Ivy jo Hunter - new Reel Music release!!!

I'm pleased to announce that Reel Music will be releasing the legendary Ivy Jo [[Hunter) album "Is In This Bag" plus two bonus tracks, probably in late February 2011.

Ivy Jo will be working with us closely on this project and is very enthusiastic about the release. He's already provided five great color photos and is looking for more!!

He's got a lot to tell and I'm sure the essay will be great.

Track Listing as follows:

IVY JO HUNTER

“IS IN THIS BAG”

1. I Remember When
2. I’d Still Love you
3. The Loving Country
4. Ask The Lonely
5. Let Somebody Love Me
6. Dancing In The Street
7. You’re The One
8. Pride, Foolish Pride
9. Seek And You Shall Find
10. Sorry Is A Sorry Word
11. I Can Feel The Pain

12. Yesterday’s Dreams
13. Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me

1-11 Originally scheduled as VIP VS-406 , 1971
12, 13 Bonus Tracks

This is probably one of our most adventurous releases so anything you can do to get the word out when the time comes will be greatly appreciated.

As always, thanks to everyone here for continued support on our titles.

Paul / Reel Music

Excellent news. Can't wait.

This is great news. I have purchased all of the Reel Music releases have been very pleased. Hopefully, other Motown albums are on the horizon.

TERRIFIC! Can't wait for this release--and so many more!

i'm in!well done reel music
all you gotta do now is see if you can do the same with the blackberries!

Count me in. I'm loving these releases.

i am new to this board. can anyone tell me about "reel music"? i have always gotten stuff through hip-o-select or the u.k. cellar full of motown series. i really want an extensive ivy jo hunter collection, including his own singles, his unreleased l.p. and his unreleased songs - something it seems, is right up hip-o- select's alley. any chance of that ever happening?

http://myreelmusic.com/

Reel Music is a wonderful label that receives permission from major conglomerates such as Universal Music Group to issue on cd both previously released [[and amazingly now, scheduled but never released) albums that the conglomerate feels, if released on their labels, would not sell an adequate number of copies to make sufficient profit for them.
Thanks be to God for Paul Williams who has brought us the wonderful artists' works on Reel Music's homepage and continues to excite us with often requested and now highly anticipated albums by Blinky and Ivy Jo Hunter.
Reel Music issues straight albums [[and receive permission to include a few bonus tracks) rather than newly compiled artist/group anthologies or various artist compilations.

Fantastic News.

This album was my suggestion when Paul canvassed opions on MT a while back.....so you can assume I'm happy about this.
PLEASE support this release, as that will lead to similar projects of rare Motown that seemed unatainable.
Thank you to REEL music and Paul for their efforts on our behalf.

WOW!..I have waited a lifetime for this..that is awesome! I am hoping it is a success, I CAN NOT WAIT!

Thx much
Lyrie

Oh yeah! A Blackberies release would seal the deal!

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Originally Posted by lyrie

WOW!..I have waited a lifetime for this..that is awesome! I am hoping it is a success, I CAN NOT WAIT!

Thx much
Lyrie

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A lot of Motown fans have asked for this album to be released. I hope it lives up to the hype and expectations. Motown Fan says he remembers the single I Remember When getting airplay on WCHB and WJLB in Detroit in 1970. Motown even put copies of the single in a few local stores. The single was beginning to catch on and then NOTHING There was a picture of the planned Ivy Jo album on a Motown singles sleeve.

According to Raynoma Gordy's book, Ivy Hunter was frozen out in the 'cold' atmosphere at the Donovan Building, with Detroit locals complaining that they were being overlooked and ignored [[Motown being increasingly run from LA). It is suggested that Ivy was one of the chief 'complainers', and that Berry Gordy was bored with such attitudes. The head of A&R was not a music man , but a lawyer [[Ralph seltzer). The writers & producers were not happy.
It is possible that Ivy's product was 'blackballed' by the management.

I would imagine that Ivy, more than any other producer, would have countless demos of his songs & productions. An anthology from say 1964 onward would be fascinating [[as the odd track on CFOMs indicate).
This album will feature Ivy's tracks from about 69-71. Whilst not a complete collection, I believe that it represents a true Motown hero.....and deserves our support.

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Originally Posted by snakepit

According to Raynoma Gordy's book, Ivy Hunter was frozen out in the 'cold' atmosphere at the Donovan Building, with Detroit locals complaining that they were being overlooked and ignored [[Motown being increasingly run from LA). It is suggested that Ivy was one of the chief 'complainers', and that Berry Gordy was bored with such attitudes. The head of A&R was not a music man , but a lawyer [[Ralph seltzer). The writers & producers were not happy.
It is possible that Ivy's product was 'blackballed' by the management.

I would imagine that Ivy, more than any other producer, would have countless demos of his songs & productions. An anthology from say 1964 onward would be fascinating [[as the odd track on CFOMs indicate).
This album will feature Ivy's tracks from about 69-71. Whilst not a complete collection, I believe that it represents a true Motown hero.....and deserves our support.

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I'd also bet that many at Motown probably considered Ivy Jo to be better suited to his role as a songwriter/producer. The same opinion was held of Nick Ashford, Clarence Paul, Mickey Stevenson, Johnny Bristol, Sylvia Moy and others who wrote and produced tunes. I admit Ii've not been impressed much by the Ivy Jo demos that have surfaced in the last few years. He's competent, but not as distinctive as Marvin Gaye whose version of Only A Lonely Man Would Know is the definitive version in my opinion.
But maybe I will be surpised by Ivy's album.

I have loved everything I have ever heard by IJH and can't wait for this wonderful release. Shame that 'Where Are You' is not included though.

It's my understanding that the LP was pulled due to a falling-out between Ivy Jo and BG. We will hear the whole story from Ivy Jo in the liner notes. I don't think it will be sugar-coated. Paul/Reel Music

Some of his material on CFOM was lacking but, on the other hand, his version of 'Ask the Lonely' was awesome!
Motown Steve

I'd agree that he was not a great vocalist, when compared to Marvin Gaye and others, but his Soul shines through, and he was surely a staffer who advanced and developed the Motown Sound .

The liner notes seem very interesting, and somehow bear out the thoughts I've posted above.

The inclusion of I Can Feel The Pain [[I have the USA Soul 45... or was it on VIP?) makes this release worthwhile for me. It bombed of course, but Ivy's vocals were great, gave me goose pimples.

Great Paul, what a teaser! I don't know what I'm gonna do first when I'll get my hands on it; read the liner notes or listen to the music. Really looking forward to this one.

And comparing Ivy Jo Hunter to Marvin Gaye is a little unfair isn't it? I mean, Gaye is considered one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Sure Ivy Jo isn't up in his league, but how many are up in Gaye's league? The songs I've heard performed by Ivy Jo has been great to my ears. But to each their own, of course!

Does original artwork exist for the album or will this release feature newly commisioned artwork?

Why the comparison with Marvin Gaye? Even [[especially) singing as good as Marvin was no guarantee of success - witness the JJ Barnes output on the Cellarful series. Ivy is just as valid an artist and singer and deserves this release which I hope receives great support and proves successful for Reel. Great news in my book.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snakepit

I'd agree that he was not a great vocalist, when compared to Marvin Gaye and others, but his Soul shines through, and he was surely a staffer who advanced and developed the Motown Sound .

The liner notes seem very interesting, and somehow bear out the thoughts I've posted above.

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I think I saw original artwork or a mock up for Ivy Jo's album. Berry Gordy once complained how his writing & production pool was overrun with people who wanted to be "artists." It was the same at Stax. But there's more to being an artist than just having a soulful or good singing voice. There's image: Is a singer marketable?
Does he or she have the right look?
Are they of the right temperment: Can they be managed or take constructive advice? Can they handle the media?
Can they communicate their ideas and express their thoughts?
I'm sure BG and other execs at Motown took these points into consideration when determing who should have gotten an artist's contract at Motown.

Ivy Hunter has written & produced some great records, usually with a 'sad' lost love storyline.Using DFTMC I intend to compile a CD-R of some of his best tunes, which will be in that vein. It will be called "Who invented heartache", in honour of his brilliant cut on Barbara McNair.I wonder if there are other versions of this in the vaults. I can hear Levi singing this in a "Yesterday dreams" style.
IMO, Motown would have done better to place the Four Tops with Ivy Hunter as their main producer to replace HDH, and move them into a smoother style like "YDs". The producers struggled to 'copy' HDH's style, trying to get Levi straining too much, but HDH had the lock on that."YDs" proved that Levi was an excellent stylist on ballads.
Top Man Ivy....

Any tracks other posters would include. [[I will avoid the Stevenson-Hunter tracks......he seemed to move to 'sad' lyrics after he went on his own , or with other partners.

I love his great uptempo 'Where Are You'. Gets me dancing everytime. I hope that it's released one day, perhaps on COM5!

Did this release get postponed? It was scheduled for February.

I believe so, Mike. If I'm not mistaken Paul Williams of Reel Music said, a couple of weeks ago, that they were aiming for a summer release date. But don't take my word on it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snakepit

Ivy Hunter has written & produced some great records, usually with a 'sad' lost love storyline.Using DFTMC I intend to compile a CD-R of some of his best tunes, which will be in that vein. It will be called "Who invented heartache", in honour of his brilliant cut on Barbara McNair.I wonder if there are other versions of this in the vaults. I can hear Levi singing this in a "Yesterday dreams" style.
IMO, Motown would have done better to place the Four Tops with Ivy Hunter as their main producer to replace HDH, and move them into a smoother style like "YDs". The producers struggled to 'copy' HDH's style, trying to get Levi straining too much, but HDH had the lock on that."YDs" proved that Levi was an excellent stylist on ballads.
Top Man Ivy....

Any tracks other posters would include. [[I will avoid the Stevenson-Hunter tracks......he seemed to move to 'sad' lyrics after he went on his own , or with other partners.

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I have a demo of the song...sung by none other than Edna Wright!

Looking forward to this BIG TIME. I have the 45 I remember when on V.I.P. demo on red vinyl. His name should be up there with all the other great writers and producers. Paulo xxx

Ivy Jo's album contained his version of "The Loving Country" which was the last track on the Supremes "Right On" album.

I loved the song and asked Ivy Jo about it when I met him. He told me that he wrote it for the Supremes Copa concert in 1966...he wrote the music for the instrumental introduction of their performance.

So I guess this is cancelled, what a shame. I was really looking forward to this release.

My heart skipped a beat there for one excited moment! Yes, it's cancelled along with Blinky and any others that Reel had a hand in :[[

can we remove this thread? it makes my heart jump with excited anticipation ... then profound depression!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snakepit

Fantastic News.

This album was my suggestion when Paul canvassed opions on MT a while back.....so you can assume I'm happy about this.
PLEASE support this release, as that will lead to similar projects of rare Motown that seemed unatainable.
Thank you to REEL music and Paul for their efforts on our behalf.

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When I saw your comment, I had to respond despite the time gone by since you posted it.
Eleven years passed without a word. I so wish they would reconsider this album! Can you imagine how overwhelmed Ivy would be to see its release?! Every song is a winner...there was just no good reason for Motown to drag their heels on this the way they did.
And I really want to thank you, sincerely, for making the suggestion!! that was fairly awesome of you...do you think you could make it again? lol! jk, of course!

Lucabella
I can't believe the years have passed so quickly.
I'd love to propose the project on Ivy again, but sadly, I'm not sure if there are any re-issue companies out there who would support this. I hope I'm wrong.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snakepit

Lucabella
I can't believe the years have passed so quickly.
I'd love to propose the project on Ivy again, but sadly, I'm not sure if there are any re-issue companies out there who would support this. I hope I'm wrong.

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Slowly slowly catch the.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MotownSteve

Some of his material on CFOM was lacking but, on the other hand, his version of 'Ask the Lonely' was awesome!
Motown Steve

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Attachment 19059
I agree. I like it almost as much as The Four Tops' version, and it is an interesting alternative to it.