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I have known of the album for a while but just recently gave it a listen for the first time on youtube and I have to say it is actually a great album. Seems to be an even album all around. I know some have criticized and compared it to her Motown recordings over the years but I don't see anything wrong with this album at all. Now I have bought the Complete 20th Century Fox Recordings and I am glad I did :D
I thought the album was pretty good when issued [[my brother originally bought it in 1965), but it seemed to have a more easy listening sound to it, most notably "He's A Lover", written by Ron Miller [[a Motown writer!). Mickey Gentile and his wife Jennifer Lambert wrote a couple songs and then became Motown writers. Mickey said Berry Gordy told him that if "Never Never Leave Me" had been on Motown it would've been a top ten hit. He said BG told him it sounded just like a Motown record, which it was produced by Carl Davis of Chicago.
I didn't hear this album until the early 90s, and was only familiar with Mary's Motown recordings and DEAR LOVER. But this is a very good album, with many great songs on it like STOP TAKING ME FOR GRANTED, AIN'T IT THE TRUTH, NEVER NEVER LEAVE ME, TIME AFTER TIME, and others. Mary sounds rather elegant throughout, and I also think I can hear Cissy Houston's distinctive voice among the backup singers.
Re NEVER NEVER LEAVE ME, in one interview, the writer mentioned that he and his partner were originally writing it for Dionne Warwick. I forgot how it ended up with Mary, maybe through George Scheck, but it is a nice recording.
Attachment 11149Quote:
Originally Posted by rrussi
Robert Bateman, Sonny Sanders and Andre Williams [[and, I believe, Popcorn Wylie ) ex-of Motown were also involved in Mary's 20th Century Fox cuts that were recorded in Detroit, And, she also sang a few songs which had been written by Jobete Music's New York offfice's writers [[Sidney Barnes and J.J. Jackson) [[i.e. "Me Without You"-her most Motown-sounding Fox cut).
"Me Without You" is a great song. I think it's very catchy. One of my favorites post Motown.
Lack of airplay equals lack of hits and that's what happened with all her post-Motown work. And I don't think the record labels are to blame for that either. They did try to promote the product even with full page ads in the trades.
"Me Without You" was performed four times on television, yet only reached #95 on the pop charts. She did this song on Shindig, Hollywood A-Go-Go, Al Hirt Show, and, I think, Where The Action Is.
Attachment 11175Quote:
Originally Posted by rrussi
Clearly, distributors and DJs that dealt with Motown didn't push Mary's post-Motown releases. Her 20th Century Fox and ATCO recordings were excellent, and should have done nearly as well as her Motown releases, given her fan base after "My Guy". She didn't get the airplay, nor the visual plugs and availability in record shops. We big fans of hers had to do some work to find all her post-Motown records.
Very true. Dear Lover made r & b top 10.
He's A Lover was a major big hit on an R&B station in California that was a huge station with lots of wattage that could be heard and picked up hundreds of miles away. However, you would never know it by the trade charts as the record barely charted.
Attachment 11196Quote:
Originally Posted by rrussi
Was that station XERB? [[supposed to be in San Diego, but the transmitter was in Tijuana [[thus the Mexican X prefix -1st call letter)).