Martha Reeves: Facsimili

[luckyluckyme]

[marv2]

This record has so many great sounding elements to it. Stevie Wonder, Aretha, Jr. Walker...........and all Martha Reeves! I missed this one. What year is it from?

[marv2]

I know this is one of her 70s cuts.

[daviddesper]

It was on her solo debut, the 1974 album produced by Richard Perry.

[PeaceNHarmony]

It was on her solo debut, the 1974 album produced by Richard Perry.

Right, a lovely lp 'twas, as well!

[kenneth]

Right, a lovely lp 'twas, as well!

It is such a great album. One of the great mysteries is why it wasn't more popular. Richard Perry was a great producer who was also responsible for Diana Ross' "Baby It's Me" LP and many other fine albums.

[motony]

the first single released "Power of Love" had already recently been a hit by Joe Simon. I think if "Wild Night" had been the first 45 it would have garnered better attention.

[BritishTony]

Oh how I love that album. To me Martha never soundedbetter. Not a bad cut on it. Martha’s take on Got To Use My Imagination & ManyRivers To Cross are truly definitive for me. But many other superb tracks:Facsimile, Sweet Misery, Storm In My soul, a cool, swinging Ain’t That Peculiarin fact everything on it a gem. As a young student in Liverpool at the timeWild Night was played LOUD in our flat before going out Saturday evening. A real crime thisalbum wasn’t massive. Thanks luckyluckyme for a fabulous reminder.

[kenneth]

@BritishTony, Yes I remember that was the album I also played before going out for the evening. "Wild Night" especially was a great cut and I too wish it had been the first single. I think Richard Perry had a good sensibility with R&B singers, in knowing which material they could cover so well. I think "Wild Night" was a Van Morrison song, and the album contained some other examples of unusual choices [[or so one might think) for a singer like Reeves to record at the time.