Quote Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan View Post
It's confusing to know what was going on with Motown in terms of Mary's debut lp. The week it was released Motown purchased an entire billboard for the lp over Tower Records in LA. The billboard apparently ate up the entire promotion budget.

I was a dj during this time and we neither received the lp or single, I had to buy it. Same was true for Scherrie and Susaye. I would call Skip Miller or Marlene Reyes monthly in Motown's promotion dept to see what was new as I always gave special consideration to their music. In Sept 1979 I was talking with Marlene and she was pushing Switch, the Commodores and Smokey. When I asked about Mary's lp her response was "oh yea, she has a new album too."

What appears obvious to me was that all the legalities brought on by Mary and Pedro cost Motown a lot of money and made Mary nearly homeless. So Motown offered each lady a solo contract in order to drop all the lawsuits. Hal Davis had not had a hit record since Don't Leave Me This Way so he was just a house producer now. Mary's lp was rushed out and besides the mural there was no promotion. I remember one dj in Colorado played Red Hot and it was catching on when a promotion man from Motown called him and said not to play it that he was sending the new Commodores single. It is possible the Tower mural was meant to cirumvent a future lawsuit, Motown could use it as proof of promotion.

In an effort to economize, Motown presented Scherrie and Susaye as a duo. Most of the material on their lp had been recorded as solo tracks with the other lady dubbing her voice over the track.

Both lps were contract breakers, a way for Motown to get the ladies out of the company.
Wow !
This is most fascinating , it also strikes me as a bit strange.
Where were you DJing Bayou? Sounds like you were in the LA area as you witnessed the billboard on Sunset.
Was it radio or a club ??