Author Topic: The Singles  (Read 184 times)

Silly Wasnt I

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The Singles
« on: December 08, 2019, 12:07:46 am »
Can it be true that the mighty Spinners released less than ten singles between 1964 and 1970, whilst at Motown? Here are the tracks together with the producers:-

SWEET THING – Mickey Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter
HOW CAN I – Harvey Fuqua

I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU – Mickey Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter
TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME - Harvey Fuqua

TRULY YOURS – Mickey Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter
WHERE IS THAT GIRL – Harvey Fuqua

FOR ALL WE KNOW – Ivy Jo Hunter
I CROSS MY HEART – Ivy Jo Hunter

I JUST CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL THE PAIN – Harvey Fuqua
BAB BAD WEATHER (TILL YOU COME HOME) – George Gordy

IN MY DIARY – Harvey Fuqua & Johnny Bristol
(SHE’S GONNA LOVE ME) AT SUNDOWN – Robert Gordy

MESSAGE FROM A BLACKMAN – Johnny Bristol

IT’S A SHAME – Stevie Wonder
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE SUCH SWEET MUSIC – Clay McMurray

WE’LL HAVE IT MADE – Stevie Wonder
MY WHOLE WORLD ENDED (THE MOMENT YOU LEFT ME) – Johnny Bristol

It does seem that the Spinners were unappreciated by the powers that be at the company. Could this be because they were absorbed from Harvey Fuqua's rival Detroit label?

As far as I am concerned, the group made a mis-step by recruiting G C Cameron to be lead singer, when they already had a superb artist in that role. Tracks with G C in the lead role don't sound like the Spinners and lose that distinctive and classy sound.

For me, the combination of the Spinners and Ivy Jo Hunter resulted in their best Motown work. The 45 For All We Know c/w I Cross My Heart is one of those rare records where both sides are amongst the best by any Motown artist. How neither side was a gigantic hit is beyond me.

What say you?

SWI

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Silly Wasnt I

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Re: The Singles
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2019, 12:13:24 am »
I forgot to mention Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music. This is a Spinners song I adore. When the guys departed Motown for a long and highly successful recording period with Thom Bell as producer for Atlantic Records, it was this song that Motown used to make a little money off the group's new-found fame. The remix, with Philly style drumming added, is a favourite of mine. For some reason, although the 45 released in the UK had a particularly loud rhythmic thump added, CD versions seem to be muted, which is a shame.

Does anyone know if the thumpy 45 version is on YouTube anywhere?

SWI

Roger

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Re: The Singles
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2019, 04:30:28 am »
I've never really liked "For All We Know" as a song, and even the version by The Spinners doesn't do much for me, however where I was living in the early '70s (Sheffield) it was one of those huge semi-underground sounds that just about everybody who was into Motown or Soul seemed to know and love, along (Motownwise) with such records as "Needle In A Haystack", "I Got A Feeling", "There's No Stopping Us Now", "He Was Really Saying Something" etc. etc. etc.

I think that the fact that the UK issue of "For All We Know" on TMG 627 had a reissued "I'll Always Love You" on the "B" side added to its popularity with the South Yorkshire Soul Folk.

I used to have both UK single versions of "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" (TMG 766 - original mix with "Truly Yours" on the "B" side and TMG 871 - "Tom Bell Style" mix with "Bad Bad Weather" on the "B" side) but unfortunately the latter walked years back … from memory this YT video is the remixed version on the 45 …



Roger 

Silly Wasnt I

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Re: The Singles
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2019, 10:58:16 am »
Thanks for that, Roger - it sounds about right but I would love it to be thumpier!

Forgot to mention that the wonderful I Cross My Heart was composed by Ivy Jo Hunter with Stevie Wonder, just like the Four Tops Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - another favourite of mine. ICMH was completed on 9th January 1967, just 9 months after LYISTE.



Does anyone know if Ivy Jo and Stevie wrote more together?

SWI

Roger

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Re: The Singles
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2019, 03:26:15 am »
Thanks for that, Roger - it sounds about right but I would love it to be thumpier!

Forgot to mention that the wonderful I Cross My Heart was composed by Ivy Jo Hunter with Stevie Wonder, just like the Four Tops Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - another favourite of mine. ICMH was completed on 9th January 1967, just 9 months after LYISTE.



Does anyone know if Ivy Jo and Stevie wrote more together?

SWI

I think that could be the only two IJH/SW tunes SWI …

This 2009 Japanese CD reissue of Stevie's "Signed, Sealed Delivered" LP has the track "Sugar" as being an Ivy-Jo/Stevie Wonder collaboration   ….. https://www.45worlds.com/cdalbum/cd/uicy93929 … however it seems to be a typo introduced by an over enthusiastic compiler as all other sources have the Hunter involved as being Don Hunter.

Roger

Silly Wasnt I

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Re: The Singles
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2020, 05:17:12 am »
Message From A Blackman was excluded from the Spinners' second album for some reason. It's an interesting Johnny Bristol production of a Norman Whitfield song.



It's not a song I particularly like by the Temptations but this version is marginally better, IMHO.

What say you?

SWI

Roger

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Re: The Singles
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2020, 07:35:24 am »
I've always liked The Spinners version of "Message From A Blackman" and I'm sure that I heard it get a spin on Radio One once around 1970/71 which is curious to say the least … maybe it was another version I heard?

A couple of years later I got the VIP 45, which has "I'm Gonna Love Her At Sundown" on the "B" side.  Still have it.  :)

Roger

humboldt

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Re: The Singles
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2020, 07:37:10 am »
As message songs go it's OK Eric, but I prefer the Temptations version.