Hattie Littles - Touch Me In The Morning

[mysterysinger]

Hattie Littles - February 14, 1937 to 15 June, 2000.

I absolutely love this track from Hattie Littles. She recorded some very good stuff for Motorcity - including 2 solo albums and a "Very Best Of". Another favourite of mine is "The Right Direction". But thank goodness Ian Levine brought her back for his Motorcity project.

I find Hattie's vocals one this very touching [[no pun intended) and I really enjoy listening to her. Of course it's such a great song to begin with - and at least we have Hattie's version for posterity.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxlp-y67-c0

[westgrandboulevard]

And that is Hattie, singing from her heart and soul.....

Not technically perfect, but which keeps it even more real.....

And all with a metronome drum machine beat, which was really not needed....:)

[Philles/Motown Gary]

You're not alone, Mystery & Westgrand. I love it, too!

[Graham Jarvis]

I Love Hattie, she is one of my favourite female Motown artist of all, the "Touch Me In The Morning" I have played this one so many times, just brilliant and pleased you have uploaded this. Welldone!
I have 34 of her tracks quite a few unissued. Here's two one never issued before & one other recorded in 1963, however it was later included having added strings in 1965, song included in the 1965 TCMS, but never issued before 2006.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90KHgqURXyM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnb6nUpBHTM

[westgrandboulevard]

Many thanks Graham, for posting those two great recordings!

I don't think a version of Hattie's 'One Too Many Reasons', which is longer than 4.52, was ever released by Ian Levine.

How I wish it had been....but if anyone can post a link to that particular song anyway, I can give more than one reason why it is one of my very favourite Motorcity recordings.....

[mysterysinger]

Hattie Littles - [[shorter) video of "One Too Many Reasons

Here's what Stephen Daws says about it "
I took Hattie on a tour to see the sights of London. She was amazed at St. Paul's Cathedral. She imagined it was all made of cardboard like a stage scene. It did look surreal in all the floodlights that were lighting it up.
I wish that I had my digital camera back in those days."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmekkg3qJOc

[mysterysinger]

With regard to the "Touch Me In The Morning" video on YouTube - Ian Levine had this to say...

"Here's Hattie Littles singing the Diana Ross, classic Motown song at the Motorcity Revue, at The Pontchartrain in Detroit in 1990. I was so grateful for a chance to record her, Dave Godin's raving about her made me so especially interested in her. But Dave told me he'd heard that she'd died many years before we started Motorcity but when the late great Dave Hamilton, of the Funk Brothers, told me that this was totally untrue, and Hattie was still singing gospel in Detroit. I couldn't wait to record her, and she literally cried with joy at being given the chance to sing again after her tragic life. We released two entire albums, "The Right Direction", and "Borderline", and then a greatest hits compilation entitled "The Best Of Hattie Littles". We recorded a twenty one tracks with her, and even brought her to England to stay with me at my house, to record her second album for us. She had had such a rough life, supposedly murdering her husband in the 1960's for being abusive, and spending many years in jail, curtailing her recording career throughout the sixties and the seventies. But she had a heart of gold, and was so full of optimism and joy at the new chance she had, and I was so sad to hear that she died of a heart attack in the 1990s. Back at Motown, Hattie's first ever single in 1962, "Back in My Arms" coupled with "Is It True", is legendary for its rarity, and thankfully was recently finally released, both sides in fact, on the wonderful new boxsets that Motown have done of all their early singles. The second single"Your Love Is Wonderful" / "Here You Come", was acclaimed by the late Dave Godin as one of the greatest pieces of deep soul ever made. In the early days of the Motorcity Revue, Hattie was the opening act for Marvin Gaye, and toured with him extensively, with her cross of blues and early Motown. It was fitting and historical that when we did our huge concert at the Pontchartrain Hotel in August 1990, that Hattie be the opening act. She was a real treasure of Motown, and I was proud to have given her a second chance to shine."

[mysterysinger]

So Hattie recorded 21 tracks at Motorcity. Ignoring any significant timing differences, here are 21 titles -

CAT ALBUM - TITLE
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - After The Love Has Gone
79 BORDERLINE - Borderline
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - Come And Get These Memories
7736 THE BEST OF HATTIE LITTLES - Dancing In The Key Of Life
79 BORDERLINE - I've Never Found A Man [[To Love Me Like You Do)
79 BORDERLINE - Make The Right Choice
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - Never Say Never
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - Nowhere To Run
79 BORDERLINE - One Too Many Reasons
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - Running A Fever
79 BORDERLINE - Sell My Soul
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - So Far Away
79 BORDERLINE - Ten Per Cent
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - The Right Direction
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - Time Is On My Side
79 BORDERLINE - Touch Me In The Morning
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - Waiting For The Day
79 BORDERLINE - Want Ads
79 BORDERLINE - You See The Trouble With Me
79 BORDERLINE - Your Love Is Wonderful
50 THE RIGHT DIRECTION - You're The First, The Last, My Everything


https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookephotography/47538077071/in/album-72157690745645113/

[144man]

Hattie Littles - [[shorter) video of "One Too Many Reasons

Here's what Stephen Daws says about it "
I took Hattie on a tour to see the sights of London. She was amazed at St. Paul's Cathedral. She imagined it was all made of cardboard like a stage scene. It did look surreal in all the floodlights that were lighting it up.
I wish that I had my digital camera back in those days."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmekkg3qJOc

The late Stephen Daws used to post on this forum as "lester".

[westgrandboulevard]

The above clip of 'One Too Many Reasons' is about one and a half minutes short of what I think is the usual length [4.52].....

Is somebody able to locate and post the version which includes the opening monologue/rap, please?

I can locate it, but then will need to take time to learn how to post it here. :rolleyes:

The edited version of 'One Too Many Reasons', posted above, is good, but less effective than the longer version. The overall sound mix in that longer version is also, to me, very slightly and subtly better in setting the mood of the recording.

And Hattie Littles' voice has a unique way of instantly setting a mood with me, before I even start to focus on the actual lyrics......

[mysterysinger]

Now you listen to me .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaCvAWd2XLE

[westgrandboulevard]

There can never be 'One Too Many Reasons' for me to stop loving this recording by Hattie Littles.

It possesses the most affecting of all Motorcity intros, and instantly so.

Slightly discordant, melancholy chords, set in a minor key, contrasted by gentle, low, lullaby background vocals led by Pat Lewis, soothing the sad mood. All underscored by an emphatic drum beat, acting as a bedrock in driving home the firm message conveyed in the song.

This intro sets the tone for a scenario in which daily life is slowly evolving into a situation of despair.

From her spoken monologue/rap, I imagine Hattie as portraying a caring and forgiving wife, living unappreciated while in a troubled relationship. Not given to letting her deepest feelings show, and being slow to anger, she is finding herself increasingly compelled to make her feelings known to her husband.

Although we may be hearing her song, this man of hers is not. For he is not there. She is quite alone, rehearsing and practicing in her head what she needs, yet does not want to say to him, when she eventually does get to see him next. This is despite her reluctance to show the hurt she feels, in case it turns to her disadvantage. Neither she nor we know when she will see him again or, indeed, if she will actually say anything at all of what she has planned to say.

Hattie Littles gives an extraordinary performance. She does not simply sing the song; it comes from her very soul, living out different levels of feeling within just five minutes.

[a] Irritation and impatience
Hurt and betrayal
[c] Anger
[d] Sorrow
[e] Anxiety
[f] Contemplative
[g] Resignation


[a] "Now you listen to me,
We're gonna sit down and we're gonna have a talk, honey,
Because this is something you got to understand
I have went through changes and changes
And I am just about tired of it.

You're gonna have to listen to what I gotta say
'cause I'm gonna tell you how this is gonna happen,
You are going to listen

[B][b] because I have been pushed around and hurt too many times
And I'm not gonna take it any more

I know about the woman down the street, honey
Now you ain't foolin' me,
You're lying about your job, working overtime,
You're also lying about being with the boys,
I called John's house and they hadn't seen you

[c] Now you listen to what I gotta say, honey,
Because this running around and lying and backbiting
And going behind my back, using me,
Spending my money on some other woman,
Will not work.
I am fed up with it, and you even gonna get it right
Or you're gonna be gone,
And I'm gonna pack your clothes myself
And put 'em on the outside,
'cause I'm tired of this.

[d] You hurt me once too many times,
Told one too many lies,
Though I never thought our love would get to the point
We could not apologise,
It seems the price we pay to love grows steeper
And every little step goes a little deeper,

My heart says to stay
My mind tells me no
Which way shall I go,
'cause you've given too many reasons
yes you have
for me to walk out the door,
you change like the seasons
I don't know if I can take any more

[e] You got me worried
Oh huh, huh....
One day I feel our love going strong
Like there's no way we can lose,
But then it seems on the drop of a dime
That all hell breaks loose

[f] And maybe it's time for me to realise
we can't see eye to eye,
And I should go on my way
Make a new start
And leave this bad love behind.

You've given one too many reasons
yes you have,
for me to walk out that door,
You've changed like the seasons
I don't know if I can take any more,
Oh why, you put me through all these changes, lover,
I don't know why, oh no
we can't get an understanding, no no,

[g] Love's slipping away from us
It just can't be faked,
'cause maybe you've lost all my faith and trust
And maybe it's time for me to realise
We can't see eye to eye,
I should go on my way, make a new start
And leave this bad love behind,
You've given one too many reasons,
yes you have,
For me to walk out the door,
You've changed like the seasons
I don't know if I can take any more

You've given one too many reasons
yes you have,
for me to walk out that door
You've changed like the seasons,
I don't know if I can take any more....."


Co-writer: Ian Levine and Timothy King
Producer: Ian Levine

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Mystery, Westgrand, and 144man: I, too, like Hattie Littles' Motorcity recordings. She may be among Motown's oldest artists, but she still conveys a soulfulness in her voice which blends well with Ian's productions.