Kim Weston - "Take Me In Your Arms"

**marv2** · 11-01-2011, 11:17 PM

Here Kim Weston doing her thing. What was it about this song that made you like it?

**motony** · 11-02-2011, 08:17 AM

one of the BEST Motown Sound ever!The track just rocks & Kims performance is perfect.It was the ultimate balance of gospel, soul & rock. Loved from the first time I heard it & still takes me to church.

**marv2** · 11-02-2011, 08:22 AM

Motony, I'm in total agreement! I always like the way it builds up to that gospelish fervor.

**nabob** · 11-02-2011, 01:13 PM

When I first heard the song in 1965, I thought the Vandellas were singing. In retrospect, I don't think Ms Reeves could have provided the delivery of Ms Weston. Along with I'll Keep Holding On and I'll Be Available [BH], this song is quintessential Motown Sound. The head still bounces and hips rock while listening. Eddie Holland's original version is a smoker also.
Nobody caught the bad reference to Brian Holland

**motony** · 11-02-2011, 01:48 PM

Oh, I beg to differ, I think it would have been a top ten hit by Martha & the Vandellas & Martha Reeves could match & or better Kims delivery every time!In 1965, since Mary Wells was gone from Motown, Martha would have been the only one other then Kim to work this track!

**1382hitsville** · 11-02-2011, 02:08 PM

I love Kims voice. Not everyone can sing loud and stay in the right key. Loud is different than screaming and Kim is singing good. I also love the way she has aged. She is a stunning lady!

**Rosie** · 11-02-2011, 04:15 PM

Miss Weston got a VOICE! Its one of my all time Motown favs. You got Kim[[strong but vulnerable),relatable lyrics and the Funk Brothers = Magic!

**motony** · 11-02-2011, 04:25 PM

you right about that, hitsville."Take Me...is one of Motowns best, another of Kims' best is "Just Loving You".As far as singing loud & staying in key its important to sing where the words are understandable and ALL Motown vocalists are great about that. A non-Motown vocalist that can do that consistently is Dee Dee Sharp.

**Rosie** · 11-02-2011, 04:36 PM

I really love "Thrill A Moment" almost as much as this!

**nabob** · 11-02-2011, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by motony

Oh, I beg to differ, I think it would have been a top ten hit by Martha & the Vandellas & Martha Reeves could match & or better Kims delivery every time!In 1965, since Mary Wells was gone from Motown, Martha would have been the only one other then Kim to work this track!

I agree that the record would have been a big, big hit for the Vandellas [fan base]. Kim has a seductive, sultry delivery of this song that would have probably have been delivered with a flavor of extreme urgency from Martha. Ms Reeves would have worked the song well, but I have a strong preference for Kim Weston's voice when Vandellas' songs were covered.

**marv2** · 11-02-2011, 06:48 PM

I heard Kim Weston sing outdoors at a park in Detroit back in the early 70's. The microphone went out and you could still hear her very clearly towards the back of the crowd and it was a very large crowd!

Both she and Eddie Holland did a wonderful job with this song, however Kim handled the lyrics like no one else I've heard and that includes the Doobie Bros. version. She is an amazing vocalist!

Marv

**marv2** · 11-02-2011, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by nabob

When I first heard the song in 1965, I thought the Vandellas were singing. In retrospect, I don't think Ms Reeves could have provided the delivery of Ms Weston. Along with I'll Keep Holding On and I'll Be Available [BH], this song is quintessential Motown Sound. The head still bounces and hips rock while listening. Brian Holland's original version is a smoker also. I'll try to find the link after returning home. YouTube is locked at work.

Kim Weston combined with the Funk Brothers do make you want to get up and get down! The ultimate Motown Musical experience in my opinion! When she sings " I said I wouldn't beg, I said I wouldn't plead...." it's goose bump time! LOL!

**MotownSteve** · 11-02-2011, 07:25 PM

When I talk to friends about Motown songs you can not sit still to, this always comes up. The double track vocal on this version is also interesting.

**marv2** · 11-02-2011, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSteve

When I talk to friends about Motown songs you can not sit still to, this always comes up. The double track vocal on this version is also interesting.

MotownSteve are you from Canada?

**MotownSteve** · 11-02-2011, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

MotownSteve are you from Canada?

Hi Marv2,

I'm from New Jersey. And may I ask where you are?

**MotownSteve** · 11-02-2011, 10:10 PM

When I went out tonight I listened to the Kim Weston Anthology going and coming. Great stuff.

**marv2** · 11-02-2011, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSteve

Hi Marv2,

I'm from New Jersey. And may I ask where you are?

I am in New York....on Long Island. You in North Jersey? I asked about Canada because that is where that clip of Kim is from. It was a local show we use to watch when I was a kid it was taped in Windsor, Ontario and broadcast on Channel 9 CKLW where pretty much everyone in Detroit Metro could see it. There was this one guy on here from Ontario, but I can't recall his name at the moment.

**marv2** · 11-02-2011, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSteve

When I went out tonight I listened to the Kim Weston Anthology going and coming. Great stuff.

I have her 20th Century Masters collection that I think I am going to pull out and play. So much good music this lady made.

**MotownSteve** · 11-02-2011, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

I am in New York....on Long Island. You in North Jersey? I asked about Canada because that is where that clip of Kim is from. It was a local show we use to watch when I was a kid it was taped in Windsor, Ontario and broadcast on Channel 9 CKLW where pretty much everyone in Detroit Metro could see it. There was this one guy on here from Ontario, but I can't recall his name at the moment.

Now I remember. With Hurricane Irene you headed west to PA. Out of curiosity, do you ever listen to Felix Hernandez?

I'm in what I call the northern part of Central Jersey. It take me a little over an our by bus to the PA Terminal on 8th Ave.

**marv2** · 11-02-2011, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSteve

Now I remember. With Hurricane Irene you headed west to PA. Out of curiosity, do you ever listen to Felix Hernandez?

I'm in what I call the northern part of Central Jersey. It take me a little over an our by bus to the PA Terminal on 8th Ave.

I know Felix, met him about 10 years ago. I do listen to him on Sundays on KISS-FM. Sometimes I alternate between Felix and Hal Jacksons Sunday Classics on WBLS. They changed the time of his show so that it comes on later in the afternoon on Sundays. Yeah Hurricane Irene was just a bunch of wind at least to my part of Long Island LOL!

I have an idea of what part of Jersey you're in then if it takes an hour. I use to live in Philly many years ago and could determine my estimated arrival time into Manhattan based on the exits off the Jersey Turnpike.

From where you are, you should be able to pick up some of the Philly stations am I right?

**randy_russi** · 11-03-2011, 08:26 AM

Has anyone noticed on the chorus she sings--"take me in your arms, rockme, rock me a little while; hold me darlin', rock
KIM for just a little while"??? I see it on this video too.

**randy_russi** · 11-03-2011, 08:28 AM

Eddie Holland's original is very good; the same backing track!

**marv2** · 11-03-2011, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by randy_russi

Has anyone noticed on the chorus she sings--"take me in your arms, rockme, rock me a little while; hold me darlin', rock
KIM for just a little while"??? I see it on this video too.

I hadn't noticed that, but that is slick. I will give another listen for it. If anyone ever doubts that "Motown" was soulful, just play this record for them!

**MotownSteve** · 11-03-2011, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by marv2

I know Felix, met him about 10 years ago. I do listen to him on Sundays on KISS-FM. Sometimes I alternate between Felix and Hal Jacksons Sunday Classics on WBLS. They changed the time of his show so that it comes on later in the afternoon on Sundays. Yeah Hurricane Irene was just a bunch of wind at least to my part of Long Island LOL!

I have an idea of what part of Jersey you're in then if it takes an hour. I use to live in Philly many years ago and could determine my estimated arrival time into Manhattan based on the exits off the Jersey Turnpike.

From where you are, you should be able to pick up some of the Philly stations am I right?

This is getting stranger and stranger. I was in Philadelphia from 65 to 68 and spent too much time at the Uptown.

I'm about a half hour north of being able to pick up Philadelphia radio stations. Sometime I'll listen to http://www.hylitradio.com.

The bus I take is local for about 50 minutes. Once we clear Elizabeth it is all highway.

**nosey** · 11-03-2011, 09:10 AM

Kim owns that song. IMO, after My Girl, that is the quintessential Motown song for me.

**westgrandboulevard** · 11-03-2011, 09:11 AM

Much as I enjoy the Isley Brothers' version of 'Take me in your arms...', I still wish that Kim's original version,and not theirs, hads been used for the Motown Classics Karaoke series [[Vol 11 Baby I Need Your Lovin')

I just love that band track....

**stephanie** · 11-03-2011, 10:39 PM

The first time I heard it was by the Doobie Brothers and I loved it and didnt think anyone could do it as well as they did. Well when I found out Kim did it first I still got stuck on the Doobies and wound up liking Eddies version the best.

**marv2** · 11-03-2011, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSteve

This is getting stranger and stranger. I was in Philadelphia from 65 to 68 and spent too much time at the Uptown.

I'm about a half hour north of being able to pick up Philadelphia radio stations. Sometime I'll listen to http://www.hylitradio.com.

The bus I take is local for about 50 minutes. Once we clear Elizabeth it is all highway.

HyLit was on the radio when I lived in Philly! I know he passed a few years ago and his son is involved in broadcasting. I know, once you get passed Elizabeth it becomes ........."the Thunderdome"! Everyone breaksout doing 85-100 mph! LOL!

huntergettingcaptured · 11-04-2011, 01:23 AM

What a great point! I hand't thought about that, but the comments are great about the difference between singing loud and singing loud AND staying in key AND singing so that all the words are understandable. Considering how Motown had that technique of recording tracks in keys that forced the vocalist to sing at their upper register, it's astonishing how clear and precise those vocals always came out. Kim was one of the tops at Motown at hitting her uppermost register- getting as soulful as you can get and still having that very classy sort of style.

**marv2** · 11-04-2011, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by nosey

Kim owns that song. IMO, after My Girl, that is the quintessential Motown song for me.

Nosey! That is perfect. The perfect way to describe it. Whenever it is played, I still sit up and listen. Something about the opening of this recording just gets to me and they it just builds and builds up until Kim is in church! LOL!

**marv2** · 11-04-2011, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by randy_russi

Has anyone noticed on the chorus she sings--"take me in your arms, rockme, rock me a little while; hold me darlin', rock
KIM for just a little while"??? I see it on this video too.

Randy, I did notice that today! Hard to believe now that she was doing that way back in 1965!

**randy_russi** · 11-04-2011, 12:11 PM

You know, she also did "A Love Like Yours" and on the spoken mid-section where Martha's original says "You answered back,
'darlin', I love you'" , Kim says, "You answered back, Kim, I love you".

It is a surprise and a real shame that she never had a Motown lp issued. In fact, it is a mystery! Mickey Stevenson had
a big position in the company.
After she switched labels she had a lot of lps and, surprisingly, none of them ever included her singles. Lift Ev'ry Voice &
Sing, was done on the This Is America lp and a few years later issued as a single on the People label, I think, or maybe
it was called Pride.
She recorded a lot of material that wasn't R&B, but more MOR.

**rovereab** · 11-04-2011, 12:42 PM

Take Me In Your Arms is a fantastic song and the alternate version on her Motown Anthology is a very interesting slant on the vocals.

These 2 albums are really worth buying as she is a great artist.

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProduct...;-1&sku=420648

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProduct...;-1&sku=541455

There is a different mix of What Good Am I with Marvin on the Greatest Hits & Rare Classic album - it has handclaps.

There is much more to Kim Weston than just being Marvin Gaye's partner on It Takes Two!!

Eamonn

**BayouMotownMan** · 11-04-2011, 01:16 PM

One of the main reasons Mickey Stevenson took a job with a rival label was because he was unhappy with the lack of support Mr. Gordy was giving Kim. She was a powerhouse vocalist but Gordy felt her concert presence was not as dynamic as Miss Ross. Also, Kim had Broadway goals and had actually pursued some stage work while still at Motown. Gordy did not yet have those aspirations. Whatever plans he had to launch anyone beyond record sales was strictly Diana Ross, and the Stevenson's left largely because of that realization.

**randy_russi** · 11-04-2011, 01:40 PM

I remember reading something where Mickey thought of Kim as his Diana Ross. He may have told her to mention her name
in the lyrics.
What puzzles me is the material she did at MGM, etc. As I stated above, on her lps she did more MOR type music as
opposed to her singles, which were more R&B flavored. I also remember she did a duet with Johnny Nash.

**marv2** · 11-04-2011, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

One of the main reasons Mickey Stevenson took a job with a rival label was because he was unhappy with the lack of support Mr. Gordy was giving Kim. She was a powerhouse vocalist but Gordy felt her concert presence was not as dynamic as Miss Ross. Also, Kim had Broadway goals and had actually pursued some stage work while still at Motown. Gordy did not yet have those aspirations. Whatever plans he had to launch anyone beyond record sales was strictly Diana Ross, and the Stevenson's left largely because of that realization.

No! It's been said by those that actually worked at Motown at the time, that Kim's physical endowment they did not feel went over well with a "crossover" audience. The tight dresses on her made her nice womanly curves appear exaggerated! Kim encouraged the move.

Mr. Gordy's tunnel vision actually ended up hurting more than helping the company.

**marv2** · 11-04-2011, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by randy_russi

I remember reading something where Mickey thought of Kim as his Diana Ross. He may have told her to mention her name
in the lyrics.
What puzzles me is the material she did at MGM, etc. As I stated above, on her lps she did more MOR type music as
opposed to her singles, which were more R&B flavored. I also remember she did a duet with Johnny Nash.

Norman Whitfield made the same mistake when he started Whitfield Records and attempted to make Gwen Dickey [[the lead singer in the band Rose Royce) his "Diana Ross". The other band members rebelled and that pretty much ended that story.

**motony** · 11-04-2011, 02:30 PM

I never bought that story about her figure in the gowns[[I had heard that 25 yrs ago). That was BS,I heard she was not liked by Mr. Gordys sisters but I don't know which ones & or why.Very strange that alot of other acts had Lps issued that didn't have hits but no Lp ever for Kim who had several minor hits.

**BayouMotownMan** · 11-04-2011, 06:07 PM

Thanks Tony, the gown stuff is BS.

**nabob** · 11-04-2011, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by rovereab

There is a different mix of What Good Am I with Marvin on the Greatest Hits & Rare Classic album - it has handclaps.

The hand clap mix appears on Greatest Hits and Rare Classics. The Brits can correct me on this, but I believe the original Take Two issued by Spectrum on CD had the hand claps and pre-dated the GH&RC CD. This was out of print by the time I discovered it in the late 1990s. Fortunately, Spectrum was good enough to reissue a Take Two, Plus in 2007. The hand clap mix is replaced by the original LP mix.

**marv2** · 11-04-2011, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by motony

I never bought that story about her figure in the gowns[[I had heard that 25 yrs ago). That was BS,I heard she was not liked by Mr. Gordys sisters but I don't know which ones & or why.Very strange that alot of other acts had Lps issued that didn't have hits but no Lp ever for Kim who had several minor hits.

*

The part her figure is what they said [[remember the things that were said to and about Flo Ballard?). That other thing, well was just Gwen.

**marv2** · 11-04-2011, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

Thanks Tony, the gown stuff is BS.

Sure it was BS when those at Motown said it......but they used it as a reason! It was BS that Florence was fat! But they used it!

**bankhousedave** · 11-06-2011, 01:16 PM

Kim was the first Motown act to tour the UK, supported by the Funks, and prior to the 65 Motortown Revue. She can still more than hold her own with anyone and, if anything, sounds better today than she ever did. She's had one helluva life, and is still a beautiful person. Take Me in your Arms is a brilliant track. The way it holds and releases, you can't help but get caught up in it. The Funks track alone is a stormer; Kim jumps on that groove and owns it. Notice the sax solo is still there, but Kim sings right on through it.

**mr soul** · 11-06-2011, 01:32 PM

Dave...I thought Mary Wells was the first Motown artist to tour the UK with the Beatles is this not correct?

http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=481597

**bankhousedave** · 11-06-2011, 01:50 PM

Mary toured with the Beatles, Mr S, but prior to that, Kim and the Funks came to the UK and toured with The Kinks, Gene Pitney, Georgie Fame and others. Earl, Jack and Uriel, at least, were on this trip. Uriel was not on the Revue trip. The plan had been for Mary to come but it was switched to Kim at the last. I don't know who backed Mary on the Beatles tour - maybe Sounds Incorporated who were on before her and [[I believe) were Johnny Pearson's musicians [[as in TOTP).

Lo, much still remains shrouded in mystery, but Jack Ashford tells the story of the Kim tour in his book, and Georgie Fame remembered it when I talked with him.

**mr soul** · 11-06-2011, 04:05 PM

Thanks Dave...I remember Kim appearing on Ready Steady Go would this be around the same period.

**bankhousedave** · 11-06-2011, 04:28 PM

I think it must be. Kim didn't have any hits that would justify flying her over specially. Vicki Wickham was early into Motown, so she and Elkan Allen would have booked her while she was here. I don't have access to the RSGs. Do you know what date her show went out?

**tomato tom** · 11-06-2011, 05:40 PM

KIM was one of the most underated singers at Motown, as we all know. Take Me In Your Arms and Helpless, should have been megga hits,But...History sadly did not deliver the goods at that time. At least we can appreiacte her music biw..Paulo xxx

honest man · 11-06-2011, 06:07 PM

Hello on RSG she sang A LITTLE MORE LOVE, wonderful one of the best motown songs does this help, cheers

**bankhousedave** · 11-06-2011, 06:21 PM

Wonderful song, as you say, Honest. I had that, Another Train Coming, and a couple of other tracks on a TM EP back in the day. When I were a lad, I thought Kimmie looked and sounded great.