Martha Reeves - RAINBOW original Cover???

[mrbfly]

Hi everybody,

I hope that some die-hard fan could help me.
I would like to know if an official cover/LP for the Martha Reeves 1975 album RAINBOW exist.

I know that the album was re-issued in 1982 as "Dancing In the Streets" with no Martha on it. But I would like to see the original Rainbow Cover.

Does anyone know that, and has a link or a picture of the original one?!?!

Thanks
Ben

[PeaceNHarmony]

This lp got by me, Ben ... from that era I only recall the disco 'Skating In The Streets' and I'm not sure if that was an lp or a 12' extended play single. I think that cover featured Ms. Reeves in a contemporary, Spandex-y outfit -

[Mark Desjardines]

The record cover featuring Martha Reeves in spandex is the 1980 Fantasy label recording, "Gotta Keep Moving." which did indeed feature "Skating In The Streets," which is totally different from the Rainbow album issued in 1982. And yes, there was also a 12 inch single version released as well. 13317

[PeaceNHarmony]

The record cover featuring Martha Reeves in spandex is the 1980 Fantasy label recording, "Gotta Keep Moving." which did indeed feature "Skating In The Streets," which is totally different from the Rainbow album issued in 1982. And yes, there was also a 12 inch single version released as well. 13317
Thanks, Mark - that is indeed the lp I recall. I do not have a copy; is it worth persuing?

[thommg]

There was a previous thread on this LP from 2013:
https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread.php?8696-Martha-Reeves-1975-quot-Rainbow-quot-LP-[[aka-quot-Dancin-In-The-Streets-quot-)

They seem to think there never was a Rainbow LP and the date of the recordings is suspect. Here is the Dancing In The Streets LP cover:
13318

[Mark Desjardines]

Martha Reeves' "Gotta Keep Moving" features six lengthy tracks, some written by Lamont Dozier, and some produced by Henry Cosby, trying to duplicate the musical magic of Sylvester. Falling short in my estimation, and not essential Martha Reeves, the songs are worth listening to. All the tracks are available on Youtube. You be the judge.

[longtimefan]

13319

This is the promo album from 1982.

[longtimefan]

13320

This is the promo album from 1982.

[daviddesper]

As much as I love Martha, I thought her four earliest solo albums got progressively worse. The Richard Perry album was wonderful with not a weak cut to be found, The Rest of My Life had three or four great songs on it and some others that were not so wonderful, We Meet Again had only one great song in my estimation [[Free Again), and sadly Gotta Keep Moving was almost unlistenable by Martha standards.

[vgalindo]

As much as I love Martha, I thought her four earliest solo albums got progressively worse. The Richard Perry album was wonderful with not a weak cut to be found, The Rest of My Life had three or four great songs on it and some others that were not so wonderful, We Meet Again had only one great song in my estimation [[Free Again), and sadly Gotta Keep Moving was almost unlistenable by Martha standards.
My favorite solo Martha Reeves album is "The Rest of my Life" I loved and liked all the songs. I enjoy the Richard Perry album more now than before. It took a while to grow on me. Did not like the last two at all.

[PeaceNHarmony]

My favorite solo Martha Reeves album is "The Rest of my Life" I loved and liked all the songs. I enjoy the Richard Perry album more now than before. It took a while to grow on me. Did not like the last two at all.
I am in agreement - I think 'TROML' is actually Martha's mature masterpiece, a perfect lp with a spotlight on her singing. The Perry lp is also wonderful but a tad overproduced and I think the vocals a bit fuzzily recorded [[still, a great record by most standards).

[mrbfly]

The Dancing in the street LP Cover is the re-release, but isn't there a picture from the original RAINBOW LP from 1975 somwhere??? or is it only a myth and that LP wasn't released in 1975?!

Ben

[reese]

The Dancing in the street LP Cover is the re-release, but isn't there a picture from the original RAINBOW LP from 1975 somwhere??? or is it only a myth and that LP wasn't released in 1975?!

Ben

Not sure if it was released in 1975, but I believe some of the songs like BE GRATEFUL and DON'T EVER TAKE YOUR LOVE AWAY have copyright dates later than 1975.

When I play it, it sounds closer to a early 80s sound. But it is really hard to know. In her book, Martha discussed every album she had recorded. Strangely, she never mentioned RAINBOW, the 1982 DANCIN' IN THE STREETS, or interestingly enough, the Motorcity recordings.

[mrbfly]

In the "The Rest Of My Life Expanded Edition" Booklet they said:
she recorded two solo albums [[1974's Richard Perry-produced Martha Reeves on MCA Records and 1975's little known Rainbow) before moving to Clive Davis' Arista Records...

[reese]

In her book, Martha wrote that she was slated to have a deal with Island Records after her MCA pact ended. But she declined because her ex-manager would have been involved in the deal. So perhaps the RAINBOW were recordings intended for Island. But whether these are the recordings that were released in 1982 is still hard to determine.

[copley]

Previous thread from 2013

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread.php?8696-Martha-Reeves-1975-quot-Rainbow-quot-LP-[[aka-quot-Dancin-In-The-Streets-quot-)

[mrbfly]

But this thread doesn't have a photo or anything from the original Rainbow release :[[

[woodward]

http://www.stonewallvets.org/images/songs_7/Martha-Reeves_MRV_Natural_Resources.jpg

There it is, compliments of above organization. Enjoy.

[sansradio]

http://www.stonewallvets.org/images/songs_7/Martha-Reeves_MRV_Natural_Resources.jpg

There it is, compliments of above organization. Enjoy.

That's actually MR&TVs NATURAL RESOURCES LP; what they're referring to is a solo Martha LP entitled RAINBOW, I believe.

[woodward]

That's actually MR&TVs NATURAL RESOURCES LP; what they're referring to is a solo Martha LP entitled RAINBOW, I believe.

You are probably correct. I looked up every song on dftmc.info and according to that they had a date of
9/8/1970. This was long before my time. It carried according to www.bsnpubs.com this picture from above and a catalog number of GLPS 952 released 9/70. I went through all the bsnpubs.com listings through and including 1988 and this is the only one I could locate with a RAINBOW picture on it or a tital Natural Resources not to be confused with the Natural Resources label series of Motown. It's odd that the bsnpubs.com shows the catalog number as GLPS 952 [[yes an L in it)
but the ones before 952 and after 952 have no L in it.

It is what it is.