Is there a photo of Mike with the Modifiers or as Mike Varo as I want to put together a CD for my collection. I`d be very grateful if somebody could help.

In the late 60s and early 70s Motown signed several well established acts but then sort of took their eye off the ball resulting in frustration. True that a lot was happening at once with the move to LA and entering the film industry with "Lady Sings The Blues". Nevertheless there were some fantastic tracks from artists such as Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Bobby Darin and to a lesser extent Sammy Davis Jr and Lesley Gore.

Thankfully, in the case of Bobby Darin, material that had long been vaulted has been made available over the years - mainly thanks to Joe Marchesse & co [[e.g. Andy Skurrow) who've made it possible for these tracks to see release on CD. The Real Gone CDs have wonderful liner notes as well and are well worth looking up. In particular, "Another Song On My Mind" includes a great resume of Darin's Motown career - much of this can still be seen on the Real Gone website -

https://theseconddisc.com/2011/02/16...-motown-years/

You can see the full CD artwork here -

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookep...57668721459480

And here are the covers for Darin's Motown albums / CDs

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookep...in/dateposted/

Please advise of any errors

BOBBY DARIN MOTOWN DISCOGRAPHY

Recorded - 6 February 1971 Live at The Desert Inn [[Renamed “Finally” but still unreleased at the time)

M1183 – 17 April 1971
A Melodie
B Someday We'll Be Together

M1193 – November 1971
A Simple Song Of Freedom
B I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

M1203 – 2 June 1972
A Sail Away
B Hard Headed Woman

M753 ALBUM AUGUST 1972 – Bobby Darin

M1212 – Promo 3 November 1972 [[withdrawn)
A Average People [[mono)
B Average People [[stereo)

M1212 – 3 November 1972 [[probably a bootleg)
A Average People
B Something In Her Love

M1217 – 20 November 1972
A Happy [[Love Theme From "Lady Sings The Blues")
B Something In Her Love

Bobby Darin died 20 December 1973

M813 ALBUM February 1974 – Darin 1936-1973

PR4 [[PROMO EP) - 1974
A1 If I Were A Carpenter
A2 Moritat [[Mack The Knife)
B1 Blue Monday
B2 Happy [[Love Theme From "Lady Sings The Blues")

MW3014 – 1974 [[UK & EU)
A Blue Monday
B Moritat [[Mack The Knife)

M5185 ALBUM July 1981 – Darin 1936–1973 re-issued with 5 tracks having different mixes.

MCD09070MD CD 1987 – Live At The Desert Inn [[first ever issue)

MOTD -5185 CD 1989 – Darin 1936–1973 first issue on CD.

3746351852 CD 1991 – Darin 1936-1973 CD re-issue

NTD-6509-2 CD 2005 – Live At The Desert Inn [[re-issue / remaster / 2 extra tracks “Work Song” and “Beyond The Sea”.

RGM-0440 2xCD 6 May 2016 – Another Song On My Mind [[Real Gone Music)

RGM-0714 CD 13 July 2018 – Go Ahead And Back Up [[Real one Music)

I posted this before thought it was removed from YouTube

Info from Real Gone Music:

Two Tons O' Fun "Get The Feeling—The Complete Fantasy/Honey Recordings"

Before they achieved stardom the world over with “It’s Raining Men,” Weather Girls Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes Armstead made waves in the thriving San Francisco music scene as Two Tons o’ Fun [and, later, The Two Tons]. The powerhouse duo began working with gender- and genre-defying artist Sylvester at Fantasy Records, singing background and lead vocals on many of his most memorable recordings. In 1980, they struck out on their own and teamed with legendary Motown veteran Harvey Fuqua [[who had also helmed Sylvester’s beloved albums) for two remarkable LPs on his Honey Records imprint. Fusing disco, dance, soul, funk, and R&B with roof-raising, gospel-tinged vocals, both Two Tons o’ Fun and Backatcha put the extraordinary voices of “Queen of Clubland” Wash and Armstead out front. Now, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are thrilled to celebrate the Two Tons with a complete 2-CD anthology that serves as a companion to last year’s acclaimed Sylvester release, Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years 1977-1981. Two Tons o’ Fun’s Get the Feeling: The Complete Fantasy/Honey Recordings brings together, on 2 CDs, both of the Two Tons’ albums – the first of which features Sylvester himself in the band – plus a host of rare single versions, remixes, and extended versions. Among the highlights are the top five Dance smashes “Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven” and “I Got the Feeling” as well as such R&B and Dance hits as “I Depend on You” and “Never Like This.” Both albums have long been overlooked; their last CD reissue was more than thirty years ago in the U.K.; this collection marks both albums’ U.S. CD debut, while most of the bonus tracks are also new to worldwide CD. For the occasion, all audio has been newly remastered by Mike Milchner, and we are remastering the two albums straight from the original tapes, so this collection will offer a big sonic upgrade. The collection also contains a deluxe booklet featuring liner notes by The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese and unseen photos. With the return of Two Tons o’ Fun, only one exclamation is appropriate: Hallelujah!
1. Do You Wanna Boogie, Hunh?
2. Just Us
3. I Got The Feeling
4. Gone Away
5. Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven
6. Make Someone Feel Happy Today
7. Taking Away Your Space
8. One-Sided Love Affair
9. Just Us [Single Version]
10. I Got The Feeling [Single Version]
11. Taking Away Your Space [Single Version]
12. Just Us [Disco Mix]
13. Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven [12" Version]
14. Do You Wanna Boogie, Hunh? [12" Version]
15. I Got The Feeling [The Patrick Cowley MegaMix]
16. Never Like This
17. I Depend On You
18. Your Love Is Gonna See Me Through
19. It's True I Do
20. Can't Do It By Myself
21. Cloudy With A Chance of Rain
22. I've Got To Make It On My Own
23. I Been Down
24. Never Like This [Single Version]
25. I Been Down [Single Version]
26. I Depend on You [Single Version]

Pre-order from Real Gone Music:
Two Tons O' Fun Get The Feeling—The Complete Fantasy/Honey Recordings – Real Gone Music

Does anyone ever hear any mention of Willie Tyler and Lester? At the Martha Reeves Walk of Fame celebration it was announced that Willie Tyler was in attendance but no mention was made of Lester.

Willie had an album released on Motown which I have a copy of.

I hope Lester is still with us.

Any comments?

'NOT ABOUT MONEY'
Donna Summer’s Widower on Suing Kanye West for ‘I Feel Love’ Sample: ‘Wrong Is Still Wrong’

Bruce Sudano said he thought West and Ty Dolla $ign's usage of the iconic Summer song for "Good [[Don't Die)" was "just not the right fit"

BY TOMÁS MIER

MAY 3, 2024

Donna Summer‘s widower Bruce Sudano is reflecting on his legal back-and-forth with Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign over the usage of Summer’s Seventies classic “I Feel Love.”

In a new interview with Billboard, Sudano revealed that West’s team had reached out to Summer’s estate to use “I Feel Love” for “Good [[Don’t Die),” and that he ultimately turned them down. West ended up still using the sample, though with another person’s voice and different lyrics. The Summer estate ended up suing the rapper for “blatant theft” in late February.

“Kanye’s people sent me an mp3 and I decided, ‘No, this is not a good fit,’” Sudano told the outlet. “I go back to them and say no, then, ‘How much do you want?’ It’s not about the money. It’s just not a good fit.”

“Then it comes out and it’s no longer Donna singing and he’s changed the lyric and has somebody sing the same melody — now it’s ‘Ooh, I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive,’ and I say this is copyright infringement,” he continued. “And once it’s out, it’s out. So I brought a complaint and we’ll see where that road leads. I respect Kanye as an artist, but this is just wrong.”

The Summer estate sued West and Ty Dolla $ign, accusing the duo of “shamelessly” stealing the hook from the disco classic for the Vultures track. “In the face of this rejection, defendants arrogantly and unilaterally decided they would simply steal “I Feel Love” and use it without permission,” the lawsuit read.

Sudano told Billboard that he’s been open to musicians sampling Summer’s work in the past and that Beyoncé even insisted on playing the sample on “Summer Renaissance” in person for him to approve it.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation,” said Sudano. “All of these things are very subjective. I try to view it through Donna’s lens and how she would protect her catalog in the right way. Kanye is a great artist, but wrong is still wrong.”

Sudano explained that there is “a lot of thievery that still goes on” but that he felt like he needed to “take a stand” against the usage of the song for “all those other people as well.”

Before he filed the lawsuit, Sudano posted about the dispute on social media and said he was assessing his legal options. “I intend to protect to Donna’s copyright,” he told Rolling Stone in a phone interview.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...Y8C1KpTf_sWLe4