“Love Child” by the Blackberries

[mowest]

Reading the liner notes to "A Cellarful of Motown” vol. 4, I see that there is an 8 minute version of “Love Child” by the Blackberries in the vault.
Is anyone familiar with this recording? Has anyone heard it?

[paul_nixon]

Reading the liner notes to "A Cellarful of Motown” vol. 4, I see that there is an 8 minute version of “Love Child” by the Blackberries in the vault.
Is anyone familiar with this recording? Has anyone heard it?

Yes I have, the late, Deke Richards played it for me a few years back when I visited his home in the US, along with the rest of The Blackberries album

[lakeside]

I sure wish they'd release the Blackberries album. I've heard a couple of songs and really liked it. Did not hear 'Love Child', though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNPaQ1cmYNE

[LoveSupreme]

Clydie King was sexy.

[mowest]

Yes I have, the late, Deke Richards played it for me a few years back when I visited his home in the US, along with the rest of The Blackberries album

Great! Can you tell us what it sounds like? How it compares to the original? Thanks.

[TomatoTom123]

Mmm, would love to The Blackberries' version of "Love Child"...! In fact I'd like to hear their whole unreleased album. ;)

[longtimefan]

Have any of their tracks been released on compilations. I can't remember.......

[TomatoTom123]

Have any of their tracks been released on compilations. I can't remember.......

Hey longtimefan, I think a couple have... I think "Somebody Up There" [[b/w "But I Love You More") was originally scheduled for release as single in 1972, so was included in the first volume of the Complete Motown Singles compilation for that year. Also, I believe their song "Kidnapped" was released on volume four of the A Cellarful Of Motown! series. All great tracks! :)

[booty]

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[woodward]

I seem to recall that they played the Oreos in the 1976 film, A Star Is Born, which was a remake backing Barbra Streisand. They seemed to emulate their backing of DR on Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

[lakeside]

http://www.marvellousmotown.com/motown-artists/backing-artists/the-blackberries/

[simon.millar]

Is this one for Ace.... there must be enough interest in a full release of the Blackberries unreleased album?

[mysterysinger]

"Kidnapped" was on "A Cellarful Of Motown" Volume 4

[144man]

The Blackberries also accompanied Tom Clay on the Mowest hit "What The World Needs Now Is Love/ Abraham Martin and John".

[TomatoTom123]

I want to come back to this thread in several years' time and say, "well, that recent CD release really did The Blackberries justice, didn't it?"

:)

[keith_hughes]

There's no track list in the Motown paperwork for MoWest 106, but there are master numbers for all the tracks on the acetates pictured above, plus "Love Is" and "Love Child".

I seem to recall that Andy Skurow looked for tapes of the album when we did the 45 for TCMS, and couldn't find them, though he did find a few uncompleted tracks. Maybe Deke had the only complete set ...

[simon.millar]

So I suppose the follow up question is do we know what happened to Deke’s acetates etc...

[mysterysinger]

The master numbers are on the labels above for the 10 tracks shown - though Kidnapped has 2 master numbers there so perhaps they were evaluating two versions [[and I wonder which one made "Cellarful" in that case). There would, logically be clues on the master cards as to the location of the completed album tapes so its not promising if none has been found so far even armed with that info.

But there are 12 tracks that have now been mentioned above [[11 if elimination one of the "Kidnapped" tracks as a duplicate though it could be included as an "alt" version maybe). So potentially that could be a 12 track CD which might not be enough.

How about a 2Fer, along with the Tom Clay album perhaps? Hey no swearing now!

[brother_love]

The master numbers are on the labels above for the 10 tracks shown - though Kidnapped has 2 master numbers there so perhaps they were evaluating two versions [[and I wonder which one made "Cellarful" in that case). There would, logically be clues on the master cards as to the location of the completed album tapes so its not promising if none has been found so far even armed with that info.

But there are 12 tracks that have now been mentioned above [[11 if elimination one of the "Kidnapped" tracks as a duplicate though it could be included as an "alt" version maybe). So potentially that could be a 12 track CD which might not be enough.

How about a 2Fer, along with the Tom Clay album perhaps? Hey no swearing now!
Why not include their two A&M singles as well?
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[brother_love]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCcMA897vK0
"Twist & Shout"

[marv2]

They can be prominently seen backing up Stevie Wonder on the Smokey Robinson Special from 1970.

[luke]

“Marvelousmotown” “is indefinitely under construction “

[simon.millar]

Anyone know who picked these up?

https://www.popsike.com/MEGA-RARE-UNRELEASED-MOTOWN-THE-BLACKBERRIES-2-X-12-ACETATES-1971-ORIGINALS/391234533608.html

[CoolKatz]

I seem to recall that they played the Oreos in the 1976 film, A Star Is Born, which was a remake backing Barbra Streisand. They seemed to emulate their backing of DR on Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

Clydie King and Vanetta Fields were the Oreo's backing Barbara


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny1GzjqYG9U

[lakedistrictlad1]

How about a 2Fer, along with the Tom Clay album perhaps? Hey no swearing now![/QUOTE]


Eek! Have you heard the Tom Clay album? I think i'd rather have the Abbey Tavern Singers.

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

I was reading a Dusty Springfield biography the other day and saw that she commented on a 'harsh' background vocalist on one of her unsuccessful 70s albums and wondered if she was talking about Venetta Fields.

[simon.millar]

Anyone know where these are....?

https://www.popsike.com/MEGA-RARE-UNRELEASED-MOTOWN-THE-BLACKBERRIES-2-X-12-ACETATES-1971-ORIGINALS/391234533608.html

[marv2]

Anyone know where these are....?

https://www.popsike.com/MEGA-RARE-UNRELEASED-MOTOWN-THE-BLACKBERRIES-2-X-12-ACETATES-1971-ORIGINALS/391234533608.html

I never heard of those songs. It looks like they were never released.

[mysterysinger]

Well two of the songs were obviously released as the bonus single with The Complete Motown Singles Volume 12A. The Blackberries "Somebody Up There b/w But I Love You More"

[kenneth]

Weren't Clydie King and Vanetta Fields also Ikettes at some point earlier in their careers?

I think Vanetta Fields has a solo or two on one of the early Ike & Tina live albums.

[reese]

Weren't Clydie King and Vanetta Fields also Ikettes at some point earlier in their careers?

I think Vanetta Fields has a solo or two on one of the early Ike & Tina live albums.

Venetta was. As you said, she had some solos on their Kent and Warner Bros. live albums. She is also on the Ikettes' album SOUL THE HITS.

[kenneth]

As usual, Reese, you know everything! Thanks!

[PeaceNHarmony]

Both ladies also sang with Bob Dylan on his gospel-years tours, and both were featured in Streisand's A Star Is Born as members of Esther's group The Oreos.

[kenneth]

Well two of the songs were obviously released as the bonus single with The Complete Motown Singles Volume 12A. The Blackberries "Somebody Up There b/w But I Love You More"

Is "But I Love You More" the same as the Supremes' song on the LP Right On?

[danman869]

Is "But I Love You More" the same as the Supremes' song on the LP Right On?

Yes, it is, Kenneth. It's a decent cover by The Blackberries.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GifER6K8Ag

[kenneth]

Thanks, Danman869! Nice version, I agree. Kind of evokes the Emotions somehow to me.