Records is an independent record label based in Tokyo, Japan. History It was started in 1976 by Blues Interactions, a firm founded in 1975 by Yasufumi Higurashi and Akira Kochi, as a record label focused on black music. The label name ...

Records individually. In 1997 both Ruth Copeland albums were reissued on one CD under the juxtaposed title ''Self Portrait''/''I Am What I Am'' (Deepbeats DEEPM 022). It was then issued under the title ''Gimme Shelter - The Invictus Sessions'' (Castle Music CMRCD 576). Both compilations omitted the track "Un Bel Di (One Fine Day)". To date, both Ruth Copeland albums have not been released in the U.S. on CD. The two (complete) albums, plus bonus single mixes of some of the songs, were released in a two-disc set by UK label Edsel Records in October 2009.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Ruth Copeland; except where indicated #"Prologue: Child of the North" #"Thanks for the Birthday Card" #"Your Love Been So Good To Me" ( Tawl Ross, Copeland, George Clinton) #"The Music Box" (Copeland,

Ron Dunbar Ronald Dunbar (April 15, 1939 – April 3, 2018) was an American songwriter, A&R director and record producer who worked closely with Holland–Dozier–Holland, and with George Clinton. His co-writing credits include the hit songs " Give Me Jus ...

, Edythe Wayne) #"The Silent Boatman" #"To William in the Night" (Copeland, Gwendolyn Alexander, Edythe Wayne, Ron Dunbar) #"No Commitment" (released as the B-side to "Hare Krishna" - Invictus Is 9088) #"I Got a Thing For You Daddy" (Copeland,

Eddie Hazel Edward Earl Hazel (April 10, 1950 – December 23, 1992) was an American guitarist and singer in early funk music who played lead guitar with Parliament-Funkadelic. Hazel was a posthumous inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 19 ...

, George Clinton) #"A Gift of Me" (Copeland, Edythe Wayne, Ron Dunbar) #"Un Bel Di (One Fine Day)" from "

Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...

" (

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...

)

Personnel

*Ruth Copeland - vocals, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, arrangements, cover illustration *

Dennis Coffey Dennis James Coffey (born November 11, 1940) is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings, and is well known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single " Scorpio". Biography Coffey learned to play guitar at the a ...

, Ray Monette, Tawl Ross - guitar *

Billy Bass Nelson William "Billy Bass" Nelson (born January 28, 1951) is an American musician, who was the original bassist for Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. C ...

Bob Babbitt Robert Andrew Kreinar (November 26, 1937 – July 16, 2012), known as Bob Babbitt, was an American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966 to 1972, as well as his tenure as ...

- bass *

Bernie Worrell George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American Keyboard instrument, keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. In later years, he also worked with ...

- keyboards *

Tiki Fulwood Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood (May 23, 1944 – October 29, 1979) was an American musician. He was the drummer for the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, as well as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other membe ...

, Andrew Smith - drums *Detroit Symphony Orchestra *Choraliers Gospel Singers * George Clinton, Tom Neme, Tony Camillo - musical assistance ;Technical *

Lawrence Horn Lawrence Thomas "L.T." Horn (1939 – February 2017) was an American musician, record producer and chief recording engineer for Motown Records in Detroit and Los Angeles. He later served a life sentence for hiring a hit man to murder his ex-wif ...

- engineer *Evan Soldinger - photography

References

{{Authority control 1970 debut albums Ruth Copeland albums Invictus Records albums P-Vine Records albums