By WaltBaby (152.163.252.68) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 03:25 pm:

Every once in a while a masterpiece slips through the cracks. It is my belief that the Thom Bell/Dionne Warwick sessions were just that. And since you were there Bobby Eli can you elaborate on these sessions?

By Eli (151.197.61.149) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 04:08 pm:

The Track of the Cat sessions were no different than any other Thom Bell session.
There is not much to elaborate on except that it it was done in a meticulous manner as usual.
For some reason Warner brothers did not promote the album properly if at all.
I remember that she was going through a breakup with her husband during that time.
Also, at this time Dionne spelled her name Warwicke, as per instructions from a numerologist but it backfired and when she went back to the original spelling her luck returned.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 04:50 pm:

According to David Nathan, who chronicled the album's history in the liner notes of the CD reissue, Warner Bros. didn't lift a finger in promoting "Track Of The Cat" because they felt that the album would sell just from the fact that Thom Bell produced Dionne's first #1 hit (recorded with the Spinners) "Then Came You."
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Greg C. (207.103.134.231) on Thursday, June 12, 2003 - 09:59 pm:

Track Of The Cat was stellar! The songs, the arrangements, and the vocals were top shelf.

It's not the first time an excellent project "stiffs" because the record comapany dropped the ball. The A&R people blew it!

By BOBBABBITT (205.188.209.109) on Friday, June 13, 2003 - 12:33 am:

WITHOUT A DOUBT....THE THOM BELL PRODUCED "TRACK OF THE CAT" IS A GREAT ALBUM AND WARNER BROTHERS SUCKED ON THE PROMOTION....
BEFORE THE "TRACK OF THE CAT" ALBUM ANOTHER DIONNE ALBUM WAS RECORDED AND PRODUCED BY JERRY RAGAVOY AT THE HIT FACTORY STUDIO IN NEW YORK...THIS ALBUM ALSO HAD THE "THEN CAME YOU" TRACK ON IT....GUESS WHAT?????????WARNERS NEVER EVEN PROMOTED THIS RECORD???????
ALSO RIGHT AFTER TRACK OF THE CAT, TONY CAMILLO, WHO ARRANGED AND PRODUCED "MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA" ALSO DID AN ALBUM WITH DIONNE AT VENTURE SOUND, HIS SOMERVILLE, NEW JERSEY STUDIO.... I WAS TOLD THAT WARNER BROTHERS NEVER EVEN WANTED TONY TO SEND THE FINISHED MASTERS TO THEM????????? THE MASTERS ARE PROBABLY STILL SITTING ON THE SHELVES??
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF PLAYING BASS ON ALL THREE OF THESE ALBUMS AND IT WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO ME THAT WARNER BROTHERS COULD LET THIS HAPPEN TO THESE GREAT ALBUMS????? BOB BABBITT

By girlbassplayer1961 (208.8.159.239) on Friday, June 13, 2003 - 02:12 am:

So what is to become of these sessions now? Will we ever see them hit the market or are they lost for ever???

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Friday, June 13, 2003 - 01:03 pm:

Folks:
The Dionne Warwick album TRACK OF THE CAT was reissued on CD last year by David Nathan & Paul Tarnopol. It is part of David's "Ambassador Soul Classics" series released through Spy Records/Spy Entertainment (a sister company of Brunswick Records). The CD was remastered from the original master tapes (courtesy of the kids at Warner Bros.) and contains liner notes from David in which he interviewed both Dionne & Thom Bell
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Michael/cleoharvey (160.79.83.208) on Friday, June 13, 2003 - 01:23 pm:

This is one of my favorite albums of that era and has the incredible song "This House and Me." I bought it again on CD last year. My only quibble with the album is that there could have been a more energetic vocal from Dionne on Once You Hit The Road, similar to the stunning vocal she did on Then Came You with the Spinners. After the bridge of the song when Dionne comes back in, the vocal seems strangely laid back and lets the song down a bit. However, the production, musicians, sound, is superb on the cut and the entire albm

By Caleb (171.75.84.82) on Friday, June 13, 2003 - 05:05 pm:

Ordered that CD and love it.The liner notes state that there were 2 other tunes recorded that were withheld from the album.Would love to hear them.

By givethedrummersome (152.163.252.68) on Friday, June 13, 2003 - 05:33 pm:

Hey Bobby,
The one thing that I like about this forum is that I figured out how to find previous subjects that was discussed earlier. The following is a message from me on 5/2/03. Looks like a few more are really liking it.

Bobby
All I can say is "Track of the cat", remember that one with Dionne Warwick? Side one was all Linda Creed and Thom Bell. I was one of the lucky ones to have a promotion copy of the album that you all did back in 1975. This album is pure music, you guys poored your hearts out making this sound, the Philly groove. Do you have any thing in your plans for music like this?

I pulled this album out for practice on my piano when I was looking for a good groove or feel and I knew that Carl Helm was one of the tenor singers in the background along with the sweethearts of Philly I did not know that Babbit was the bass player on this album.
This album is absolutley great music!!! There's gotta to be more.


Lonnie