What if.......Mary Wilson album

I would love to see Universal/Motown release Mary Wilson's solo album on CD. It is a relatively short album and several additional tracks could be added to fill out the disc. I would like to see something similar to the Florence Ballard album released back in 2001.

1. Red Hot
2 I've Got What You Need
3. You Make Me Feel So Good
4. I Love A Warm Summer Night.
5. Pick Up The Pieces.
6. You're The Light That Guides My Way
7. Midnight Dance

BONUS TRACKS

8. UK single version of Red Hot
9. Green River
10.Love Talk
11. Save Me
12. You Danced My Heart Around The Stars


What bonus tracks would you put on the album?

i'm torn on this one. as a completist, i'd like to have the album. but in general, i found this to be a poor affair.

there's a 12" version of Pick Up that was included on Motown Year By Year: 1980. And Red Hot was released in the US as a 12" single. so both of those should be included.

I know Mary was only on the label a short while so odds are there are not tons of unreleased songs. Of course if there are alt version or any other tracks she maybe recorded with other producers, those would be quite interesting.

Mary Wilson's first solo album was one of my least favorite recordings of hers. I am not sure if releasing it would be a good thing. I liked A Warm Summer Night,Midnight Dancer, Pick Up The Pieces and You Make Me Feel So Good well enough. The unreleased masters are amazing and show her voice to be powerful,warm and distinctive. I don't know if including some of her Supremes leads would be a good idea-I have always loved I Keep It Hid. Mary's solo album was mainly disco and she was much better on her second solo LP Walk The Line, which wasn't on Motown, and her vocals on those dance tracks are much better like her Time To Move On. As a fan of her talent, I would get it but would hope her unreleased tracks would also be included but since she has the masters and not Motown that would be her decision.

These are the bonus tracks on my itunes album:

Red Hot [[Single Edit)
Red Hot [[Instrumental)
Red Hot [[12" Remix)
Pick Up The Pieces [[Single Edit)
Love Talk
Save Me
You Dance My Heart Around The Stars
Green River
Red Hot [[Donald Bumps Remix)

The other 80s unreleased tracks were not with Motown, so deserve there own collection.

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Originally Posted by markdtiller

These are the bonus tracks on my itunes album:

Red Hot [[Single Edit)
Red Hot [[Instrumental)
Red Hot [[12" Remix)
Pick Up The Pieces [[Single Edit)
Love Talk
Save Me
You Dance My Heart Around The Stars
Green River
Red Hot [[Donald Bumps Remix)

The other 80s unreleased tracks were not with Motown, so deserve there own collection.

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That's a lot of versions of Red Hot on your itunes album! You must love that particular song very much.

Not especially, I am just a completist, like many on this forum! I prefer the 4 Gus Dudgeon songs for the follow-up album that never was, so would love to see them get an official release.

A while back there was a rumor going around that it was going to be a "red hot summer". We were lead to believe this was going to be released with the 4 Gus tracks, but I've not heard a peep since.

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Originally Posted by marybrewster

A while back there was a rumor going around that it was going to be a "red hot summer". We were lead to believe this was going to be released with the 4 Gus tracks, but I've not heard a peep since.

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We discussed this album on the main Soulful Detroit Forum recently under "Oldies albums that have not seen a cd/digital release".

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Originally Posted by marybrewster

A while back there was a rumor going around that it was going to be a "red hot summer". We were lead to believe this was going to be released with the 4 Gus tracks, but I've not heard a peep since.

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It sounded like at that time, Sweet Feet Music was planning to put out the songs and possibly new remixes, like they did with Time to Move On. Seems like those plans fizzled out. Mary was interviewed last week and asked about her solo album and she had mentioned how she and Universal have a good relationship these days and that they had expressed a desire to eventually reissue/release her solo material. She said she "should give them a call next week" to get the ball rolling with that. Whether it actually happens, who knows...

As someone who is a MW fan and who appreciates disco, I do like this album. It has been some years since I've played it, so maybe it's time for me to revisit. I do agree that the 4 tracks she did with Gus are superior and the Walk the Line album is even better.

If "Partners" can get a CD release, I can't see why MW can't. There has to be some red tape somewhere. Real Gone has done a wonderful job lately of getting "boutique" releases on physical CD. Would love to see them do some sort of expanded release.

I guess if Motown owns half the recordings and she owns half, there would have to be a willingness by both parties to compromise on the return - because this wouldn’t be a huge seller; perhaps a couple thousand copies?

I'd love to have a CD or digital download release of this. @MaryBrewster "Partners" was a much stronger album than Mary's solo album. That said, I'd still like to have it on CD/download. My vinyl copies are great but don't play well on my iPhone.

Even a pressing of a thousand copies would be suffice. At $20 a pop, there's a few dollars to be made. Whatever didn't sell, Mary could tote along to her appearances and sell autographed copies for $40.

"Partners" may be a stronger album, but MW is going to have the edge on name recognition over Scherrie & Susaye.

Funny thing about it is at least Mary’s album charted while Partners didn’t

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Originally Posted by thanxal

I'd love to have a CD or digital download release of this. @MaryBrewster "Partners" was a much stronger album than Mary's solo album. That said, I'd still like to have it on CD/download. My vinyl copies are great but don't play well on my iPhone.

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

Funny thing about it is at least Mary’s album charted while Partners didn’t

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Someone posted an article on here quite recently which stated Partners sold around twice as many copies as Red Hot. That may account for why no Company has shown any real interest in reissuing Red Hot.

I do agree that Partners was a stronger album but the album or the single didn’t chart. Even Red Hot and Mary’s debut album managed to squeak onto the charts as lowly as it was.

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Originally Posted by Bluebrock

Someone posted an article on here quite recently which stated Partners sold around twice as many copies as Red Hot. That may account for why no Company has shown any real interest in reissuing Red Hot.

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

I do agree that Partners was a stronger album but the album or the single didn’t chart. Even Red Hot and Mary’s debut album managed to squeak onto the charts as lowly as it was.

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Perhaps Partners sold more copies over a longer period of time. It didn't gain an official UK release so i had to buy an import copy. However Mary's album did get an official release.

Interestingly, I disagree with some of you. I thought Partners was a really awful LP. I bought it on CD, and have played it just once. The vocals are just too screeching for me.

Although I do agree that 'Red Hot' isn't the best LP to have come out from Motown, it's by no means some of the worst - and other LP have been issued on CD.

I think if the Gus Dudgeon tracks were to be included, and the amazingly beautiful 'You danced my heart around the stars' that would be awesome.

Perhaps some of the post Jan 14 1970 Supremes tracks where Mary sang lead, or where there is a copy of her singing lead in the vaults, to be included, that too would be good.

I'd definitely buy the CD.

Other than the conflicting ownership, a digital release should be a possibility

I'd buy the CD as well. Even if just a straight release.

Does anyone know the numbers of "Mary Wilson" versus "Partners"?

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Originally Posted by gordy_hunk

Interestingly, I disagree with some of you. I thought Partners was a really awful LP. I bought it on CD, and have played it just once. The vocals are just too screeching for me.

Although I do agree that 'Red Hot' isn't the best LP to have come out from Motown, it's by no means some of the worst - and other LP have been issued on CD.

I think if the Gus Dudgeon tracks were to be included, and the amazingly beautiful 'You danced my heart around the stars' that would be awesome.

Perhaps some of the post Jan 14 1970 Supremes tracks where Mary sang lead, or where there is a copy of her singing lead in the vaults, to be included, that too would be good.

I'd definitely buy the CD.

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That's a point. They did release Flo's album with 4 bonus Supremes lead tracks. However I think some were unreleased at the time. However, I don't think it needs it and would not want these at the expense of the Gus Dudgeon recordings.

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Originally Posted by marybrewster

"Partners" may be a stronger album, but MW is going to have the edge on name recognition over Scherrie & Susaye.

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Yes. On that I agree.

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

Funny thing about it is at least Mary’s album charted while Partners didn’t

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"Charting" doesn't mean "better".

True to a degree. Like with everything in life it depends on who you ask. At least with Mary’s album being able to chart no matter how low it went it does show it made a whimper. Whereas the Partners album went silent.

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Originally Posted by thanxal

"Charting" doesn't mean "better".

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I'm with you, gordy_hunk! I purchased Partners, listened to it once or twice and set it aside. Perhaps this was no surprise, as the last two '70s Supremes' albums mostly left me cold, aside from the Mary Wilson leads and maybe one or two other cuts. The material and arrangements were too far removed from the traditional Motown [[or even the evolving Motown) sound, and Susaye's free-form screeches did not excite me. It was difficult to sing along to these records, as Susaye kind of wobbled around the melody and ignored the beat. I thought I had thrown out the album when I moved years ago, and I was quite surprised just now when I looked and found that I still have it. But I no longer have a turntable, so I can't listen to it, to see if I might appreciate it more today than I did back in the day. Fortunately, I made a tape of Mary's solo album, I was able to convert it to a CD and I can still listen to it, though I rarely do. More and more as the years have passed, I've pulled back and listen mainly to the '60s releases, almost all of which still thrill me, although the albums after Reflections, Funny Girl and Talk Of The Town were to an extent hit-or-miss affairs, with one, two or three clinkers among the good or great cuts.

i'm not sure of the full origination story around Partners. my sense is that rather than S and S sitting down and jointly composing songs together, it's an assemblage of various songs. So the project wasn't necessarily approached as a concept. Also they don't really duet so much as split leads. typically one is singing lead and the other backing up, with occasional call and response. Individually the songs are interesting but they don't package all that well as an LP.

Some of the songs Scherrie contributed were from the musical she composed called 10 Good Years. what would have been an interesting concept would be to take those songs from the show and adapt to an album. Sort of like DR Sings the Wiz concept.

I do have to say i like Love bug. it's a funky number and love hearing her dueting with Ray. Susaye's voice is so interesting. For HE and Walking during the Supremes era, it was mostly used as an accent piece. with MS&S, that was sort of the approach again. on Wheel she basically recorded ad libs, just like they used parts of her vaulted Walking lead vocal as ad libs.

Come Into My Life is different from HE. not sure if the writer actually had Susaye in mind or not. but it's a great way to showcase her vocals. Her voice, in the lower ranges, has a thickness to it. not in a bad way - it's like caramel. on this song she has a pouty, playfulness to her lower range which makes the song quite sensual. And then of course her high notes are blended into the synthesizer. again i'll site that Diana Ross Project website. the author Paul talks about this song having an other worldliness to it. it's spacey and avant guarde. it's like Susaye is Barbarella lolol. a sex kitten in a futuristic space movie lol

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

i'm not sure of the full origination story around Partners. my sense is that rather than S and S sitting down and jointly composing songs together, it's an assemblage of various songs. So the project wasn't necessarily approached as a concept. Also they don't really duet so much as split leads. typically one is singing lead and the other backing up, with occasional call and response. Individually the songs are interesting but they don't package all that well as an LP.

Some of the songs Scherrie contributed were from the musical she composed called 10 Good Years. what would have been an interesting concept would be to take those songs from the show and adapt to an album. Sort of like DR Sings the Wiz concept.

I do have to say i like Love bug. it's a funky number and love hearing her dueting with Ray. Susaye's voice is so interesting. For HE and Walking during the Supremes era, it was mostly used as an accent piece. with MS&S, that was sort of the approach again. on Wheel she basically recorded ad libs, just like they used parts of her vaulted Walking lead vocal as ad libs.

Come Into My Life is different from HE. not sure if the writer actually had Susaye in mind or not. but it's a great way to showcase her vocals. Her voice, in the lower ranges, has a thickness to it. not in a bad way - it's like caramel. on this song she has a pouty, playfulness to her lower range which makes the song quite sensual. And then of course her high notes are blended into the synthesizer. again i'll site that Diana Ross Project website. the author Paul talks about this song having an other worldliness to it. it's spacey and avant guarde. it's like Susaye is Barbarella lolol. a sex kitten in a futuristic space movie lol

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A very dramatic and flamboyant description of Susaye to say the least!

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Originally Posted by marybrewster

If "Partners" can get a CD release, I can't see why MW can't. There has to be some red tape somewhere. Real Gone has done a wonderful job lately of getting "boutique" releases on physical CD. Would love to see them do some sort of expanded release.

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I think Partners is awful. No cohesion and I’m no fan of Susaye’s voice ... it’s an acquired taste imho.

partners was only reissued on cd in Japan not worldwide.

Mary’s album isn’t great but it’s ok and should be rereleased on cd.

we’ve had Flo’s , Jean’s, Scherrie & Susaye’s..... we need Mary’s for completion sake if nothing else

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Originally Posted by mwmr

I think Partners is awful. No cohesion and I’m no fan of Susaye’s voice ... it’s an acquired taste imho.

partners was only reissued on cd in Japan not worldwide.

Mary’s album isn’t great but it’s ok and should be rereleased on cd.

we’ve had Flo’s , Jean’s, Scherrie & Susaye’s..... we need Mary’s for completion sake if nothing else

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..and we have had Scherrie's rare solo LP "Incredible" as well as the Vintage Years Rick Gianatos compilation.

Love all of the Supreme ladies and their respective vocal talents. I was very happy when Partners was released on CD in Japan. I've always enjoyed The Supremes' collective and solo output from the late 70's. Great stuff. :)