Zessus and Fekaris

[snakepit]

Nick Zessus and Dino Fekaris wrote some great Motown tracks.

This is a lovely ballad by The Naturals 1972, not well known.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FICk1GU18mM

[snakepit]

And this is Martha Reeves unissued version....same song, slightly different title.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BRTgV-qVFi4

[snakepit]

The b side of the Naturals 45

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E8U55NY4d9k

[TomatoTom123]

The first track, "The Good Things [[Where Was I When Love Came By)", is very nice, and really sounds like something The Originals could have recorded!!!

[TomatoTom123]

According to Discogs, The Naturals were the same group as The Stylists, who had one single released on VIP called "What Is Love".



… also very nice, and this time sounding quite like The Main Ingredient [[pre-Cuba Gooding) to my ears!!

[TomatoTom123]

The b side of the Naturals 45

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E8U55NY4d9k

Cool track too!

[Motown Eddie]

Here's another gem from the Nick Zesses/Dino Fekaris songbook;

[snakepit]

Dino Fekaris wrote Gloria Gaynor's " I will survive"....amongst many other fine tracks

[snakepit]

Edwin Starr track by Nick and Dino

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rVufsAJm8R8

[144man]

The Nick & Dino record alluded to on the Stoney & Meatloaf thread is "Wish I Was A Kid Again" / "Boy" [Impact 1016]. The A-side was written by J.Rhys & M.Yarbrough, but "Boy" is credited to N.Zesses, D.Fekaris, J.Rhys.

[144man]

One of my favourite Zesses/Fekaris songs is "And I Thought You Loved Me".

There are fine Motown versions by Marbaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUfVgcquBQg

and by the Supremes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ujsmhOxrU8

Unfortunately the Thelma Houston version is taken at too fast a pace and loses the beauty of the song.

[snakepit]

yes a nice tune....I like all 3 but especially Marbaya [[ music makers....unissued on Mowest apparently.

[steve w]

Art & Honey track - Lets make Love [[1970) - takes some beating - the wealth of talent Motown had still takes my breath away

[snakepit]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEXUfoCWwRA

yes another great track


and of course the Supremes & Four Tops version is wonderful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2wPxBbWsCU

[snakepit]

The B side to Art & Honey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRgN-nZzAuY


MARTHA'S VERSION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnhCaFZkXlI

[snakepit]

Off topic but I THINK Art is Art Posey who had a big Northern soul hit with this great track


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e87i1xJYGZg

[BigAl]

And this one by PJ [[Patti Jerome)



It was covered shortly thereafter by Martha & Vandellas on Black Magic [[album supposedly slated originally for Diana Ross but turned down).

[steve w]

fantastic choices - thanks

[snakepit]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fK_dvT96ipo

[144man]

The A-side of Marbaya's "And I Thought You Loved Me" revived The Temptations' "Mother Nature". A short introduction was added, and it was released under the title "Follow Me-Mother Nature".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYkw4W30Rf8

There was another bite of the cherry in 1974 when Nick and Dino produced a new version of the song by Riot, included in the album, "Welcome to the World of Riot".

[144man]

"You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart " by The Supremes & 4 Tops reached #25 in the UK charts in 1971.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSkYWNIEjmM

[144man]

Soul 35111 in 1974 saw Gladys Knight & The Pips' final Motown release "Between Her Goodbye And My Hello". The b-side "This Child Needs Its Father" was a fine Zesses/Fekaris song that had been recorded in 1972.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLlO05Ojy0Y

The next release on Soul [Soul 35112] "Supernatural Voodoo Woman" was also a Zesses /Fekaris composition, but it was hardly one of the Originals' finest moments.

[sansradio]

Soul 35111 in 1974 saw Gladys Knight & The Pips' final Motown release "Between Her Goodbye And My Hello". The b-side "This Child Needs Its Father" was a fine Zesses/Fekaris song that had been recorded in 1972.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLlO05Ojy0Y

The next release on Soul [Soul 35112] "Supernatural Voodoo Woman" was also a Zesses /Fekaris composition, but it was hardly one of the Originals' finest moments.

From the soundtrack of one of my all-time favorite guilty-pleasure movies--the zombie-Blaxploitation-revenge flick Sugar Hill starring Marki Bey!


Speaking of Zesses/Fekaris, I'm surprised no one's mentioned this UK #38 gem [co-written with Tom Baird]:

[144man]

From the soundtrack of one of my all-time favorite guilty-pleasure movies--the zombie-Blaxploitation-revenge flick Sugar Hill starring Marki Bey!


Speaking of Zesses/Fekaris, I'm surprised no one's mentioned this UK #38 gem [co-written with Tom Baird]:

For some reason, the fact that "Love Me" was a Zesses/Fekaris song written with Tom Baird escaped me, and I don't know how I managed to overlook that.

In 1972, the Rare Earth label released the album, Matrix [Rare Earfh R542].
The members of Matrix were Nick Zesses, Dino Fekaris and Tom Baird.
However of the 11 tracks on the album only one, an a cappella track called "I Was Lonely [And They Laughed]", was written by Nick and Dino.
The whole album is quirky, which appeals to me. In fact it's one of my favourite albums on the Rare Earth label.

For that reason, I find my not noticing who composed "Love Me" most perplexing.

[sansradio]

And here's another Z&F killer:

[144man]

sansradio,
were there any other Motown tracks in the movie "Sugar Hill" besides The Originals' "Supernatural Voodoo Woman"?

[sansradio]

sansradio,
were there any other Motown tracks in the movie "Sugar Hill" besides The Originals' "Supernatural Voodoo Woman"?

Not that I can recall; just that song plays over the opening and closing credits. The rest is incidental/atmospheric score music.

[snakepit]

A good compilation of Z & F tracks here...would make a nice CD.

[144man]

The group, Matrix, hadn't had a release since their eponymous album [See post 24, above]. In 1974, Ray Stevens had a big hit with the novelty record, "The Streak", so Nick and Dino got together again with Tom Baird to write and record "Streakin' Down the Avenue" [Motown 1301].
I can't find the recording on YouTube, but from memory the lyrics went something like "Streakin' down the avenue, keeping everything on view, people stare, I don't care, I get my kicks from running bare...".
Needless to say, the record was not a success and no one was covered wih glory.

[144man]

In 1974, Motown signed Latin rock group Riot and released the album "Welcome to the World of Riot" [Motown 6806], from which three singles were taken. Nick and Dino wrote seven of the eight tracks, and produced all eight.

The tracks were:
Welcome to the World of...
Just Beyond [M1312A]
Mother Nature
Put Your Gun Down Brother [M1318A]
I'm Happy Just to Be Livin'
A Song of Long Ago {not Zesses, Fekaris} [M1265B]
God Bless Conchita [M1265A]
It's Been Oh So Long [M1312B, M1318B]

For me, the best track is "Put Your Gun Down Brother", which has an "It's Your Thing" type of groove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH-pJAsDzE4

[snakepit]

I had "Conchita" on a Spanish TM 45.
I think I had " Streakin" too.

[144man]

I had "Conchita" on a Spanish TM 45.
I think I had " Streakin" too.

I've tried to dislike "God Bless Conchita", but never quite succeeded

[TomatoTom123]

I didn’t realise that Nick & Dino wrote some of my favourite Rare Earth tracks, including "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Hey Big Brother" and the wonderfully-titled "Every Now And Then We Get To Go On Down To Miami"…

[TomatoTom123]

In 1974, Motown signed Latin rock group Riot and released the album "Welcome to the World of Riot" [Motown 6806], from which three singles were taken. Nick and Dino wrote seven of the eight tracks, and produced all eight.

The tracks were:
Welcome to the World of...
Just Beyond [M1312A]
Mother Nature
Put Your Gun Down Brother [M1318A]
I'm Happy Just to Be Livin'
A Song of Long Ago {not Zesses, Fekaris} [M1265B]
God Bless Conchita [M1265A]
It's Been Oh So Long [M1312B, M1318B]

For me, the best track is "Put Your Gun Down Brother", which has an "It's Your Thing" type of groove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH-pJAsDzE4

I like that one too. Very funky.

[144man]

Off topic but I THINK Art is Art Posey who had a big Northern soul hit with this great track


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e87i1xJYGZg

...and Honey of Art & Honey was Glenna Sessions, who had been a member of the Art Reynolds Singers. Together they had written "I'm So Glad I Fell For You", recorded by David Ruffin".

[144man]

Here's a few more Zesses/Fekaris compositions that haven't been mentioned yet that members might like to check out on YouTube:

Rare Earth - Generation [Light Up the Sky] {Rare Earth 5010}

David Ruffin - Each Day Is A Lifetime {Motown 1178}

David Ruffin - I Can't Be Hurt Anymore {In unreleased album "David"}

The Commodores - I'm Looking For Love {Mowest 5009}

Martha Reeves & Vandellas - Benjamin {In album "Black Magic}

[snakepit]

All good tracks 144Man

I like the 2 David Ruffin tracks.
N& D are very underrated Motown writers.

[TomBairdFan]

Here are Nick and Dino as they appear on the Matrix album.

[144man]

The Nick & Dino record alluded to on the Stoney & Meatloaf thread is "Wish I Was A Kid Again" / "Boy" [Impact 1016]. The A-side was written by J.Rhys & M.Yarbrough, but "Boy" is credited to N.Zesses, D.Fekaris, J.Rhys.

According to TCMS, Nick & Dino's first 45 was "Good Girl" b/w "I'll Always Love You" on the local Sound Patterns label.

[144man]

Have we mentioned all of Nick & Dino's Motown tracks on this thread now?
I can't think of any others.

[mysterysinger]

Stoney "Let Me Come Down Easy" & "It's Always Me" [[with B Verdi)

[Roger Polhill]

There`s "I`ll Try Not To Cry" Supremes & Four Tops, "I Ain`t Got The Love Of The One I Love" The Supremes and "Tally Ho" by the Detroit Wheels.

[144man]

Dino Fekaris wrote Gloria Gaynor's " I will survive"....amongst many other fine tracks

Peaches and Herb's "Shake Your Groove Thing" was another one, written with Freddie Perren.