Mary Wilson - Love Talk [Unreleased 1980] [Archive]

BayouMotownMan

01-30-2017, 08:55 PM

The four tracks that Mary did with Gus Dudgeon was truly superb and has her record company been interested, this could have lead Mary into a much more successful direction. Instead, when they got the notice that she did these sessions and charged them to Motown, it gave them the excuse they needed to let her go.

Would love it if these were put on a CD with Mary's solo Motown lp, which also has some good tracks. Warm Summer Night, Pick Up The Pieces. The lp was rushed out, the single, an edit of Red Hot was just cheap disco and not the best track on the lp. But...they didn't care. They were finished with Mary and Pedro

bradsupremes

01-30-2017, 09:33 PM

The four tracks that Mary did with Gus Dudgeon was truly superb and has her record company been interested, this could have lead Mary into a much more successful direction.

Absolutely! The four tracks are outstanding and showed Mary had star potential."Love Talk" and "Save Me" could have been big hits if they were released and promoted.

carlo

01-30-2017, 11:02 PM

As much as I love Mary and I really like these four outtakes, I feel that they sounded a bit dated for their time. They would have been released in 1980 when the music scene was shifting into the synth, rock and new wave era. Love Talk has that lovey strings sound like some of Barry White's material from years before. These sessions resulted in some great material that showcase her voice significantly better than the '79 LP. Now had "My Lovelife Is a Disaster" and/or "Walk the Line" been properly released and promoted, those could have been hits for her. Just my two cents.

carlo

01-30-2017, 11:16 PM

Green River has always been my favourite of the four. Let's get us some flyin' fish, honey!

luke

01-30-2017, 11:20 PM

This is beautiful. "Motown" was stupid and spiteful.

marv2

01-30-2017, 11:45 PM

This is beautiful. "Motown" was stupid and spiteful.

Too stupid to believe at times.

marv2

01-30-2017, 11:48 PM

luke

01-30-2017, 11:54 PM

Love talk is a number one record and Mary's performance is sublime. Doesn't she own the masters? She should release them. Was this the song up for Grammy consideration this year?

marv2

01-31-2017, 12:04 AM

Love talk is a number one record and Mary's performance is sublime. Doesn't she own the masters? She should release them. Was this the song up for Grammy consideration this year?

She owns the masters. The song you're thinking of is "You Danced My Heart Around the Stars".

luke

01-31-2017, 12:19 AM

Ok. Thanks

daviddesper

01-31-2017, 12:45 AM

Nice song but I think the instrumentation and arrangement are stronger than the vocals.

bradsupremes

01-31-2017, 01:39 AM

As much as I love Mary and I really like these four outtakes, I feel that they sounded a bit dated for their time. They would have been released in 1980 when the music scene was shifting into the synth, rock and new wave era. Love Talk has that lovey strings sound like some of Barry White's material from years before.

I don't think they sound dated. The strings on "Save Me" have a similar sound as to the ones on Diana's "Upside Down" although much more prominent. I wouldn't classify any of these tracks as disco. Compared to what was on the charts between 1979-1981, these tracks fit in with the sound at the time.

detmotownguy

01-31-2017, 03:01 AM

Love talk is a number one record and Mary's performance is sublime. Doesn't she own the masters? She should release them. Was this the song up for Grammy consideration this year?

Should have been a hit. I just love her voice, very rich and soulful.

Laserdk

01-31-2017, 07:41 AM

She owns the masters. The song you're thinking of is "You Danced My Heart Around the Stars".

marv2,

Are you sure about that as one or two of those tracks were scheduled to appear on the 70s Supremes' "Greatest Hits & Rare Classics" CD [[along with some unreleased group tracks) before Motown told the compiler of the set, George Solomon, he couldn't use any previously unreleased tracks [[which suggests as at 1991 Motown still owned the masters)?

Ivor

BayouMotownMan

01-31-2017, 09:50 AM

marv2,

Are you sure about that as one or two of those tracks were scheduled to appear on the 70s Supremes' "Greatest Hits & Rare Classics" CD [[along with some unreleased group tracks) before Motown told the compiler of the set, George Solomon, he couldn't use any previously unreleased tracks [[which suggests as at 1991 Motown still owned the masters)?

Ivor

Mary demanded those four tracks be given to her as part of her release from Motown. They apparently happily obliged. She was shopping them to other labels

marv2

01-31-2017, 10:45 AM

marv2,

Are you sure about that as one or two of those tracks were scheduled to appear on the 70s Supremes' "Greatest Hits & Rare Classics" CD [[along with some unreleased group tracks) before Motown told the compiler of the set, George Solomon, he couldn't use any previously unreleased tracks [[which suggests as at 1991 Motown still owned the masters)?

Ivor

I heard that Motown gave Mary back her masters when they released her.

arr&bee

01-31-2017, 05:04 PM

That's mary? Wow that is beautiful,kinda of a[phillis hyman]sound to it.

carlo

01-31-2017, 05:22 PM

I heard that Motown gave Mary back her masters when they released her.

That would make sense since she performed/lip-synced these tracks on the European show "Black Gold" after Motown had released her. In order to have done this, she would have had access to the recordings, likely being in her possession.

luke

01-31-2017, 05:23 PM

Why? She sings other Motown songs.

bradsupremes

01-31-2017, 06:44 PM

I heard that Motown gave Mary back her masters when they released her.

Mary owns the four Gus Dudgeon masters.

Luciano

01-31-2017, 08:23 PM

That's mary? Wow that is beautiful,kinda of a[phillis hyman]sound to it.

I agree with you! Really great. Thanks for sharing Marv!

sup_fan

02-01-2017, 01:18 AM

luke

02-01-2017, 10:41 AM

Very true. Though Neil Bigart planned to sign her before his death and she came close to signing with Atlantic.

Laserdk

02-01-2017, 11:20 AM

Mary owns the four Gus Dudgeon masters.

Thanks guys. I'm surprised then she hasn't released them as they are better than anything on her "Walk The Line" CD/album. The only reason I thought Motown still owned them was because, as I said, one or two of them were included in the original tracklist for the Supremes' "70s Greatest Hits & Rare Classics" before George Solomon was told he couldn't use any vaulted tracks.

Ivor

luke

02-01-2017, 01:25 PM

If I see her at bbkings Friday I will ask her !

Bluebrock

02-01-2017, 01:47 PM

Nice song but I think the instrumentation and arrangement are stronger than the vocals.
I agree. Mary sounds better than she did on her solo album, but there was still something missing . There was so much competition from female artists from this era and Mary would have been swamped with the superior competition out there. It's a pleasant song but i would have loved hearing Phyliss Hyman on lead vocals. That would have been something else. Decent effort though. and much better than most of the pap on her album.

Bluebrock

02-01-2017, 01:51 PM

I think Save Me was the most pop of the songs and would have done well on charts. Dance My Heart would have been an excellent follow up

Seems odd that NO record label would give her a chance. I would have thought someone would try and sign her. Maybe not for a $15 million deal. But something
Record Labels wanted to make money. If they didn't think they could get a decent return on their investment they would be reluctant to give Mary a chance. The solo album did her no favours whatsoever, and for that Motown should hang their heads in shame.

jobeterob

02-01-2017, 02:51 PM

Funny how the album only sold a couple thousand copies but I think enough fans would buy a reissue with extras to sell another thousand or so now

bradsupremes

02-01-2017, 03:10 PM

Thanks guys. I'm surprised then she hasn't released them as they are better than anything on her "Walk The Line" CD/album. The only reason I thought Motown still owned them was because, as I said, one or two of them were included in the original tracklist for the Supremes' "70s Greatest Hits & Rare Classics" before George Solomon was told he couldn't use any vaulted tracks.

Ivor

You'd probably have to ask George or Andy how it all works out. Mary owns the masters, but somehow Motown still has some claim on them. Something like they belong to Mary but the tapes are with Motown. I could have this all wrong. I was told one time how it worked out but I can't remember correctly. I know George got Jean's "I Had To Fall In Love" which wasn't Motown property on the GH&RC collection so I don't think it would have been any different getting Mary's tracks.

greg jones

02-01-2017, 03:21 PM

You'd probably have to ask George or Andy how it all works out. Mary owns the masters, but somehow Motown still has some claim on them. Something like they belong to Mary but the tapes are with Motown. I could have this all wrong. I was told one time how it worked out but I can't remember correctly. I know George got Jean's "I Had To Fall In Love" which wasn't Motown property on the GH&RC collection so I don't think it would have been any different getting Mary's tracks.

Jean's I Had To Fall In Love probably was pretty easy to lease for GH&RC because it was released on A&M which was also a PolyGram company before PolyGram was purchased by Universal in 1999. So it was still kind of in the same company family. GH&RC was issued on Motown just as it closed a distribution deal with PolyGram in 1991. PolyGram later outright purchased Motown in 1994.

Now, on Mary's solo album, i do recall Andy saying something about there were some legal issues on that coming out which has been the hold up. Not sure what kind of legal issues.

luke

02-02-2017, 02:00 PM

Don't forget...if you're going to see Mary tommorow night wear special hat as we discussed last time. I'm going to have my beret on!

sansradio

02-02-2017, 04:08 PM

Don't forget...if you're going to see Mary tommorow night wear special hat as we discussed last time. I'm going to have my beret on!

LOL!! I'm not gonna make it, Luke; in the middle of moving. Have a blast!

luke

02-02-2017, 08:00 PM

Oh sans. I was hoping u Would be there with hat:[[. Good luck moving!

rod_rick

02-02-2017, 09:04 PM

Oh sans. I was hoping u Would be there with hat:[[. Good luck moving!
Hey Luke
Have a great time. If you can a review with footage or pictures would REALLY NICE ;)

luke

02-02-2017, 10:33 PM

Thanks rod. I'm not high tech but will ask my friend. Is it perfectly legal to do this ? Do some artists object? All new to me.

sansradio

02-03-2017, 11:29 AM

Oh sans. I was hoping u Would be there with hat:[[. Good luck moving!

Thanks! In re your photos/footage question, a staffer at B.B. Kings told me a couple of years ago that they don't discourage it, but that it's all up to the artists' discretion. We got gobs of Patti Austin footage that night!

luke

02-03-2017, 12:19 PM

Good to know sans. I will check it out. Thx!

sup_fan

02-07-2017, 08:45 PM

i have to admit i've not listened to her debut solo album much. but in relistening to some of the tracks, it's not as weak as i remember. i do think they picked the wrong lead single. Red Hot, IMO, suffers from poor lyrics. Mary is too repetitive too in her ad libs, with the "ows!" But the tracks for I've Got What You Need, You Make Me Feel So Good and You're The Light That Guides My Way are pretty good. again i think she should have been more inventive and free with her ad-libs and all. lyrics again are the weaker spots

Pick Up The Pieces was strong but given the lp lineup, out of place. i think if they'd done another slower funk song or two to help balance it out [[and cut that silly Red Hot), it would have been a stronger set