Major Lance Motown Recordings

[woodward]

I have never seen any conversations about Major Lance's stint with Motown. I have obtained the following of his discography.

In 4/78 he issued the last 45 on the Soul label #35123, I Never Thought I'd Be Losing You b/w Chicago Disco.

In 7/78 he was scheduled to have an album on the Gordy label G7-980-R1 entitled Major, Just Messin' Around. This album was never released. The record number was reassigned and issued to the Switch album by Switch.

In 8/78 an album was issued on the Soul label #751, Now Arriving. Included songs are 9: I Never Thought I'd Be Losing You, Wild and Free, Chicago Disco, Do The Mess Around, How My Love Goes, Think About The Love We Had, Troubles, Love Pains, and It's All Over. This was the final album on the Soul series.

Don't Forget the Motor City listing on the internet extends until 1972 so his recording history is undocumented.

Does anyone know what songs were slated for the unissued Gordy album? Were they identical to what was eventually released on Soul 751?

Can anyone provide any information about his career at Motown? I'd like to know a little more about it, please. Thank you.

[marv2]

Major, unfortunately did not have much of Motown career with only one single release,"I Never Thought I'd Be Losing You". Still he must not be overlooked. I'll see what I can find out.

Marv

[motony]

If memory serves me correct, he was busted for selling cocaine in the late 70's and went to prison.My faves by him were in early 70's on Curtom "Stay Away From Me" and Dakar "Follow The Leader" those were big hits in Florida.

[marv2]

If memory serves me correct, he was busted for selling cocaine in the late 70's and went to prison.My faves by him were in early 70's on Curtom "Stay Away From Me" and Dakar "Follow The Leader" those were big hits in Florida.


That is true about the drug bust.

[roger]

I have the U.K. issue of his "Now Arriving" L.P. [[STML 12094).

The track listing is as follows :-

SIDE 1 :-
1 - "I Never Thought I'd Be Losing You" [[Marvin Smith - Louis Smith) ... B
2 - "Wild And Free" [[Curtis Mayfield) ... A
3 - "Chicago Disco" [[Sylvia Lance-Marvin Smith-Barbara Acklin-Wales Wallace) ... A
4 - "Do the Mess Around" [[Sylvia Lance-Raymond Smith) ... B
5 - "How My Love Goes" [[Bruce Davis-Glen Davis-Doug Davis-Cameron Davis) ... B

SIDE 2 :-
1 - "Think About The Love We Had" [[William Bickelhaupt-Jamal Trice) ... C
2 - "Troubles" [[Harry Belafonte) ... A
3 - "Love Pains" [[Jesse Boyce-Sanchez Harley) ... C
4 - "It's All Over" [[Kenny Lupper-Sylvia Lance) ... A

Tracks marked "A" Produced by : MAJOR LANCE & OTIS LEAVILLE
Tracks marked "B" Produced by : KENT WASHBURN, MAJOR LANCE & OTIS LEAVILLE
Tracks marked "C" Produced by : KENT WASHBURN & WILLIAM BICKELHAUPT
For the Gwen Glenn Production Co.

Arranged by James Mack, except for "Think About the Love We Had" and "Love Pains" arranged by Kent Washburn & William Bickelhaupt.
Recorded at: P.S. Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois and Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California.
Engineers: Roger Dollarhide, Bill Odszewski, Peter Haden & Bill Shulenburg
Mastered at: Kendun Recorders, Burbank, California. Mastering Engineer: John Golden.
Design: Simon Bolivar, Lettering: Bill Franks.

Released 1978.

I remember at the time being somewhat disappointed with it, but when I listen to the tracks now they sound quite good.

This is the single ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl4J_wEk7hw

Roger

[motony]

Does anyone know who Sylvia Lance is?

[marv2]

I have the U.K. issue of his "Now Arriving" L.P. [[STML 12094).

The track listing is as follows :-

SIDE 1 :-
1 - "I Never Thought I'd Be Losing You" [[Marvin Smith - Louis Smith) ... B
2 - "Wild And Free" [[Curtis Mayfield) ... A
3 - "Chicago Disco" [[Sylvia Lance-Marvin Smith-Barbara Acklin-Wales Wallace) ... A
4 - "Do the Mess Around" [[Sylvia Lance-Raymond Smith) ... B
5 - "How My Love Goes" [[Bruce Davis-Glen Davis-Doug Davis-Cameron Davis) ... B

SIDE 2 :-
1 - "Think About The Love We Had" [[William Bickelhaupt-Jamal Trice) ... C
2 - "Troubles" [[Harry Belafonte) ... A
3 - "Love Pains" [[Jesse Boyce-Sanchez Harley) ... C
4 - "It's All Over" [[Kenny Lupper-Sylvia Lance) ... A

Tracks marked "A" Produced by : MAJOR LANCE & OTIS LEAVILLE
Tracks marked "B" Produced by : KENT WASHBURN, MAJOR LANCE & OTIS LEAVILLE
Tracks marked "C" Produced by : KENT WASHBURN & WILLIAM BICKELHAUPT
For the Gwen Glenn Production Co.

Arranged by James Mack, except for "Think About the Love We Had" and "Love Pains" arranged by Kent Washburn & William Bickelhaupt.
Recorded at: P.S. Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois and Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California.
Engineers: Roger Dollarhide, Bill Odszewski, Peter Haden & Bill Shulenburg
Mastered at: Kendun Recorders, Burbank, California. Mastering Engineer: John Golden.
Design: Simon Bolivar, Lettering: Bill Franks.

Released 1978.

I remember at the time being somewhat disappointed with it, but when I listen to the tracks now they sound quite good.

This is the single ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl4J_wEk7hw

Roger

Good song, but it got absolutely NO air play during it's release.

[motony]

according to Wikipedia, he was arrested for cocaine in 1978 & served 4 years, thus that would have sunk any promotion for the Soul release.

[roger]

Does anyone know who Sylvia Lance is?

At the bottom of the sleeve notes there is a dedication to his family .. Sylvia, Tracey, Darrien, Gail, Keisha and Kevin .. so I'm guessing she was his wife.

Roger

[marv2]

Major Lance had a very successful recording career early on. It was difficult to repeat that success as time went on. He was in intrical part of the legendary "Chicago Sound" and it just did not translate into hit records outside of that.

[motony]

well, I noticed that Sylvia Lance wrote several of the songs on the Soul LP.

[carole cucumber]

http://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread.php?985-Now-arriving-major-lance

[carole cucumber]

According to Wikipedia & confirmed by his death notice

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19940902&id=uRdgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8W0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1915,1269185

Major Lance's wife's name was not Sylvia but Christine. As they had 9 children, perhaps Sylvia might be one of his daughters or daughters-in-law.

[arr&bee]

Good post,i not long ago posted about[chicago disco]which was a killer track from his motown lp[now arriving,not a bad album at all but i guess the timing of it and the fact that major's career was on the downside worked against him.

[marv2]

Good post,i not long ago posted about[chicago disco]which was a killer track from his motown lp[now arriving,not a bad album at all but i guess the timing of it and the fact that major's career was on the downside worked against him.

It [[his career) was on the downside by the time Major signed with Motown. This is around the time they were signing other established, veteran acts like Jerry Butler, Frankie Valli, etc to the label. They pretty much had the same experience the great Chuck Jackson had on Motown Records.

[roger]

I generally agree with what Marv2 is saying ..

This tune from MAJOR LANCE was a near hit in Britain a year or two earlier and I think I was hoping to hear something similar to it on his Motown L.P.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRTX6pZ9GHI

Roger

[stephanie]

He was a great dancer! I think these tunes sound better now than they did years ago. Marv you have a lot of musical history in your brains.

[marv2]

He was a great dancer! I think these tunes sound better now than they did years ago. Marv you have a lot of musical history in your brains.

Thank you Stephanie.