Martha Reeves Produced By Richard Perry

[Roberta75]

Martha sans Vandellas from this past weekend, looking and sounding great. This lady still has it. God bless Miss Martha and may she continue to delight audiences for many years to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSxcLgh3q_E

[loveblind]

Taky cover and all..It's a good album.....:-)

[kenneth]

Taky cover and all..It's a good album.....:-)

It'd be nice if Hip-O collected all of Reeves' solo output not yet reissued. It would make a nice couple of CDs.

[John Sands]

Johnjeb, where was the club that you saw Martha at in the 70's?

[johnjeb]

Johnjeb, where was the club that you saw Martha at in the 70's?

John,

We saw her in Boston at Pauls' Mall on Boylston St across from the Prudential Center. It was a cellar club sharing space with the Jazz Workshop. Both places later became a gay club in the 80s called Buddies.

When it was Paul's Mall we also saw Syreeta, The Dynamic Superiors and Melba Moore there. A friend saw Bette Midler when Barry Manilow was her piano player. It was a small club seating a couple of hundred or so.

and welcome to Soulful Detroit Forum.

John

[marv2]

The Richard Perry album was indeed beautiful and somewhat ahead of its time. [[Even Berry Gordy liked it)

The project lacked one important thing.....PROMOTION. MCA had spent so much money on the album and freeing Martha from Motown. [[Most of that money went to freeing Martha of her contractual obligations at Motown.) Not much left for promotion. I really believe pop radio would have loved "Wild Night" had it been promoted there.

Richard Perry tried to get MCA to get behind the record, of course they didn't and they thought Martha should been recording more soul music.

The album sold about 50,000 units in the US and with sales in Japan,UK and Germany, plus the sales from "Power Of Love" [[a modest international hit), they regained their money but opted to drop Martha.

I have to agree about the lack of promotion. "Wild Night" received considerable airplay in Detroit via CKLW -Windsor at the time. The song simply rocked and was perfect for the times.

[marv2]

John,

We saw her in Boston at Pauls' Mall on Boylston St across from the Prudential Center. It was a cellar club sharing space with the Jazz Workshop. Both places later became a gay club in the 80s called Buddies.

When it was Paul's Mall we also saw Syreeta, The Dynamic Superiors and Melba Moore there. A friend saw Bette Midler when Barry Manilow was her piano player. It was a small club seating a couple of hundred or so.

and welcome to Soulful Detroit Forum.

John

I use to live right behind the Prudential Center on St. Botolph!@

[juicefree20]

A little late seeing this thread but I'd like to address Loveblind's remark about Smokey not making too much noise until 1979's "Where There's Smoke" & "Cruisin'".

From 1973 through 1978, Smokey had 8 charting LPs, 7 of which were Top 40 R&B sellers [[3 were Top 20) & 3 of his first 4 LPs were Top 10 R&B LPs.

His solo debut "Smokey", fueled by Sweet Harmony, Baby Come Close, Holly, A Silent Partner In A Three-Way Love Affair & The Family Song" was #10. His next LP "Pure Smokey went #12, driven by the songs I Am, I Am [[#6), Virgin Man [[#12), It's Her Turn To Live [[#29), She's Only A Baby Herself & Asleep On My Love. "A Quiet Storm" exceeded the first two, going to #7 & giving us the title track, The Agony & The Ecstasy, Baby That's Backatcha, Happy & The Wedding Song.

To my way of thinking, while not as strong as the first 3, "Smokey's Family Robinson" nonetheless charted at #9, with the popular cut Open. "Deep In My Soul" came in at #16 & There Will Come A Day was quite popular in 1977. The soundtrack "Big Time" dropped of, peaking at #39, but he rebounded the next year with Love Breeze" charting at #19. Near the end of that year [[1978), he released the live "Smokin' album, which stalled at #70 R&B, charting for a mere 2 weeks. It seemed undeservedly so, as it featured some nice live versions of his earlier solo hits, as well as those with The Miracles. I believe that the album deserved a better fate, as it was popular with most of the people whom I knew, which obviously was not the opinion of the masses. Then again, double LPs were usually a harder sell & a double live album of old hits likely even moreso.

Of course, the next year came the big "comeback album, but truthfully, given his popularity, I didn't even know that he had went anywhere. I simply say this to point out that from his very first solo release, Smokey was indeed off & rolling.

Same for David Ruffin who's first two solo albums hit Top 10 R&B, with his debut going to #1.

[markdtiller]

I have the "Rainbow" album. I had a copy of the re-release [["Dancing In The Streets" with the awful picture) and put it onto CD. I love it, it's her best solo album after the Richard Perry debut. So why it is excluded from almost all of her discographies, including the one in her own book, is a mystery!
Lovelblind do you have a picture of the original artwork?

[johnny_raven]

Many people don't acknowledge the Rainbow album because it's a bootleg.

[kenneth]

Many people don't acknowledge the Rainbow album because it's a bootleg.

Do you mean its release was completely unauthorized? I would love to hear this album. I wonder if there's ever a chance it will come out. I think it was Loveblind [[who should know) who said it was one of Martha's finest post-Vandellas recordings.

[motown_david]

Is the Rainbow album the one that came out on the Phonorama label in Canada? It has tracks on it like Feel Like Makin' Love, Hearts On Fire and The Thrill Is Gone among others?

[dennis_coffey]

I enjoyed playing on this album and always thought it was a great album. I also worked with Richard Perry on the Good Night Vienna Album by Ringo Starr. I spoke with Martha a few weeks ago at the Northern Lights Lounge in Detroit. I will be playing there every Tuesday night with my jazz trio starting on May 1st.

Dennis Coffey

[kenneth]

I enjoyed playing on this album and always thought it was a great album. I also worked with Richard Perry on the Good Night Vienna Album by Ringo Starr. I spoke with Martha a few weeks ago at the Northern Lights Lounge in Detroit. I will be playing there every Tuesday night with my jazz trio starting on May 1st.

Dennis Coffey

You have played on so many great albums. I'm pretty sure you played on most of the Undisputed Truth's LPs, including my all time favorite cut of theirs, "What it Is." They had some great extended breaks with beautiful guitar work on their second LP, including their version of "What's Going On."

I was curious though. Do you know if you played on the Wanda Young project which became "Return of the Marvelettes"? I've always wondered because, although uncredited, there's some guitar on there which sounds like your signature.

[markdtiller]

How can it be a bootleg when it had two official releases, albeit limited. First on Phonorama, then the budget label as pictured.
Loveblind do you or anyone have the original cover?

[dennis_coffey]

Hi Kenneth. I did the guitar solo on Smiling Faces and played on that album. I probably did the other one too. I am not sure on the Wanda Young project. I did a lot of sessions at Motown and Mowest without knowing the artists. Some tracks were used for more than one artist or group to see who sounded the best.

Dennis Coffey

[kenneth]

Hi Kenneth. I did the guitar solo on Smiling Faces and played on that album. I probably did the other one too. I am not sure on the Wanda Young project. I did a lot of sessions at Motown and Mowest without knowing the artists. Some tracks were used for more than one artist or group to see who sounded the best.

Dennis Coffey

Thanks so much. Your work with the UT is stellar. I'm also going to be happy continuing to believe it's you on the Wanda Young project. Thanks again!