By Handsome (170.118.157.133) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 01:23 pm:

Who are you favorite female Motown singers?

Mine are Blinky-I wouldn't change the man he is, Ann Bogan-Everybody knows (but you)& I'm gonna hold on as long as I can, Martha Reeves-Take a look & Won't it be so wonderful, Tammi Terrell-What a good man he is, Brenda Holloway-When I'm gone, Just look what you have done,& You've made me so very happy, Jean Terrell-Up the ladder to the roof, This is the story, Here comes the Sunrise & and of course Gladys Knight-I'm gonna make you love me, Yes I'm ready, Theme from the Valley of the Dolls...I can listen to Gladys sing the ABC's & Nursery Rhymes, I don't care!

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 01:25 pm:

Without a doubt, MARY WELLS!!!!!!!!!!

By John Lester (217.40.199.88) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 01:53 pm:

I think we are all gonna be hard pressed to choose a favourite because there were so many. However, for me, it has to be

Cal Street of the Velvelettes

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.246) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 02:24 pm:

No one was on the Motown labels in the 60's who could not sing and for the most part have a very distinctive voice. I love them all but Mary Wells & Martha Reeves will always be the greatest.

By Vickie (198.81.26.231) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 03:22 pm:

I am quite partial to Tammi Terrell..
She touches your soul with that voice!


Vickie

By Rhythm and Blues Showcase (151.204.38.119) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 03:26 pm:

Gladys Knight and Diana Ross performing the songs "For Once In My Life" and "Reach Out and Touch" respectively.

By Common (209.2.55.171) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 03:39 pm:

Hello everyone,

This is a tough call. I pretty much like all the Motown ladies because the diverse vocal stylings. If there was a song(s) that I stands out for me from each singer it would be:

Tammi Terrell- That's What Boys Are Made For & All I Do

Mary Wells-Two Lovers & What Two Can Easily Do

Kim Weston- Helpless & A Thrill A Moment

Martha Reeves- Honey Chile, Something & Benjamin

Brenda Holloway- When I'm Gone & You've Made Me So Very Happy (definitely agree with Handsome on this one)

Gladys Knight- Do You Love Me Just Little Bit Honey & Since I've Lost You (always love me some Gladys!)

Diana Ross- I'm Gettin Ready For Love & Dark Side Of the World (I like Diana's version better than Marvin's)

Peace!

By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 03:44 pm:

Gotta be Tammi for me, but lately she's got some serious competition ;o)

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 03:51 pm:

Well, I do LOVE them all--Diana, Martha, Gladys
Knight & Horton, Wanda, Tammi, Kim, Brenda, &
Blinky too. Also, Carolyn Crawford, who told
me Mary Wells was her idol and that she was on
a talent show and performed "Operator", writing
another verse herself to the song, and then
sang an original. Berry was a judge at the
talent show. But MARY WELLS was my very
favorite.

By fayette (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 03:56 pm:

i remember blinky williams,when she opened
for the temptations in atlanta in the 70's
she would always stop in the middle of
her show and say(i'd like to give da drummer
some) . she would open for jackie wilson too.
remember she being tiny. but i think gladys
knight was the most soulful motown singer.
diana to me seem more like a entertainer
as oppose to a soulful singer, she can work
a crowd.mary wells to a fantastic singer.
tammi terrell was just a complete asset
to marvin. she had a unique sound.

By Michael/cleoharvey (160.79.83.208) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 04:19 pm:

Martha Reeves�Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things/Tear It On Down/Heatwave/Bejamin/I've Given You the Best Years of My life

Thelma Houston�Don't Leave Me This Way

Gladys Knight�Make Me the Woman You Come Home To/Friendship Train/The Way We Were

Jean Terrell/Supremes�When Can Brown Begin/Touch/ You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart (with the Four Tops, Jean literally gets happy on this tune)

By Handsome (170.118.157.133) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 04:55 pm:

Great Choices everyone.
Common: I do like Dark Side of the world by Diana Ross. I did forget Kim Weston, I love her too.

By motown_david (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 05:26 pm:

I can't hink of a single poor female singer on any of the Motown family of labels.
My first love at Motown was Mary Wells when I heard "Two Lovers". Next it was Martha, Rosalind and Annette with "Heat Wave", followed swiftly by Kim and "Love Me All The Way". How can I forget Brenda Holloway with "Every Little Bit Hurts" and The Velvelettes "Needle In A Haystack". And after Liverpool last week, Bertha is really something, despite Cal's wonderful voice!Crosstown knows what I mean.......
However, I'm with the Russi Brothers and it has to be Mary Wells for me.
David.

By Soul Sister (65.43.150.250) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 05:32 pm:

Gladys Knight was definately the most soulful!
Mary Wells, Kim Weston & Tammi Terrell.
The Velvelettes.

By Thommygirl_70 (152.163.252.68) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 11:28 pm:

I definitely have to go with Tammi Terrells solo stuff(at Motown and before Motown as well) Her voice could be light and pop sounding, sexy and sassy as well as strong and soulful. She was/is my absolute favorite! Listening to her premotown stuff as a teenager to her days at Motown she definitely grew as a singer. There is no doubt she was getting better and better! Standout tracks for me by her are: That's What Boys Are Made For, I Gotta Find A Way(to get you back), her version of This Old Heart of Mine, and Sinners Devotion.

By RD (63.188.33.153) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 12:04 am:

Handsome, funny but...Anne Bogan doesn't remember recording "Everybody Knows But Me" and says it's not her. I asked her point blank. I always thought it was her too (still do). She insists "I'm Gonna Hold On Long As I Can" is the only lead she did with the Marvelettes. If not her than it's a damn good double and it wouldn't be the first time something like this took place.

Anne's best vocal performances were with Tri Phi Records as lead vocalist of Challengers III: "Honey," "Stay With Me," "Everyday," etc. She also cut at least two albums on RCA Records with Melvin and Leslie Wilson (New Birth) as Love, Peace & Happiness.

By Nish (66.119.33.170) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 12:32 am:

This is absolutely hard, but my favorite motown ladies are...

One thing that makes Motown ladies so fun to listen to is their versatility. Mary Wells could go from blues mama in "Bye Bye Baby" to sweet teen idol in "My Guy," or Diana can go from nasally girl to Vegas vamp. It's a quality that all of them have to varying degrees. And also, they go from sweet soul ingenues (Diana, Mary W.) to deep soul women (Gladys, Blinky), hitting all stops in between. They are a fine assembly of great, soulful singers with glamour and talent for days.

Mary Wells - What Love Has Joined Together, My Heart Is Like A Clock, and Old Love. It's always been a farfetched fancy of mine to play her in a movie. One of my favorite motown girls.

Kim Weston - Just Loving You and Secret Love w/ Marvin Gaye - she had the power and she's a great sweet foil to Marvin's voice in their duets.

Jean Terrell - Up The Ladder To The Roof, Hello Stranger, Touch. Her voice is just magical. Light and earthy all at the same time.

Tammi Terrell - That's What Girls Are Made For, Lone Lonely Town, If This World Were Mine, You Got What It Takes. She's just a little ball of fire and dynamite. She was sassy and fun and free-spirited.

Brenda Holloway - Operator, You've Made Me So Very Happy, Who You Gonna Run To. I think Brenda pronounces her words flawlessly, and she should have been pushed more as the solo princess in the wake of Mary Wells' departure.

Carolyn Crawford - just an awesome voice all around. Definitely one of my personal faves.

Saundra of the Elgins - Darling Baby, It's Gonna Be Hard Times.
Claudette Robinson - her voice is to the Miracles' what Eddie Kendricks' voice is to the Tempts harmony... she adds the ethereal top. As a lead, I love her sassy reading of "Mr. Misery Let Me Be" and the duet she has w/ Smokey on "If I Were A Bell" and "If This World Were Mine." She has this very comforting light, whimsical voice.

Diana Ross - the entire Funny Girl LP, Sunny Boy, Does Your Mama Know About Me, Your Heart Belongs To Me, Reflections. She's the consummate showwoman of this group and she took the Motown glamour and charm to mythic proportions. Not only that, but this woman can sing. It's popular to claim she can't, and in comparison to the other chicas in the Motown stable, she's definitely not the best, but that says nothing about her talent, it only shows the great company she was in.

I love them all, Blinky, Gladys K., Barbara McNair, Barbara Randolph, Chris, Diana, Syreeta, Susaye, Martha, Flo, Wanda, Tata, Thelma... but the ones I mentioned are the ones who stick out right now.

By Marv (64.12.97.7) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 01:20 am:

Gladys Knight - If I Were Your Woman,Didn't You Know You Had To Cry Sometime
Jean Terrell- Stoned Love, I Guess I'll Miss The Man
Wanda Rogers- Don't Mess With Bill
Martha Reeves- My Baby Loves Me, Benjamin, Heat Wave
Mary Wilson- You Are The Heart Of Me,Touch, Don't Let The Teardrops Bother You
Brenda Holloway - Every Little Bit Hurts
Diana Ross- Getting Ready For Love, Do You Know Where You're Going To
Mary Wells- The Sweetest Boy, My Guy

By John Lester (217.40.237.249) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 03:12 am:

If you think that Diana excelled on Dark Side of The World - wait until you hear Cal Street singing it. She sung it to me alongside her original 1967 version in Liverpool last week!

By Handsome (170.118.157.133) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 11:56 am:

RD: That sounds very much like Ann Bogan to me...I know voices pretty well. If she claims it's not her, then who is it? I never heard Katherine sing (solo), though I thought she was a soprano and carried the top vocal in the Marvelettes.

By RD (63.188.32.191) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 12:05 pm:

Sounds like Ann to me to Handsome and I know her voice from way back. But she insists it isn't her and don't know anything about the recording. I know it's not one of the other known Marvelettes but it could be some unidentified singer that sounds like her. She looked at me as if I was crazy when I attributed the recording to her, denied singing it (but readily admits to "I'm Gonna Hold On"), and started talking about her recordings as a member of Love, Peace & Happiness. She doesn't seem to fond of her stint at Motown.

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.246) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 12:16 pm:

Hey, I thought it was Anne Bogan on that track also. I know it ain't Wanda and I'M 99% sure it ain't Kat...one of those Motown Mysteries I guess.Who is the producer/writer?Maybe they would have the answer...also if HW has access to session notes.I loved Anne(or Ann) Bogans' version of "I Don't Wanna Do Wrong" from the Love Peace & Happiness LP.

By Handsome (170.118.157.133) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 12:25 pm:

Tony: Is the Love, Peace & Happiness sessions availble on cd? I would love to hear that.

By RD (63.188.32.191) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 12:26 pm:

Tony, I was shocked when she told me this a few years ago. I wish I had a version of it on tape to play for her. She might have forgot. I think Henry Cosby produced the tune. Maybe Katherine might know but sometimes even group members are unaware of what goes on behind studio walls.

Ironically, Ann Bogan was one of the few living ex Motown artists that Ian Levine didn't re-record for his Motorcity project. Ann had never heard of the project until I told her about it and wondered why Katherine didn't try to contact her.

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.246) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 01:16 pm:

Handsome, I've never seen the LP&H LP on CD, I'm sure KevGo would know. I have the LP that I purchased new Because of Ann Bogan being a member.The first 2 cuts are done "Live" one of which is "I Don't Wanna Do Wrong" which Marvelette Katherine Anderson Schaffner wrote. Does Ann live in Detroit?I think Harvey Fuqua brought her over to Motown.

By Handsome (170.118.157.133) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 01:30 pm:

Tony, I do believe I read somewhere that Harvey was partly responsible for getting Ann over to Motown. I think she did some early recordings on one of his labels. Does she give Gladys Knight a run for her money on the song, I don't want to do wrong?

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 01:37 pm:

Katherine would not have contacted Ann about the
Ian Levine project because she did not (by choice)
participate in it. She did not like what he
proposed as far as $$$. She told me this in an
interview I did with her several years ago for
DISCoveries Magazine. I think it was Harvey who
recommended Ann to the Marvelettes when Gladys
left. As best as I can remember, that's what
Katherine told me.

By RD (63.188.33.41) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 02:22 pm:

Tony: Ann Bogan lives in Cleveland, Ohio. She has always lived in Cleveland, Ohio. She felt that Katherine should have told her about the Motorcity Project because they were friends. I repeat she knew nothing about the project nearly eight years after the fact until I informed her. She's not hard to find. At the time I spoke to her she was living in the same house she grew up in as a kid on the Eastside of Cleveland.

Handsome, I stated in a previous post that she recorded for Harvey and Gwen Fuqua with her group Challengers III on Tri-Phi Records prior to Motown. She became a Motown artist when Havey and Gwen sold their labels to Motown, as did Junior Walker, Shorty Long, the Spinners, etc.

Ann also sang in New Birth and was a member, in fact all the acts: New Birth, the Nitelighters and Love Peace & Happiness were considered one big hodgepodge. Ann introduced Harvey to Melvin & Leslie Wilson; they all knew each other from the gospel circuit. Harvey discovered Ann at a church on Quincy Avenue in Cleveland. Harvey also brought Clevelanders' the Five Quails to Harvey Records and a couple of Junior Walker's All Stars were also from Cleveland.

Ann quit because she had young kids and her mother refused to babysit for her when Harvey summoned her to a gig. Her late father, John Bogan worked in security for years at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. The family owned a bar on 116th Street that Ann worked in and sometimes performed as Little Ann.

By Handsome (170.118.157.133) on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 02:41 pm:

RD: Thanks for the info. I saw your previous post & was only responding to Tony R. about what I knew.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 11:08 pm:

Barbara Randolph--I Got A Feeling-she is sensational and could have gone far;;Jean Terrell--the greatest ever technically-at Motown in my opinion. Gladys Knight--the most powerful;Miss Brenda H--the best overall(stage presence,muscicality,voice-just really coming in to her own now-stole the show at Berrys testimonial last year)Saundra Edwards.

By MotownForever (64.12.97.7) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 05:31 am:

I'm with you guys - "Everyone Knows (But You)" sounds like Anne Bogan to me as well! Perhaps she forgot she recorded this tune? Also, Anne is superb on the Love, Peace & Happiness cuts. Anyone remember "Strip Me Naked" by LP&H - I've got that one on a 45 and her vocals on that song literally gives me chills!

As far as the Motown female singers, I love them all. One that I believe wasn't mentioned is Yvonne Fair - "Stay A Little Longer"; "Funky Music 'Sho 'Nuff Turns Me On"; and her duet with Chuck Jackson ("It Must Be Love, Baby" from Cellarful)were all killer tracks.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 07:31 am:

Dont stone me but Ive never heard Ms Bogan--can u give me an idea of who she sounds like?

By Randy (64.12.97.7) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 07:56 am:

Check out Ann Bogan's duet with Harvey Fuqua "Will I Do" and her recordings as the lead of Challengers III. Ann Bogan sounds like Ann Bogan, no one else. "Strip Me Naked" was essentially a duet featuring Ann and one of the Wilson brothers. I like the line "took off my clothes, open up my nose."

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 08:35 am:

Well Randy the odds arent good that I will stumble on these recordings. Im not saying singers sound exactly like others-just a way to get a sense of their voice-eg some people say Diana and Syreeta a bit similar.Susaye Green and Denice Williams...

By Soul Sister (65.43.150.250) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 11:25 am:

Best Songs:
Gladys Knight-I Don't Want To Do Wrong, If I Were Your Woman, & One Less Bell To Answer, later: Neither One Of Us.
Mary Wells-My Heart Is Like A Clock.
Kim Weston-Just Loving You (love that song & the way she does it!).
Tammi Terrell-If This World Were Mine.
Teena Marie-Fire & Desire, Dejevu, If I Were A Bell, Cassanova Brown, My Dear Mr. Gaye.
Velvelettes- have a rare beautiful slow love song, the name escapes me at the moment, my copy locked up in stash of storage boxes!

By Soul Sister (65.43.150.250) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 11:44 am:

I have to add:
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas-Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things, & Come And Get These Memories.
More Gladys (my gal!)- Here Iam Again, & Memories...The Way We Were.
Marvelettes-Don't Mess With Bill, & Please Mr. Postman.

By LaJolla (65.238.6.183) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 12:59 pm:

Mary Wells....Two Lovers, What Love Has Joined Together....You Lost the Sweetest Boy. Mary had a unique voice. I've read where critis didn't think she could sing....huh?

Jean Terrell....a voice like no other to me.

Carolyn Crawford.....very interesting voice.

Brenda Holloway.....great diction and a nice voice.

By Soul Sister (65.43.150.250) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 08:07 pm:

FORGOT:
Deniece Williams- It's Gonna Take A Miracle
(love the Toys version first).

By LaJolla (65.238.140.240) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 08:58 pm:

It's Gonna Take A Miracle....wasn't that the Royalettes? Didn't know The Toys sang that one?

By Soul Sister (65.43.150.250) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 10:01 pm:

LaJolla: You are correct,excuse my fast self, jumping from one thing tro the next!
S.S.

By Vickie (198.81.26.231) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 10:36 pm:

Ya'll looked like you had fun..

I hope David realizes what he has brought together..
last month we had a nice moment here in LA thanks to Soulful Detroit and now you all had this..

David, you are an Earth Angel!!
"Heaven Must Have Sent You From Above"

Vickie

By Vickie (198.81.26.231) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 10:37 pm:

oops wrong thread!

V