Ian Levine, a Briton driven by intense passion for soul music, pursued that aim from the outset. On an early journey to America he arrived equipped with funding earmarked for Voltafine Productions, formed in tandem with Danny Leake. He enlisted his supportive father to underwrite the venture whose sole purpose was the creation of soul recordings. Autumn 1975 placed Levine in Chicago on a talent search; arranger and producer Paul Wilson helped him locate Barbara Pennington, whose vocal style recalled fellow Chicagoan Chaka Khan. On an earlier American trip Levine had already cut sessions with the Exciters, whose members included Herb Rooney and Brenda Reid, mother of L.A. Reid. For Pennington the opportunity represented a decisive break; although she had performed extensively in Chicago without career progress amid the city’s sizable recording sector, Levine’s arrival prompted her immediate commitment. Voltafine secured placement of her recordings with Island Records, whose debut 45, “Running in Another Direction,” appeared with an instrumental version of the same track on the B-side to limit costs. Island, still unfamiliar with soul repertoire and single promotion in the mid-1970s while focused on album sales, issued the record in Britain yet failed to stock stores despite radio and club exposure generated by Voltafine Productions. Limited airplay restricted sales of “Running” to five thousand copies. Nevertheless Voltafine organized an English tour for Pennington alongside Levine’s other Chicago finds, Evelyn Thomas and L.J. Johnson. Woods’ and Johnson’s sides, licensed respectively to 20th Century and Phonogram, achieved stronger British sales through more effective promotion. Pennington remained the least supported of the three; Island extended neither tour assistance nor marketing, effectively disregarding her. She nevertheless delivered energetic shows to modest audiences, embodying a high-spirited bump-and-grinder who thrived on crowd interaction. Following the tour’s modest success, Levine prepared additional Pennington releases—“I Can't Keep My Heart Still,” the disco-flavored “Twenty-Four Hours a Day,” and “You Are the Music Within Me”—again with Paul Wilson arranging and Levine and Leake producing, now employing a larger orchestra that yielded a richer sound. Voltafine next eyed the American market; the tracks were recorded at Chicago Recording Company. The experience enthralled Pennington, who, since encountering Levine, had traveled to England, appeared in clubs, and begun living as a recording artist. Frustrated by Island’s indifference, Levine reacquired her contract and moved her to United Artists Records. United Artists issued “Twenty-Four Hours,” which gained traction as a British disco favorite, while another United Artists single, “Spend a Little Time With Me,” also attracted attention. Later, on Record Shack Records, Pennington released “Out of the Darkest Night,” “Way Down Deep in My Soul,” and “Don't Stop the World,” all of which received European airplay though minimal U.S. exposure. Additional singles “Fan the Flame” and “All American Boy” remain familiar to European listeners; the latter appears on the Gay Classics, Vol. 1 compilation issued by Wear-It-Out Records. Her albums comprise Midnight Rider, Out of the Darkness, and The Best of Barbara Pennington.
