Susie Heartbreaker

Of the many vinyl albums I own there is one in particular that I always kept out of storage primarily because the front and back art of the record sleeve is drawn as a comic book! The album is Susie Heartbreaker (Ghetto Child) by the New York-based Soul/Funk/Disco/Salsa group L.G.T. Exchange. Taking his cue from the "Black-Rock Operetta" illustrator Morgan Harris tells in a comic book format the story of the short, tragic life of a young woman trapped in a cycle of sex, drugs and prostitution.

Musically the album follows the popular and successful artistic trends of the time and the sound is heavily influenced, at least on this early album, by James Brown and Santana. The sound doesn't have quite enough bottom for my ears, though that may be caused more by the limitations of my turntable and speakers than any lack of production values on the part of the band. Not that the songs are completely unoriginal. While the album is by no means on par with the ground-breaking Tommy, it is cut from the same vinyl. For fans of the era and style of music there are several likable enough tunes out of the ten tracks that convey a story relevant to Huggy Bears past and present.

For your between Wednesdays reading pleasure, here is the painstakingly restored front and back of the Susie Heartbreaker LP. Some of the imagery may not be safe for work. Enjoy!

Click the pictures to spin at 33 1/3!


As a special bonus for those looking to get their groove on here is a Susie Heartbreaker slideshow of the album art featuring the title track, Ghetto Child.

For those interested in adding to their collection of music or comic book-related ephemera, the album can be found on the 'net for around $20.