Look what I found at my local Goodwill

[lockhartgary]

I was perusing the local Goodwill and decided to look at the record bins. Most of the time the bins are filled with Southern Gospel and easy listening and I don't always take the time to look. But this time I did take the time to look. Much to my surprise, there were a fair number of 12 inch disco titles, [[the majority of which I never heard of). I picked up Teddy Pendergrass [[Only You), Evelyn "Champagne" King [[Shame), and Denice Williams [["Free"). None were sealed.

Then there was this one:

16309

I have never heard of the songs [[You + Me = Love and Let's Go Down to the Disco). I bought it anyway, but I may give it away to someone who can appreciate it. It was only 99 cents.

[reese]

"You + Me = Love" is the last record I remember hearing by the Undisputed Truth. I think Taka Boom [[Chaka Khan's sister) was the lead vocalist.

[Boogiedown]

good find !

Another "secret" song heard only by going to the clubs. The club fave was its "B" side YOU +ME = LOVE misprinted on the label as YOU + ME +LOVE. [[ Peaked at #5 on the disco chart)

This was one of the first in the earliest batch of commercially buy-able 12"ers , way before the format became common.

And I believe this is the 12" I got kicked out of the campus library for, from playing it too loudly in their listening booth! lol!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePXUWxl0OWA

that is some sassy disco, thanks for the memory lockhartgary!

[johnjeb]

This was the first 12" "disco" record I ever bought. It is unique in that it is 45 rpm.

I absolutely loved You + Me = Love, [[never noticed the misprint on the label). It was a big hit in the clubs.

[lockhartgary]

I was perusing the local Goodwill and decided to look at the record bins. Most of the time the bins are filled with Southern Gospel and easy listening and I don't always take the time to look. But this time I did take the time to look. Much to my surprise, there were a fair number of 12 inch disco titles, [[the majority of which I never heard of). I picked up Teddy Pendergrass [[Only You), Evelyn "Champagne" King [[Shame), and Denice Williams [["Free"). None were sealed.

Then there was this one:

16309

I have never heard of the songs [[You + Me = Love and Let's Go Down to the Disco). I bought it anyway, but I may give it away to someone who can appreciate it. It was only 99 cents.

Forgot to mention that this item is still sealed.

[kenneth]

Nice find! "You + Me = Love" might not have been a big pop hit but the 12" definitely got played a lot in the clubs. I think it's a great song and even by 12" standards it was quite an extended remix for those days.

The Undisputed Truth have been well served in the reissue department, and one of the recent releases includes the extended version though I'm not sure it's the same mix as the one pictured above.

[luke]

Great dance song!

[nabob]

. . . . might not have been a big pop hit but the 12" definitely got played a lot in the clubs.
Black artists weren't getting their disco records played on radio. The 12" records were taken to the clubs to get the sounds out there. Non-club goers [[me, included) missed out on quite a bit.

[alanh]

Fantastic track! Big in the clubs in the UK too. I see it got to similar positions in the pop charts both the UK [[43) and US [[48). Pretty good for a song which, certainly here, wouldn’t have got much play on the radio.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

good find !

Another "secret" song heard only by going to the clubs. The club fave was its "B" side YOU +ME = LOVE misprinted on the label as YOU + ME +LOVE. [[ Peaked at #5 on the disco chart)

This was one of the first in the earliest batch of commercially buy-able 12"ers , way before the format became common.

And I believe this is the 12" I got kicked out of the campus library for, from playing it too loudly in their listening booth! lol!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePXUWxl0OWA

that is some sassy disco, thanks for the memory lockhartgary!

HaHa, John! Gettin' kicked out of the college library listening booth for crankin' "You + Me = Love"! LMAO!!! You're my kinda guy! I would have cranked that sucker, too. I LOVE that record!!!

[Ngroove]

I once found Billy Eckstine's "The Prime Of My Life" at a thrift store once.

[Boogiedown]

HaHa, John! Gettin' kicked out of the college library listening booth for crankin' "You + Me = Love"! LMAO!!! You're my kinda guy! I would have cranked that sucker, too. I LOVE that record!!!
Ha ! Yes , as I recall, the librarian was quite red faced when he ripped the door open to admonish me for tainting his classical record needle by riding it along those wide-grooved disco tracks and shakin' the entire fifth floor of the library! LOL!
I thought those thick glass walls were sound proof!....?

That custom 12" sleeve for YOU PLUS ME with The Undisputed Truth 's name printed on it cost a pretty penny more than the typical generic ones. I believe Norman Whitfield used its look just once, for this release. I fear the sales , or lack of, this 12" may have discouraged him from using the 12" format in the US from then on even for songs with titles like IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE DANCING , or DO YOUR DANCE.

If so he made a mistake with that conclusion imo. Releasing YOU PLUS ME as a commercial 12 inch put Norman's label ahead of the curve. A great deal of the buying public wasn't even aware of the 12" concept , much less seeking them out yet. I wouldn't base any future decisions based on its sales results.

also: A sealed copy should warrant a pretty penny I would think. The FREE 12" has value also. Did you grab all that you found there LHGary?

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Boogie, what I don't understand is, why was "You + Me = Love" listed as the B-Side of that 12" single? It was clearly the stronger side of the two.

[Boogiedown]

I guess Whitfield heard a viable hit in LETS GO DOWN TO THE DISCO that you and don't hear Gary. He did leave that 12" sleeve ambiguous, mentioning The Undisputed Truth on it , but neither song title. [[Could that sleeve be used today?) He released LETS GO DOWN as a 45 as well.

Norman was not one to give up on his favored material was he. In 1980 he tried to resell YOU+ ME=LOVE :


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

kind of a Temptations take on it....

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Who is this group, John? Is the group named Masterpiece? The lead vocals sure sound like Eddie and Dennis, and the back-up vocals are unmistakably The Tempts. What's more, I'm vaguely remembering this version from somewhere, and I recognize that cover photo. Did I used to own this record? It's just a 7" 45, right? I'm guessing it's on the Whitfield label. You know, if there were a longer version of this rendition, I would have declared that this version equals the Undisputed Truth's, but this newer version, unfortunately, lacks the hot string passages that I love so much on the original, so I'm forced to render the Masterpiece version second-best but a CLOSE 2nd to the Undisputed Truth's original! Thanks for posting this! I'm sure that our Disco collections are damned-near identical [[artist- and song-wise)!

[Boogiedown]

I don't know a lot about Masterpiece Gary. I do have the LP , but who wants a group that sounds like the Temptations , when at the time , 1980, The tempts themselves weren't especially hot.
Kind of sketchy, Norman shaping a group to sound like The Temptations and giving them their name that's the same as one of his projects with them. Suppose he was hoping to make the point "I am the Temptations", it doesn't really matter who the singers are.
Its an album , and one of the cuts on it is TAKE A LOOK AROUND but can't find it on youtube to see if its a Temptations rehash.

But there's this Tempts song:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9qQ9iYGZ0