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
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
And this is Martha Reeves unissued version....same song, slightly different title.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BRTgV-qVFi4
The b side of the Naturals 45
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E8U55NY4d9k
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!!!
Last edited by TomatoTom123; 03-06-2022 at 09:41 PM.
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!!
Last edited by TomatoTom123; 03-06-2022 at 09:59 PM.
Here's another gem from the Nick Zesses/Dino Fekaris songbook;
Dino Fekaris wrote Gloria Gaynor's " I will survive"....amongst many other fine tracks
Edwin Starr track by Nick and Dino
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rVufsAJm8R8
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.
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.
Last edited by 144man; 03-09-2022 at 04:01 PM.
yes a nice tune....I like all 3 but especially Marbaya [[ music makers....unissued on Mowest apparently.
Art & Honey track - Lets make Love [[1970) - takes some beating - the wealth of talent Motown had still takes my breath away
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
The B side to Art & Honey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRgN-nZzAuY
MARTHA'S VERSION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnhCaFZkXlI
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 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).
Last edited by BigAl; 03-10-2022 at 11:00 PM.
fantastic choices - thanks
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".
"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
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.
Last edited by 144man; 03-12-2022 at 06:08 PM.
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.
And here's another Z&F killer:
sansradio,
were there any other Motown tracks in the movie "Sugar Hill" besides The Originals' "Supernatural Voodoo Woman"?
Last edited by 144man; 03-14-2022 at 08:58 AM.
A good compilation of Z & F tracks here...would make a nice CD.
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.
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
Last edited by 144man; 03-14-2022 at 01:13 PM.
I had "Conchita" on a Spanish TM 45.
I think I had " Streakin" too.
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"…
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}
All good tracks 144Man
I like the 2 David Ruffin tracks.
N& D are very underrated Motown writers.
Here are Nick and Dino as they appear on the Matrix album.
Have we mentioned all of Nick & Dino's Motown tracks on this thread now?
I can't think of any others.
Stoney "Let Me Come Down Easy" & "It's Always Me" [[with B Verdi)
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.
Bookmarks