Why is this woman not a star?

[luke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6smX2E5GduI Merry Clayton and the Waters chills Gimme Shelter

[soulster]

Well, I had to go to MOG to sample some of her albums.

My opinion is that the reason she's not a star is because her music is generic R&B, a dime a dozen. There's nothing unique about it. The same goes for her vocal style. It's good, but there's just nothing special about it. Frankly, she bored me.

Oh, I suppose some people buy an artist's music on the basis of the voice alone, but there's more to music than just the singing. There's the music, and the production. With the right songs, producers, and style of music, she could have probably been a bit more popular. Remember, this is just my opinion, so don't have a cow.

But, at least she managed to get signed to some major labels.

[jobeterob]

Well here is the real deal; Merry Clayton might have been a success 20 or 30 years ago; but she's too old for the young market now. And she was pretty generic and not terribly distinctive.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Well here is the real deal; Merry Clayton might have been a success 20 or 30 years ago; but she's too old for the young market now. And she was pretty generic and not terribly distinctive.

I think Rob and Soulster might be off the mark here. Merry Clayton never got the breaks some singers got, probably due to record company politics, lack of good material, or whatever. But Ray Charles thought she was good enough to replace Margie Hendrix in his Raeletts and Merry Recorded some fine tunes with Brother Ray.

[Hotspurman]

Her MCA album Emotion with When The World Turns Blue is well worth getting hold off - I waited an age to get this on CD and finally found it last year.

[copley]

Nothing run of the mill about this one.

[luke]

U got that right!

[soulster]

I think Rob and Soulster might be off the mark here. Merry Clayton never got the breaks some singers got, probably due to record company politics, lack of good material, or whatever. But Ray Charles thought she was good enough to replace Margie Hendrix in his Raeletts and Merry Recorded some fine tunes with Brother Ray.

Well, I had to go by on what I heard. The question is why she isn't a star, and, based on my exposure, I gave my opinion.

[soulster]

Nothing run of the mill about this one.

I repeat my assertion that she dis generic, boring music. And, I could hardly listen to the bad low-bit rate clip.

She over-sang that song. Too much pyrotechnics.

[copley]

Each to their own but I like how she sounds.

[marv2]

Merry is a pretty good actress too. Remember her from the 1987 film, "Maid to Order" with Ally Sheedy?

[marv2]

I've always liked how Merry Clayton sang. She has a great voice.

[brother_love]

[robb_k]

Merry Clayton was a VERY, VERY good singer. She just didn't have great producers and songwriters. Had she been at Motown, Atlantic, Chess, Okeh, or Brunswick or Ashford & Simpson, Goffin-King, Phil Spector or Van McCoy, instead of with generic producers and material with Capitol Records, she'd have been a star.

[GeeTee(HPK)]

The lady singing in the Stones clip is not Merry Clayton,that's Lisa Fischer.

[luke]

Correct. The clip here is her solo.

[marv2]

Nothing run of the mill about this one.

She tore that song up! "Baretta" was one of my favorite shows back then and Merry should have done the theme from listening to this instead of Sammy Davis Jr.

[soulster]

Merry Clayton was a VERY, VERY good singer. She just didn't have great producers and songwriters. Had she been at Motown, Atlantic, Chess, Okeh, or Brunswick or Ashford & Simpson, Goffin-King, Phil Spector or Van McCoy, instead of with generic producers and material with Capitol Records, she'd have been a star.

Well, some of those companies and songwriting teams, like Okeh and Carole King-Gerry Goffin had ceased to exist by the time she did her thing with the Rolling Stones.

I didn't like her voice because it's undisciplined, but it is true that a good producer could have tamed it. Capitol Records was a label that didn't know how to handle R&B until they hired Larkin Arnold in 1976. The problem with Arnold is that he didn't believe in crossing R&B music over to pop radio, which hurt the R&B roster until he went to CBS in 1983 and did the same there. I think Clayton, her label[[s), or her handlers, could have built on her popularity with the rock audiences because of her association with the Rolling Stones.

[luke]

She sure did Marv; there is something unique about her style.

[brother_love]

By the time she was fourteen Merry had already recorded a duet with Bobby Darin and had signed with Capitol Records. Over the years Merry has shared her vocal talents with the likes of Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Neil Young, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Art Grafunkel, Tori Amos, Quincy Jones, Leon Russell, Roy Ayers, Harvey Mason, Tom Scott, the Blackbyrds and Bobby Womack just to name a few. In the 1971 film “Celebration – The Big Sur Folk Festival” she appeared in the movie alongside the Beach Boys, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Linda Ronstadt and Country Joe McDonald. She also appeared in the films ‘Blame It On The Night’ and 'Maid To Order' and televisions 'Cagney and Lacey'. On stage she appeared in the rock opera ‘Tommy’ as the original Acid Queen along side rock legends the Who and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Merry continues to share her vocal talents with the world. As a matter fact she will being doing a show tonight that is being filmed as a part of an up coming documentary about great vocalists in the biz. Not shabby I’d say for a generic R&B singer.

[skooldem1]

Why is she not a star?

Did she want to be a star?

[marv2]

Well here is the real deal; Merry Clayton might have been a success 20 or 30 years ago; but she's too old for the young market now. And she was pretty generic and not terribly distinctive.

Where is it written that music must be geared only towards the "young market" in order to be popular and successful? Here in the United States there are more people over the age of 40 than there are people under the age of 40!

I think it is stupid to believe that music is only for teenagers or people in their 20's.........

[soulster]

Where is it written that music must be geared only towards the "young market" in order to be popular and successful? Here in the United States there are more people over the age of 40 than there are people under the age of 40!

I think it is stupid to believe that music is only for teenagers or people in their 20's.........

Where is it written that music is specifically written for any particular market?

[marv2]

Where is it written that music is specifically written for any particular market?

Exactly! This mindset that if you are over say 25 years old and you want to make music and sell it to the mass market, you are too old is crazy.

[soulster]

Exactly! This mindset that if you are over say 25 years old and you want to make music and sell it to the mass market, you are too old is crazy.

Or, that no one over 30 will like contemporary pop music because it is allegedly supposed to be for teenagers. Think about it: when you listen to Katy Perry "Teenage Dream", it should be obvious that it is from an adult perspective.

[marv2]

Or, that no one over 30 will like contemporary pop music because it is allegedly supposed to be for teenagers. Think about it: when you listen to Katy Perry "Teenage Dream", it should be obvious that it is from an adult perspective.

Now here's the killer! IF it is all about money, then what demographic groups have the most income? This old way of thinkging in the music industry is what has killed it! Their attempts to "create" musical stars that kids will go crazy over instead of promoting real talent is what them into trouble along with the downloading.

I am starting to miss Lou Rawls now, hehehehehe!

[luke]

Tina Turner was the number one concert draw in the WORLD when she was 68.

[soulster]

Now here's the killer! IF it is all about money, then what demographic groups have the most income? This old way of thinkging in the music industry is what has killed it! Their attempts to "create" musical stars that kids will go crazy over instead of promoting real talent is what them into trouble along with the downloading.

I am starting to miss Lou Rawls now, hehehehehe!

There must be an awful lot of silent people buying contemporary pop. I am not silent, though. I buy it.

[brother_love]

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoasts...nt_1-31-12.php

Review of Merry at the Mint in L.A.