Ralph, You are the constant warrior in this continuing saga......I know I speak for so many, when I say that there's so much more 'reach' that should happen with this reissue!!!! Bless ya, Shaun [[AKA: Stoney)
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Ralph, You are the constant warrior in this continuing saga......I know I speak for so many, when I say that there's so much more 'reach' that should happen with this reissue!!!! Bless ya, Shaun [[AKA: Stoney)
Stoney [and you will remain Stoney for the duration of this release] I want you to have your day in the sun. It is not that you don´t bring solid cred to this release. Seventeen years with Little Feat and countless tours with Bob Seger and your own band in Nashville only confirms the respect I have for your incredible talent.
Meat went on his own after Motown and found success beyond his wildest dreams. I simply want the same for you. It is your turn to be in the spotlight. I have had the good fortune to be involved with some extremely talented singers, male and female and, in my mind, you remain the absolute best I have had the pleasure to work with. I fervently want this reissue to succeed so I can contemplate where we take you next.
This was posted on Face Book by Joe Marchesi regarding upcoming article.
Out today! Stoney & Meat Loaf [[or Meatloaf as his name was styled for this particular project). The excellent Motown/Rare Earth album that Meat Loaf recorded in the early 70s as part of a duo with Shaun Murphy [[Stoney) has been expanded to twice its original length for a new reissue by Real Gone/Second Disc Records. I spoke to Shaun Murphy and others… Order: https://recordcollectormag.com
I bought the CD set and I'm saying this as a die-hard 1960's era Motown Sound fanatic: this Stoney and Meat Loaf release blew me away. Blew. Me. Away. And then some. I knew this wasn't going to sound like the Four Tops, Marvelettes and Supremes material. I knew this was Rare Earth Rock, which I really need to pay a lot more attention to. This Stoney and Meat Loaf release is an excellent gateway to stoking my interest in more of the Rare Earth catalog.
I played the entirety of both CDs in my car non-stop for several days and I found that I was enjoying it as much as if this was a shipload of unearthed Marvelettes recordings from the vault. I say that as a way to say that I didn't just like the music, it hit me deep. Deep somewhere in that hard-to-describe place in your psyche when the music just takes over your soul and can elevate your mood from "ok" to "OK! Now I can conquer the world right about now!"
Stoney, Shaun Murphy, is a complete, COMPLETE revelation for me. Dear Lord, it's like I need His strength to revive me after hearing her, and hearing Shaun AND Meatloaf together, there are not enough positive adjectives for how that feels. "What You See Is What You Get" and "It Takes All Kinds of People" would have been automatic "must have" 45s if I had been old enough to buy 'em at the time. The cover of "The Way You Do The Things You Do" works out exceptionally well. And that says a lot.
I've been raving about this release to my friends that I know are hard-core Rock fans, and I'll keep right on raving about it to anyone who'll listen. This is one of my most-treasured Motown purchases, and yes, I did purchase two. It was well worth it. So wonderful, too, to be able to read Ms. Murphy's comments and posts here. I really enjoy the Stoney solo material [[why did Motown always make these amazing records and then just stash 'em away?) In my eyes and heart, Stoney, and Meat Loaf, are right up there with the most legendary Motown artists. Huge, HUGE thanks to everyone's super, extremely hard work in getting this out there. New Stoney & Meat Loaf fans are being created and crafted because of this.
I couldn´t ask for a better review than that. Thank you.
WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance,
I can't thank you enough for this amazing review! It is so obvious you've spent an in-depth amount of time on all nuances of the cds!! I so appreciate all your kind words......
I had lunch the other day with Deborah, Meat Loaf's wife, and gave her a copy of the reissue, [[which she'd never heard about.) I was shocked they hadn't contacted her about this momentous occurrence!! I feel that the company is losing a golden opportunity from not forging ahead with more publicity and sales on this incredible reissue!!! Ralph has been almost single-handedly championing this cause, and I so applaud him!!!!!!
You are so welcome Ms. [[I NEVER know the right terms to sound respectful, ha ha!) Murphy and I really meant every word. In fact, I was trying to keep from going on even longer! I mean, it literally took seconds, mere seconds, for me to love your voice, alone and with Meat Loaf. In general, once Motown's music hits the 70s, I don't get the same excitement from it as I do with the 60s material [[I know that's not really fair!) but this Stoney & Meat Loaf material actually has been like the feeling I had as a kid whenever I'd discover yet another Motown group; that rush of adrenaline and raw excitement where I wanted to hear EVERYTHING I could from that group. "Sunshine [[Where's Heaven)" and "Let Me Come Down Easy", Wow! Those hit me right in the chest. Listening to the solo material, with each song I kept thinking Brenda Holloway, Kim Weston, Lesley Gore, Kiki Dee, Chris Clark, the Four Seasons, Meat Loaf, Shaun Murphy - all of this amazing, mind-blowing talent that Motown just let go.
I know Ralph, Mr. Terrana, has been pretty much a one-man promotions department for this release and I too could never understand why this hasn't been seen as a major league opportunity for promotion. To me just those two seemingly contradictory names- Meat Loaf/Motown would practically create its own kind of publicity! I know it worked for me! Amazing that not even Meat Loaf's wife hadn't heard. But let's hope that this will be more of a grass roots thing where the awareness grows maybe slowly, but continuously and not just flare out quickly. I know with my big mouth I've been hyping this CD to everyone!
P.S. I'm looking forward to getting more of your post-Motown recordings right in the mix of all my favorite albums and CDs now! Still more new music to discover thanks to this CD!
The November issue of the respected British music publication, Record Collector, has done an impressive spread on the Stoney and Meatloaf re-issue. I have yet to receive a copy but should have one soon. It takes a bit of work to promote a record and Iḿ doing what I can. I understand things are going quite well but I can always use a little extra help in promotion. If there are any Forum DJs looking in, I would appreciate anything you can do to help. I can arrange a promo package for you. If I can get a link to the piece I will post it.
Hey Ralph, I wanted to let y'all know that I just received my copy of the November Issue of Record Collector Magazine, and it is a stellar job that Charles Donovan did on the article!!!! Folks can order this UK mag through: https://recordcollectormag.com/issue/november-2022.
Ralph, Hope you could read the snaps I sent of it...lol.... I tried to get a link to the post, but all I could get was the order page.....You might try checking the authors page next month to see if he puts it up, it's not there as yet though.....http://www.charlesdonovan.com/2022/
Hope everyone has an amazing holiday season!!!!! XO, Shaun Murphy [[Stoney)
Hi Shaun. Iḿ looking forward to reading the piece. Joe Marchesi is going to send me a copy soon.
Hi Ralph, I'm sorry to take so long to reply. I didn't see this post until just now. To tell you the truth, I hadn't noticed Bongo Eddie's special effect until just now. It fits perfectly as the first note of the intro. Anywhere else in the track, it would have surely been lost and never heard. [[Thanks for sharing that interesting morsel from the recording sessions. I love hearing about the behind-the-scenes goings-on -- especially at Motown!)
Eddie was cool, Gary. He didn´t simply bang away on some hand drums. He knew what he was doing. And you are right, the effect would not have worked anywhere else in the song. Eddie was a bad-ass.
Oops! I goofed up something here. Sorry about that! See next post below.
Hey Stoney, Haven´t got mine yet, but I know I could probably get it on his website soon. Or maybe my copy will arrive. Thank you for what you sent me but it was difficult to read.
Merry Christmas baby girl. Still trying to bring this mother home.
Gary, Earl VanDyke may have been the professor of the Funk Brothers, but Eddy was the guy that kept things loose with his humor. Eddy didn´t read music so what he offered on a session was straight from the heart talent. He once offered an evening at his house with me and my wife. I would gave loved to have done that but I guess life got in the way and this never happened. Something I have always regretted.
Oh, what a shame it didn't work out, Ralph! You and your wife would have had a great time sitting around with Eddy, laughing it up and talking Motown memories.
You hit the nail on the head, Gary. Eddy was as funny as they come. Richard Pryor had a line that I thought would fit Eddy to a tee. ¨The boy could make you laugh at a funeral, Sunday morning, Christmas day.¨ If that doesn´t describe funny, nothing does. Yeah, I missed a good one.
Sorry it's taking so long for you to get the magazine!!
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year! I send that out to everyone as well......it's been a rough few years, and trying to get back on track has been so difficult for so many.......Love to you all, especially you Ralph, you've been in my corner for all these years! XO, Shaun [[Stoney)
PDF of article from Record Collector UK magazine -- Record Collector is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hKl...usp=share_link
It pleases me to see the thread on Patti Jerome. As previously mentioned she was a major contributor in writing for the Stoney and Meatloaf release.
After Harry left Motown, he received a very generous offer to run a Canadian record company. However, Patti wanted to get into movies so Harry passed on the offer and he and Patti moved to L.A,where she needed to be to chase her dream. She never made the big time but was rather successful getting small TV parts. She would catch me by surprise more than once in my evening TV viewing.
I suppose enough time has passed to make me realize the Stoney and Meat Loaf re-issue is not up to expectations. Real Gone Records produced a very professional product which I appreciated. The flurry of preparation for the release took a bit of effort on all involved and, because of the nature of the album, I was sure we had a winner. I guess what I most appreciated was the constant communication between all involved with the release. I have always been a stickler for communication. At Motown I could get on the phone to the Sales Department and get an update on sales, no problem. Now any response I get to my emails seeking information, is crickets. Maybe the powers that be are reluctant to give me less than good news. If that is the case, I appreciate the thoughtfulness, but this wasn't my first rodeo. I can handle disappointment. Between interviews and various correspondence, I feel I have done the lions share of promotion. I reached out to some DJs I know but have not heard anything as of now.
I really wanted this to flourish for Stoney's sake. She is a major talent that has paid her dues and then some. I hope I haven't let her down.
So that is the latest update on Everything Under The Sun. I will always believe in the album and was proud to once again represent Meat Loaf. Just thought you guys that have been so supportive should get the update. Your support and good thoughts were very much appreciated by myself and Stoney.
Ralph,
How disappointing this music industry can be. I'm really sad for you and Stoney.
I know how much heart you put into this project. The album should have dropped
decades ago, with the right people calling the shots.
Nina
I'm probably looking at this with rose-colored glasses and all but just the fact that this project was done, and done in such a beautiful package, is something to be celebrated. Even if the awareness by the industry or marketplace isn't all you had hoped for, the fact is that I think there are people who normally may not have purchased this music who are now singing "I'm a believer!" I'm one of them.
Sometimes I find it shocking the artists who STILL haven't been inducted into the so-called Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Well, let's face it, the industry movers and shakers seem to be made up of people who have an odd passion for dropping the ball on these decisions over and over. Radio is even worse. The fact that you made such headway against tides as monumental as this indifference for everyone not named Beyonce or Taylor Swift is remarkable.
The CD is out there to be discovered. People WILL find it - maybe a bit slower than hoped for, but when they do, they won't find a shoddy, tacky, ugly bargain basement hack job with graphics uglier than Hell; it will be YOUR Uber Cool & Classy display of respect for this music. Newer fans will be made for Stoney and Meat Loaf. Think of it as a Quiet Movement that you spearheaded.
Waiting....Thank you for your positive spin on this. One never knows what happens once an album is released where it will go. You make some valid points. I remember Rare Earth's Get Ready kicked around for the better part of a year before it found an audience. I do still believe in the reissue and its possibilities. I just would appreciate a little more support from the Real Gone family.
Well said, Ralph!
I haven't been able to get together again with Meat's wife, Deborah, but will keep trying.....
You have absolutely bent over backward for this project, and I so appreciate all your efforts...... Thank you, thank you, thank you.....
After all the years in the making, it's still so puzzling that the outcome was just a one-shot deal!! I can't imagine that the CD's that followed, on the heels of our release, the company took as much care, and also, the lengthy 'foraging' for history and information on the other releases.....maybe they thought that since Meat's passing, the CD just didn't have the 'legs' they were hoping for.....
Forever grateful to you, my friend,
XO,
Shaun
I ran across a Hunter Thompson quote regarding the music business. It hit me rather funny but also a clear ring of truth in those words.
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.”
I find it interesting that this thread is getting about a thousand hits a month. That is rather remarkable For the SD Forum. I often wonder what percentage of those hits result in a CD sale?
Well I bought it and it's a beautiful package. I really hope sales have exceeded Real Gone's expectations. Grateful to all involved.
Thank you Mystery Singer. It is the sales figures that I can't seem to get information on.
Hi Ralph, sorry to hear your disappointment about the set. I put Everything on the Sun on my Christmas list last year, although I only received it a couple of weeks ago and have yet to play it! However, it looks to be an excellent set and having listened to some of the tracks from the original LP online, can't wait to hear the whole thing. :D
Wow Tom. Wonder what took so long to get to you. Please let me know what you think of it.
Cool, Tom. Better late than never.
Okay, I have egg on my face. I’m late to the game. I just noticed in my draft folder that I still had my comments about the Stoney & Meatloaf CD release that I thought I had posted months ago. Ooops!
I was thrilled when I heard that this album was finally going to have a CD release. I had been waiting for so long. Fortunately I had a CD-R which I burned from the original Rare Earth and Prodigal vinyl albums. Having placed my order right away with Real Gone I was also a beneficiary of a signed copy by Shaun Murphy - thank you Real Gone and Shaun Murphy for that something extra special.
I can't recall when I bought the vinyl album. I know it was in a discount bin in the early or mid-seventies. It became an immediate favorite, especially Sunshine [Where's Heaven] with Stoney’s haunting vocals. I found other copies for close Motown friends, who also became transfixed by Sunshine, along with other favorites, as well as with Stoney’s voice.
I loved every song on the original album, particularly Sunshine and Lady Be Mine. The uptempo songs I could easily see any Motown act recording and was surprised that some of these songs weren’t appearing on other Motown albums. It has long been a favorite of mine and I usually played it once or twice a year. This new collection I’m now playing about once a month.
I'm enjoying the new tracks on CD-2. However, Sunshine is a bit disappointing in its new arrangement. As Gary mentioned above, it lacks the punch that the original has. I feel this new arrangement is more Pop which ruins the mood. My current favorite is Touch and Go. Just fantastic. I remember this from Al Wilson, Shaun really shines here.
I recently played my CD-R of the Meatloaf album on Prodigal. I was always repulsed by the cover, and now relistening to the tracks that deleted Stoney’s voice I was wondering why Motown even bothered with this release. With all the great pics in the CD booklet, Motown could have easily issued a quality release with a new cover and a few new tracks. Real Gone should consider reissuing the original album on vinyl - or maybe a double album - but using the new cover from the CD collection, maybe in time for the next Record Store Day.
I was disappointed to see the posts that mentioned sales seemed slow. I’m not surprised since so many people are now streaming. I was going to let my brother borrow this collection but he said he no longer has a CD player. My Motown friends have sharply reduced buying new CDs.
The booklet with this collection is well-written and appears to be well-researched. Reading that Meat Loaf and Stoney have had a strong professional and personal respect for one another, and an enduring friendship, is heartwarming. The text is also a great view into the back-story of the album. Interesting that one of the tracks in its early form was being considered for The Supremes. Again, curious that none of the songs from this album were ever recorded by other Motown artists. I was also able to find a copy of Record Collector Magazine last November featuring the great article about this release. Has any US magazine written about this album?
Another vote of approval came unsolicited from my partner. I usually play Motown female vocalists from the 60s, much to my partner's ongoing frustration. When he heard this new Stoney & Meatloaf CD playing he yelled to me that I was finally playing good music!
Thanks, Reel Music, Ralph and Shaun for this great collection.
Thank you johnjeb for posting. I appreciate your thoughts and take of the reissue. Like you I was completely baffled by the Prodigal release. A total embarrassment. I was never able to find how and why that happened. To date I have yet to get any kind of information from the principals involved in the project. Most disappointing.
This info was produced at the time of the Big Pink issue of "Stoney & Meatloaf" - interesting snippets and worth reading until the end.
https://mljs.evilnickname.org/stoney...dmeatloaf.html
I doubt this release had much of a bearing on the "Everything Under The Sun" collection - certainly I bought both releases.
Wow, quite a bit of information there Mystery. The musicians listed on Jimmy Bell and Game Of Love are names I had forgotten. They were S&M's road band and I never got to know them, except for those sessions. I thought they were very good.
Stoney had come to me with a request. I had been pushing her pretty hard because she could deliver, but she wanted a song she could just sing. I told her to pick the song, which she did. I then went to Meat and told him what I did for Stoney and to keep things fair, I told him to pick a song he wanted to solo on.
And that is how I got Jimmy Bell and Game Of Love.