Whew, Boogiedown! Very cool. Thanks for rescuing me.
Whew, Boogiedown! Very cool. Thanks for rescuing me.
To Boogie & 9A:
Boogie, thanks! I like #3 best, as that's what I'm most familiar with.
And,
9A Thank you, too! It sounds like that "rescue!" is okay with you as well? Ha!
Let me pass this along to my technical boss, Kenny. I think his technical concerns, however, run far deeper than the various link examples shown above. He's about to send his technical concerns to me which I'll forward to you, 9A. Then, when you reply to his concerns, I'll forward them to him. [[I'm sorry, but I feel like I'm getting caught between a technical tug of war about which I know nothing. I'm technically challenged. Period! Never been a secret! As can clearly be seen in my threads, presenting the music is where my heart is, and it's where my talents lie.
My wording on a prior post was not quite right. This Motorcity thread, "The Best Of Motorcity [[Vols. 1-20)" is actually our new gateway into the various MOTORCITY RECORDS threads. It's not a sub-forum or pretending to be, but we'll use this pinned post to add links to other threads or music of interest to Motorcity fans. And it's a nice welcome mat for newcomers.
In the meantime, I'm pleased that we have so much interest in the topic of MOTORCITY RECORDS! And I hope you're all pleased as well!
So please feel free to start posting below or adding threads related to this topic as the music moves you!
- Philles/Motown Gary & Kenny
Last edited by Philles/Motown Gary; 04-06-2023 at 01:04 AM.
Good news, Motorcity fans! "DIVAS 2" has arrived and will be available for your musical enjoyment soon! VERY soon!
Here is the link to the DIVAS 2 thread. Enjoy!
https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...es-Motown-Gary
Here is the link to an update on the Motorcity Individual Artist Jukebox - the great JJ Barnes "Very Best of the Motorcity Recordings."
After linking, scroll down and you'll find the JJ Barnes CD and links to its selections on YouTube.
https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...ist-CD-s/page2
Motorcity produced several tracks of female Motown singers with sassy, feisty, fun rap introductions in the tradition of Shirley Brown, Millie Jackson, Doris Duke et al. My absolute favourites: Hattie Littles’ Ten Percent, Saundra Edwards’ Out On The Street, Barbara McNair’s You’re Gonna Love My Baby, Vermettya Royster’s If I Were Your Woman. Any others?
Well, there is Hattie's 'One Too Many Reasons' [see my recent post on the Hattie Littles thread..]...
Saundra Edwards' 'Forget It'...
Linda Griner's 'Prime Time Lover' ...
...and also the complete 'a cappella' version of her 'Too Late For Tears'.....
Yeah, Tony! Those are fun and sassy! One of my favorites is Barbara Randolph's "Chasing The Hurt Away". "I told you a thousand times you couldn't treat me that way. And I've watched you leave and close that door behind you, but a thousand times you came back with that silly grin... you came back into my life. Sometimes you bring flowers, sometimes you bring candy...But that's not gonna make up for the pain you put me through... There's a new day coming. I'm changing all the locks on the doors, and I'm also canceling your subscription to Ebony mag! I'm taking your name off the mailbox. Don't say I didn't warn you!"
.https://youtu.be/0M3MZdral8U
Last edited by Philles/Motown Gary; 04-11-2023 at 01:19 PM.
The Cream Of The Crop: These 3 separate volumes of original 12 inch mixes are truly worth seeking out. So many outstanding tracks such as Pat Lewis’ Separation, Lynda Laurence’s Living With A Married Man, Billy Griffin’s Technicolour. But my two absolute favourites are Chuck Jackson’s magnificent All Over The World whose 12 inch version I wish was even longer it’s such a comfortable groove and G.C. Cameron’s uplifting anthem Good Times Up Ahead. The latter got me through a real rough patch in my life and G.C. is in amazing voice.
BritishTony,
Yes, I agree, those three 'Cream Of The Crop' volumes are indeed 'truly worth seeking out'.
I have often wondered why they were selected, and by whom, as 'Cream' above all the other recorded tracks, if sales were not particularly strong.
Was it just a personal choice....or for some other reason.....
How I agree about 'All Over The World'....and I still have yet to identify that strong female background voice who, IMO, totally sells that chorus.
And also wondered if that track, originally released on Nightmare label, was recorded using a different computer from the 'Fairlight', which I believe was used for the majority of the Motorcity releases. To my ears, it has a different, lighter feel....those soaring violin sounds come really close to the real thing...
And yes, G C. Cameron just takes 'Good Times Up Ahead' exuberantly by the scruff of its neck, and sounds as if he is singing it with a great big smile on his face....a very infectious performance....
Hi westgrandboulevard,
Turns out the female backing voices on All Over The World are Tracy Ackerman, Jill Saward, Jackie Raw. Wow, some of the heaviest hitters of UK’s session singers [[and they’ve had their own solo releases). Motorcity certainly went top-drawer on all their backing vocals. I can’t figure out which of the three is the voice that cuts through so strongly as you point out though.
BritishTony,
Yes indeed...and I have tried to positively identify which one it is of those three ladies from the UK, and who recorded background vocals for Motorcity ...but the 12" single does not yield any clues.
Are you sure they are all to be heard on 'All Over The World' - ?
Jackie Rawe was with Shakatak, then replaced by Jill Saward. Have listened to them all on solo work and, to date, Tracey Ackerman seemed most likely...but am still not fully convinced.
Whoever it is [if indeed it is just one voice] she is also clearly heard on 'You're So Fantastic' by C. P. Spencer... 'I Dig Everything About You' by Billy Eckstine...and others....
Hi again westgrandboulevard,
All 3 were specifically confirmed on that track yesterday by an impeccable source – Mr Levine himself [[via his FB a/c). So I don’t doubt it. But I agree one voice rises above the others magnificently. I’ll take your hunch on Tracy Ackerman – you have better ears than me on this.
Motorcity sure had the cream of background vocals: Billy Griffin, Edwin Starr, Pat Lewis, I think Sylvia Moy, Marv Johnson and several others unknown to me all cheerfully contributed – in the true Motown spirit! I say again: wow!
Well then, BritishTony, that's certainly good enough for me!
I do very little on FB, but now feel I should regularly check out Ian L's page.
And let's not forget that Carolyn Crawford seemed to do all her own background vocals...and also can be heard on Frances Nero's 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' - most prominently, the original version from 'Out On The Floor' album.
More mystery.....
'Come On And See Me' by Pat Lewis: - female background voices sound like Pat herself...but with what sounds like The Andantes on the right channel, together with a male voice heard on the chorus line 'come on and see me now'...and I have always wondered who that male voice is.....
Ronnie McNeir's 'Ten Times A Day'...who is the female vocalist there....
and also... who is the male background voice heard on the right channel of 'Take The First Step'...'take the first step, and you will find, I really want your body, all of the time'... as it sounds very similar to the male voice on 'Come On And See Me'....and so it goes on.
MOTORCITY HTCD 7748-2
V.A.- "The Best Of Motorcity [[Vol. 15)"
[[Compilation 1997)
BILLY ECKSTINE
6) "Ask The Lonely"
[[W. Stevenson - I.J. Hunter)
Producer: Ian Levine
https://youtu.be/gdoVgLytlJE
July 8th:
On his Birthday, remembering Billy Eckstine [William Clarence Eckstine; 1914-1993].....
MOTORCITY HTCD 7703
V.A. - "The Best Of Motorcity [[Vol. 3)"[[Compilation 1994)
EARL VAN DYKE
16) "'Detroit City"
[[Ian Levine - S. Wagner)
Producer: Ian Levine
https://youtu.be/i0VKcKIQSSo
July 8th:
On his Birthday, remembering Earl Van Dyke [1930-1992]......
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