Black Magic coming in June

[blueskies]

http://www.dustygroove.com/item/700798

[marybrewster]

Another yay! I will be purchasing this as well!

Thank you Dusty Groove!

[BigAl]

Many years ago, someone told me that this album had been all prepped-out for Diana Ross and ultimately she decided she didn't like the concept/material and passed on it, which is when Gordy decided that Martha & crew would be doing it instead. Any truth to that?

[reese]

Many years ago, someone told me that this album had been all prepped-out for Diana Ross and ultimately she decided she didn't like the concept/material and passed on it, which is when Gordy decided that Martha & crew would be doing it instead. Any truth to that?

In her book or an interview, Martha mentioned that when she received the demos for the album, the cases had Diana's name written on them.

[thommg]

I wonder of this will have bonus tracks on it. I have the original cd release and play this album all the time. It is one of my favorite Motown albums and I think Martha sounds fantastic on it.

[Jimi LaLumia]

Great album indeed..

[Roberta75]

One of the best albums ever to com e out of Motown record. How much is this please?

Respectfully.

Roberta

[theboyfromxtown]

Martha performed "Something" at Proud Gallery in North London this evening.

[Roger Polhill]

S`funny but I played this disc yesterday for the first time in ages and noticed that "Somewhere" was missing. Of course it was as I had not added it onto the disc when I split the 2 on 1 into individual discs. That`s another little job to do.

[REDHOT]

Martha Reeves and The Vandellas Black Magic is they're best album ever.THE BEST

[Jimi LaLumia]

I've had this for over a decade as a twofer UK release,teamed with the "Natural Resources" album...

[daviddesper]

I am seeing prices like $25-30 for this. Why so expensive, especially since it has already been released as a Twofer? If it had bonus tracks, maybe, but I for one will not pay that much for the same album I already have.

Having said that, I will agree that it is one of Motown's all-time great albums. The group certainly went out with a bang on that one. Bless You can't be beat and deserved to be a huge mega-hit, and No One There was also a terrific song.

As for the Diana Ross story, I had never heard that before, but good grief....how much more music could she have done during that time period? Didn't she release something like 6-8 albums in the early 70s, while Martha was lucky to get just this one released?

[supremester]

In her first 3 years as a solo, Miss Ross released 3 studio LPs.
Other Motown Acts in the same time frame:
Temptations 4 [[plus 1 live LP)
Gladys/Pips 3 [[plus a live LP)
JMC/JML 8 [[inc 3 duest with Tops)
Four Tops 7 [[inc 3 duets with JMC)
Marvin 3
Stevie 4
JR Walker 4 [[plus a live LP)
Martha & Vandellas 2
Jackson 5 6

SOME of the Black Magic tracks were Ross rejects - not all. Deke wrote Bless You & the chart for I Want You Back specifically for Martha, Berry Gordy produced Your love Makes it All Worthwhile for Martha, Tear It On Down was done for Martha. The only two tracks that I know were for Ross are Hope I Don't Get My Heart Broke [[a fave of mine) and Benjamin. There may have been others. Martha was in fairly bad emotional shape at the time and wasn't up to working for stretches during which she tried to get her self together. Gordy wanted a hit on her and put together this killer album - intended to be her first hit LP, but it failed on the charts. Martha never sold albums at Motown or after Motown. Her Richard perry LP was promoted to death with no response from the public. I'm a huge Martha fan, I don't know why even Watchout! didn't hit: great cover, title, tracks and 2 top ten hits.

[Jimi LaLumia]

I love Martha, was always a fan, but she didn't have that 'star charisma' that elevates from record maker to celebrity...not everyone does... if they did, there wouldn't be any real standout stars...

[floyjoy678]

I agree Jimi. I think vocally Martha had a lot of charisma but when I see some of those old Vandellas clips Martha looks very stiff in a lot of those performances. My favorite Vandellas line up was always Martha, Rosalind and Annette but I really think vocally Martha and the Vandellas/Andantes got better on those last couple of albums.