Martha Reeves recordings on Varese Sarabande

[woodward]

I recently read where Cary Mansfield [alumni Motown Catalog Dept.] who is now with Varest Sarabande was planning to work on a CD compilation of Martha Reeve's other songs that were on other labels, i. e. Arista, MCA, and Fantasy. This was not reported recently.

Does anyone know if it will ever surface or if it has been scrapped? Does anyone have any contact with Cary currently?

It would be great to get a CD like this as the releases on these three labels apparently did not have wide distribution and/or sales.

Thanks.

[sansradio]

I hope this putative release would include her work for the 1973 Willie Dynamite soundtrack.

[daviddesper]

I could see that as an interesting idea. I think I am correct that the two albums she did on Fantasy were once released as a twofer CD but if so, I have never owned it.

The album on MCA, which I always refer to as the Richard Perry album, was released both with its original track listing and then later as an expanded edition. Her one and only Arista album was reissued maybe 8-10 years ago.

Bottom line......anything and everything by Miss Martha is worth having. Still remember the thrill of meeting her after a show about two summers ago.

[reese]

I have all of Martha's solo albums so this is another one that I would only be buying for the packaging. But if would be nice if they could include some unreleased material from those years. Maybe they could add some of her Motorcity, Phonorama, and Itch material as well.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Wish I could help you, Woodward, but I haven't heard from Cary Mansfield since way back in the late 1980s/early '90s when he was reporting for ICE [[the International CD Exchange newsletter) which informed us of upcoming CD reissues being planned from the various record labels. I remember fondly that Motown was mentioned often with its active CD reissue schedule. Ah, those were the days!

[kenneth]

I could see that as an interesting idea. I think I am correct that the two albums she did on Fantasy were once released as a twofer CD but if so, I have never owned it.

you are correct. In fact, I just saw that CD recently in a used record store. I thought about buying it but they wanted something like $20 for it. I think I had heard the “we meet again“ album before, but the “gotta keep moving“ album, although I never heard it, sounded just awful with its disco version of “dancing in the streets,“ so I didn’t buy it.