SUPREMES ON CBS!

Artist: THE SUPREMES; Title: WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO; Label: CBS; Format: 7"; 
Cat. No.: 1475; Year: 1964; Country: GERMANY.

Carrying on the euro theme from the previous post - thought this would be a good to highlight as well. The Supremes on German CBS no less!

 The A Side gives you the classic HDH penned and produced "Where Did Our Love Go".  Whilst the flip side offers up "He Means The Wold To Me" which is a decent enough tune - thought not really in the same league as the A Side, and sounds like it would've been better handled by Florence Ballard rather than Ms Ross who'd effectively established herself as the group's lead singer by this point.

 
So what's the reason is that is on CBS as opposed to EMI's Stateside's imprint?  As far as I can tell the reason's probably the following:- Motown stuff in the UK (at least) had being issued by Oriel (up till 1963 before the license passed to EMI) and that CBS subsequent bought the label. And in the process giving themselves an outlet and pressing plant in the process - as opposed to being licensed via Philips/Fontana.  And that the Oriel/CBS licensing deal was still in existence in Europe and that Stateside wasn't at the time (1964) licensed for use in Europe.

SOUL TANGO

Artist: Bettye Lavette; Title: LET ME DOWN EASY; Label: MOJO; Format: 7"; 

Cat. No.: 2092-030; Year: 1972; Country: UK

Today I'm featuring this 1972 3 track single from Bettye Lavette issued on Polydor's Mojo imprint.  The A Side is the searing bit of Soul that is "Let Me Down Easy".  Originally released on Calla (102) in the US in 1965 and co-written by Dee Dee Ford, the best way to drescribe the tune - a Soul-Tango.  There's a slightly longer take of this which surfaced on the rather excellent Bettye Lavette/Carol Fran set that came out on EMI's Stateside label in 2005.  There's a later version that Bettye cut for Karen in 1969 - but the version here (as far as I'm aware and playing the 7" against an LP version AND the CD version assures me that the Mojo issued version IS the original!

 

The flip side gives you two tracks.  First up is "I Feel Good (All Over)" Again originally released on Calla (104) - and a cracking bit of a Northern Soul foot-stomper that doesn't disappoint in the least.  And well worth checking for few talcum spins! The proceedings are rounded off with "What I Don't Know (Won't Hurt Me)" - another good Hammond-driven dancer, originally from the flip side of Calla 102, that like the other two tracks are well worth checking out (if you're not already familiar with them that is !).

Thanks in part to the great discography on the Soulful Kinda Music website (a must for Soul fans!) and the official Bettye Lavette website for confirming what I've got down is as right as possible.  Otherwise I'm not doing my job on this blog!

SOUL ON FONTANA

Artist: BETTY EVERETT; Title: GETTING MIGHTY CROWDED; Label: FONTANA; Format: 7"; Cat. No.:TF 520; Year: 1965; Country: UK

Following on from the last post on Kiki Dee, I thought I'd focus on two tracks that were first issued here in the UK on Fontana.

First up is this Northern Soul classic from Betty Everett,  the Van McCoy penned "Getting Mighty Crowded".  Originally issued on Vee Jay in the States this is a wonderful track - and one of those on that still does it for me.  I first came across it via the Elvis Costello version which he'd put out as the B Side to 'High Fidelity' in 1980 - so having heard that and the original on the radio - the hunt was on to own a copy.  Firstly on one of those budget Soul/Blues double tape compilations of the early 80's (remember them?), and then finally getting hold of a copy at one of the first Northern Soul all-nighters (appropriately enough).  Togetherness at Stoke Town Hall if memory serves.)

The flip side gives you "Chained To A Memory" is the slower tempo of the two tracks - and rather wonderful too.  And as always well worth checking out.


Artist: THE MARVELETTES (feat. Marvin Gaye); Title: PLEASE MR. POSTMAN;   
Label: FONTANA; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: H.355; Year: 1961; Country: UK

 Next up is this 1961 offering from the Marvelettes - the classic "Please Mr Postman".  It's one of only a couple of Motown tracks that appeared on Fontana - the only other I can think of is The Miracles 'What So Good About Goodbye'.  Prior to that Motown's stuff had been issued on London, and after this it was Oriole, before passing to EMI; firstly on Stateside then finally the Tamla Motown imprint in 1965.  The song's downright brilliant - and again it's one I came to via a cover version, in this case The Beatles on their 'With The Beatles' LP.  The track generally only gets credited to Brian Holland  and Robert Bateman - but was originally penned by William Garrett alongside original Marvellette  Georgia Dobbins, and was then reworked by Brian Holland, Robert Bateman and Freddie Gorman Freddie Gorman.  Later Berry Gordy added his name to the writing credits. Confused?  The drummer on the track is none other than Marvin Gaye.

The flip side gives you "So Long Baby" is more in the doo-wop style and features lead vocals by   Wanda Young (who went on to be the long serving member of the group - lasting till they finally folded in 1970).  It's certainly more in the early Motown style that you hear on the early Miracles stuff from this period - i.e. rooted in R'n'B rather what than emerging Soul sound of the A Side.