Mary Wilson Anthology: Real Gone/ Second Disc

[marybrewster]

In her final message to fans shared on YouTube, Mary Wilson shared some very special news. "I finally decided how to work with Universal," the legendary Supreme confided to her fans, "and they are going to release new Mary Wilson recordings. Yes! At last! At last." That day is finally upon us. On December 3, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records will premiere The Motown Anthology, a brand-new 2-CD, 38-song collection of the best of Mary Wilson.

Before her unexpected passing on February 8, 2021 at the age of 76, Mary was planning for a busy year, including a tour with B.J. Thomas [[who died of cancer not long after, on May 29) once it was safe to resume performing. The Motown Anthology is the ultimate retrospective of this multi-hyphenate talent: singer, activist, author, fashion icon, actress, mother, grandmother, friend, trailblazer, legend, Supreme. This first-ever comprehensive overview of Wilson's Motown discography presents 38 songs, including a whopping 33 tracks only available physically on this collection. Those tracks include:

The Primettes' "Pretty Baby," the first known recording to feature the voice of Mary Wilson [[and one of only two tracks on this collection in mono);Two previously unreleased songs from Diana Ross and The Supremes' Farewell concert of January 13, 1970 at Las Vegas' Frontier Hotel, one night before Diana, Mary, and Cindy Birdsong performed their final concert together;Four previously unreleased Supremes tracks [["Send Him to Me," "If You Let Me Baby," "Son of a Preacher Man," and "Witchi Tai To") led by Mary and produced by Deke Richards;16 more Supremes classics spanning the Diana, Mary, and Florence Ballard line-up through the final group of Mary, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene, penned by an array of songwriters including Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Jimmy Webb, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and Thom Bell and Linda Creed, most of which are presented in stunning new mixes;The complete 1979 Mary Wilson album in its worldwide CD debut plus "Anytime at All," a previously-unreleased early version of "Red Hot";Four tracks produced by Gus Dudgeon [[Elton John, David Bowie) including three never before available on CD;Eric Kupper's new 2021 remix of "Red Hot;" andMary's new 2021 Motown single, "Why Can't We Get Along," in its CD debut.

The Motown Anthology has been produced by the team of Andrew Skurow, George Solomon, and TSD's Joe Marchese [[The Supremes' The Ultimate Merry Christmas, Diana Ross and The Supremes Sing and Perform 'Funny Girl': The Ultimate Edition). It's been mixed and mastered by Kevin Reeves [[Bobby Darin's Go Ahead & Back Up: The Lost Motown Masters, Blinky's Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology). Its 44-page booklet, beautifully designed by John Sellards, is stuffed with rare and previously unpublished color photos plus new liner notes from Marchese, Skurow, and best-selling author Mark Bego [[Mary Wilson's Supreme Glamour, Eat Like a Rock Star). It's housed in a six-panel digipak in the tradition of past Supremes expanded editions.

The booklet also features exclusive tributes to Mary from such luminaries as Dionne Warwick, Darlene Love, Otis Williams, Duke Fakir, Martha Reeves, Claudette Robinson, Brian and Edward Holland, Rita Coolidge, Merry Clayton, Brenda Russell, Blinky Williams, Jackie DeShannon, and RuPaul [[just to name a few). Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton has penned a special appreciation, as well, for this ultimate celebration of Supreme legend Mary Wilson.

DeShannon wrote, "Mary Wilson was not a copy or imitation. Her voice was uniquely soulful and always full of love. She will be remembered as someone who gave her heart and soul to her music - and for her gloriously glamorous style. The gift she gave us when she stepped on the stage to perform was the dream we all shared as girl singers." Coolidge offered, "Mary Wilson came into this life with a gift that simply made the world a better place. She was Music, she was Love, she was Light. She continues to live on in the eyes of her children and grandchildren, in the hearts and stories of her friends, and her brilliant voice will forever resonate and light the way for her family, her friends and her beloved fans."

Today, October 11, marks a special date in the life of Mary Wilson. On this day in 2018, The Music Modernization Act became United States law. Mary had been at the forefront of the campaign to pass this important bill giving artists a fairer share of royalties in a changing, increasingly digital landscape. This was just one of the many significant causes championed by Mary throughout her lifetime.

Mary Wilson's voice - in all its versatility, power, and passion - can be heard on The Motown Anthology. It's due on December 3 from Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records.

[thommg]

I have never been happier to support a release! Have mine pre-ordered and am now waiting patiently [[yeah, right!) for this to be released.

[JimEMack]

[QUOTE=marybrewster;663322]

The Primettes' "Pretty Baby," the first known recording to feature the voice of Mary Wilson [[and one of only two tracks on this collection in mono);Two previously unreleased songs from Diana Ross and The Supremes' Farewell concert of January 13, 1970 at Las Vegas' Frontier Hotel, one night before Diana, Mary, and Cindy Birdsong performed their final concert together;Four previously unreleased Supremes tracks [["Send Him to Me," "If You Let Me Baby," "Son of a Preacher Man," and "Witchi Tai To") led by Mary and produced by Deke Richards;

I don't see "Pretty Baby" on the track list. Also, haven't we been told that there are no more unreleased Supremes' songs. Are these newly discovered or were they incomplete before?

[luckyluckyme]

When the tracklist first surfaced via Real Gone, it had 21 tracks on cd1, Pretty Baby was not listed. It was quickly amended once the slight omission was realized.

[RanRan79]

Also, haven't we been told that there are no more unreleased Supremes' songs. Are these newly discovered or were they incomplete before?

The only people I've ever read saying this are fans. I have not once seen this come from the vault team. And the fact that some fans continue to say it, and then something new comes out, suggests to me that when it comes to what's unreleased, if you haven't been in the archives, shut up. [[Not really shut up, as folks can say what they want, but I'm sure you get my point.) My common sense tells me that there is probably not much left of the 60s Supremes, other than alternates, because soooo much has been released over the last 30 or so years. But there are Disney cuts that haven't been released. DRATS' "For Once In My Life" got a release two or three years ago. There's quite a bit more unreleased 70s Supremes. And because the group recorded sooo much, sooo often, there's probably something hidden on those tapes yet to be discovered.

[marybrewster]

The only people I've ever read saying this are fans. I have not once seen this come from the vault team. And the fact that some fans continue to say it, and then something new comes out, suggests to me that when it comes to what's unreleased, if you haven't been in the archives, shut up. [[Not really shut up, as folks can say what they want, but I'm sure you get my point.) My common sense tells me that there is probably not much left of the 60s Supremes, other than alternates, because soooo much has been released over the last 30 or so years. But there are Disney cuts that haven't been released. DRATS' "For Once In My Life" got a release two or three years ago. There's quite a bit more unreleased 70s Supremes. And because the group recorded sooo much, sooo often, there's probably something hidden on those tapes yet to be discovered.

Remember when Diana's BLUE came out? That was a WHOLE ALBUM of undiscovered music. Like you, I believe there's much, much more to be found.

[carlo]

Also, haven't we been told that there are no more unreleased Supremes' songs. Are these newly discovered or were they incomplete before?

The only people I've ever read saying this are fans. I have not once seen this come from the vault team.

Here is what was published in the cd booklet of the Lost & Found release from 2008...



In my opinion, I think the phrasing of these very statements led many fans, including myself, to believe that there aren't that many tracks of original songs, remaining in the vaults, from the 60's era of The Supremes. I think that recent discoveries in the vaults, as well as access to recent technological developments in the studio, have allowed the team to go back and piece together new mixes of songs that would have otherwise not been up to snuff, had they been released as they were recorded, as once complete take. For instance, the duet of "The Christmas Song" on the Merry Christmas Expanded was a surprise to many and this was all thanks to the UMG team's creativity and use of technology, as it allowed them to piece together a duet using an incomplete vocal from Mary. I think the same can be said for other tracks coming out, as they're now able to re-work some of the remaining stuff that is said to be "not up to Supreme standards", and make it supreme. It's like taking left over ingredients from the cake you were baking, and reworking them to make a batch of equally delicious muffins. Lol Just don't leave them out in the rain!

[luckyluckyme]

Here is what was published in the cd booklet of the Lost & Found release from 2008...



In my opinion, I think the phrasing of these very statements led many fans, including myself, to believe that there aren't that many tracks of original songs, remaining in the vaults, from the 60's era of The Supremes. I think that recent discoveries in the vaults, as well as access to recent technological developments in the studio, have allowed the team to go back and piece together new mixes of songs that would have otherwise not been up to snuff, had they been released as they were recorded, as once complete take. For instance, the duet of "The Christmas Song" on the Merry Christmas Expanded was a surprise to many and this was all thanks to the UMG team's creativity and use of technology, as it allowed them to piece together a duet using an incomplete vocal from Mary. I think the same can be said for other tracks coming out, as they're now able to re-work some of the remaining stuff that is said to be "not up to Supreme standards", and make it supreme. It's like taking left over ingredients from the cake you were baking, and reworking them to make a batch of equally delicious muffins. Lol Just don't leave them out in the rain!

It is also interesting to note that the Lost & Found cd booklet also states:
'To the Supremes experts keeping score the following songs, which have been listed in several discographies as unreleased Supremes tracks, are incomplete or do not contain the Supremes':
Song titles are then presented alphabetically. Many are found in "Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme"['s] itinerary section. However, several songs Mary lists are not on Andy/George's list. Among them are Witchi Tai To, and [post itinerary] Send Him To Me.
I commented previously that Son Of A Preacher Man made the Lost & Found list of incomplete, but perhaps studio magic has made it presentable. I wonder how many of the titles that were on Mary's list and not in the Lost & Found booklet are still waiting to be discovered and made available to the fans.

[RanRan79]

Here is what was published in the cd booklet of the Lost & Found release from 2008...

In my opinion, I think the phrasing of these very statements led many fans, including myself, to believe that there aren't that many tracks of original songs, remaining in the vaults, from the 60's era of The Supremes. I think that recent discoveries in the vaults, as well as access to recent technological developments in the studio, have allowed the team to go back and piece together new mixes of songs that would have otherwise not been up to snuff, had they been released as they were recorded, as once complete take. For instance, the duet of "The Christmas Song" on the Merry Christmas Expanded was a surprise to many and this was all thanks to the UMG team's creativity and use of technology, as it allowed them to piece together a duet using an incomplete vocal from Mary. I think the same can be said for other tracks coming out, as they're now able to re-work some of the remaining stuff that is said to be "not up to Supreme standards", and make it supreme. It's like taking left over ingredients from the cake you were baking, and reworking them to make a batch of equally delicious muffins. Lol Just don't leave them out in the rain!

But that's just it Carlo, the Supremes were in the studio so often back then that I don't think anyone should ever conclude that there's nothing left until there is really absolutely positively no chance in hell anything left. The Lost and Found came in 2008 [[wasn't it 2008?) and since then "For Once In My Life" has gotten a release, as well as a couple of the In Loving Memory cuts, and the discovery of "More", "Somewhere 66", and "Michelle". Not to mention the fact that some of these alternates that have been released might as well have been a whole other song, like "Mother Dear". So while the vault team's words are basically saying there isn't a lot of stuff left, which makes sense considering how much stuff has actually been released over the years, it also didn't say that there was actually nothing left, which is how several fans pose it over the years.

Besides, I refuse to believe that the Supremes recorded "Moonlight and Kisses" and "Thank You Darling" in another language and didn't first cut it in English, so until I get those English versions, as far as I'm concerned, the Supremes' unreleased material is not yet exhausted.