Marvin Gaye And Oma Page Info

[Staceys Dad]

any info on OMA PAGE just picked up a copy of her singing WAS IT A DREAM with MARVIN GAYE...cant seem to find any info on her ....my god WHAT A SONG hadnt heard it till about 2 months ago.......thanks kev.. by the way its on you tube ......

Edited October 18, 2012 by staceys dad

[Garethx]

Real name Oma Heard. One 45 released on VIP in 1964, "Mr. Lonely Heart": fairly rare and pretty good.

Motownjunkies give it a full rundown here:

https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2012/04/03/471/

[Amsterdam Russ]

Just as a point of trivia, and in appreciation of how deeply the historical cultural and linguistic roots of other nations run through the land of the brave and the home of the free, it's worth pointing out that "Oma" means "grandmother/grandma" in Dutch. For grandfather/granddad" the word is "Opa".

Possibly she came from a region of the States that still had a strong Dutch heritage.

[Roburt]

Towards the end of Tammi Terrell's life, she wasn't well enough to get to the studio.

Sessions were set up for MG & TT tracks to be cut & so Oma stepped in (as did Val Simpson) to do 'leader vocals' in place of Tammi.

Obviously Tammi had some better days than others and it was always hoped that she would be able to get into the studio on a 'good day' and add her vocals to lots of those tracks.

Sadly, she didn't really get the chance & so lots of proposed MG & TT tracks existed just with 'female marker' vocals on them.

Some of these escaped at the time, credited as MG & TT efforts, many others only escaped years later without any credit going to the 'absent' TT.

Of course, Marvin also had his good (co-operative) & bad days; so some of those tracks may just have been laid down (with any suitable female singer who was in the studio) when Marvin was there and happy to be cutting stuff.

Edited October 18, 2012 by Roburt

[Philippe]

any info on OMA PAGE just picked up a copy of her singing WAS IT A DREAM with MARVIN GAYE...cant seem to find any info on her ....my god WHAT A SONG .

Yes Stacey it's a great song that I discovered on the fantastic box "The Collection"

I've found an old link from the SDF archives that may be interesting : https://soulfuldetroi...html?1096003983

Wow, 8 years ! It seems like yesterday !

Edited October 19, 2012 by Philippe

[Roburt]

So it seems that Oma was 'substituting' for Mary Wells around 1964 and not Tammi T later in the 60's.

Other 'ladies' did get to substitute for Tammi, though some (Valerie Simpson) now claim that they didn't (mainly in respect of Tammi's memory).

Seems Motown always wanted to team Marvin with a female on duets; getting him to sing on tracks with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, TT & Diana Ross.

When one of those singers wasn't 'available' (due to disputes with the company, illness, etc.) others stepped up at least to provide 'marker vocal' tracks.

[Robbk]

Oma Heard (Oma Drake) was from L.A., and had been originally a background singer for Hal Davis's and Marc Gordon's L.A. Jobete Music office for recording demos as guides for Motown's Detroit artists, and for recording Jobete Music song ownership acetates. She was erroneously "assumed" to be arranger Billy Page's wife (and, thus "given" the name Page. She was being confused with Billy's wife, who also had the unusual first name. Oma. She had a couple of singles released as a single artist on small L.A. labels, and was also in an L.A. Girls group (I forget the group's name), and was also a member of Dorothy (Berry), Oma and Zelpha on Chisa Records (distributed by Motown-but not really connected with Motown production).

Edited October 20, 2012 by RobbK

[Guest Motown Junkies]

Just to muddy the waters yet further, the "real" Oma Page (Billy's wife) did cut some demos for Motown - the original version of Carolyn Crawford's "When Somebody's Good To You" was hers (not the Oma Drake/Heard from the Sa-Shays, the Sweethearts, the Utmosts, the Postalettes and the Darlings, the one who was miscredited as "Oma Page" for those Marvin Gaye duets) - a fact which has been buried by overzealous correction of the original mistake. What a mess...!

Edited October 20, 2012 by Motown Junkies

[Wilxy]

Nice track, and great info to boot guys!

Respect wilxy

[Swifty]

Just as a point of trivia, and in appreciation of how deeply the historical cultural and linguistic roots of other nations run through the land of the brave and the home of the free, it's worth pointing out that "Oma" means "grandmother/grandma" in Dutch. For grandfather/granddad" the word is "Opa".

Possibly she came from a region of the States that still had a strong Dutch heritage.

and in Germany , I believe , well at least that's what I used to call my grandparents.

Swifty

[Chas]

Just watch this go now It's had the necessary exposure via this site,about time too.Marvin,never better when he duetted with the ladies.

[Davenpete]

Yes Stacey it's a great song that I discovered on the fantastic box "The Collection"

I've found an old link from the SDF archives that may be interesting : https://soulfuldetroi...html?1096003983

Wow, 8 years ! It seems like yesterday !

I'm sorry but we've had this box set for 20 years (I know coz we bought in Berkley on our first holiday when me and Pete first got together in 1992 - and we're hardly the only people to have it back then), and RS was raving about it on the phone to us well over 10 years ago - so I think the 'it's a great song that I discovered' is a major BS, you need to deflate your ego a bit there chap.

Dave

[Roburt]

I'm sure he wasn't trying to say that he DISCOVERED the track .....

... just that he FOUND the 'not known by many' track to be on this box CD set.

[Robbk]

and in Germany , I believe , well at least that's what I used to call my grandparents.

Swifty

Yes, at least in the northern and northwestern parts of Germany, where they speak Plattdeutsch, Angelsk, and Friesian. But, I find it funny that people would name their little infant baby girl "Grandma". Maybe a few young girls might get the nickname, "kleine Oma", or Little Grandma. But, I find it hard to believe that a parent would name a female infant, "Grandma". I'm Dutch, and I've never heard of a woman in her twenties using the first name of Oma (maybe a nickname for a young girl who acts like a grandmother-but not a "given, Christian name).

[Robbk]

Just to muddy the waters yet further, the "real" Oma Page (Billy's wife) did cut some demos for Motown - the original version of Carolyn Crawford's "When Somebody's Good To You" was hers (not the Oma Drake/Heard from the Sa-Shays, the Sweethearts, the Utmosts, the Postalettes and the Darlings, the one who was miscredited as "Oma Page" for those Marvin Gaye duets) - a fact which has been buried by overzealous correction of the original mistake. What a mess...!

Another Motown coincidence, almost, but not quite as unlikely, as two different Frank Wilsons writing songs and recording for Motown during nearly the same time. No wonder the record keepers were confused. Two Omas working for the same American company at the same time. Who'd believe it? I'm Dutch and American (and Canadian), and I've never heard of two women in their twenties having Oma for an official first name.

Edited October 21, 2012 by RobbK

[Agentsmith]

got this boxed set too, long since deleted and import only....whatever gets into these people that they think the brits wouldnt be interested in collecting this? if you're a marvin anorak, its an essential. correct me if im wrong, but as has been pointed out here, and before on numerous occasions...much of the duetting involved overlaying of vocals which, i presume, far outways what you would term live and in your face...so it would be reasonable to assume that marvin definitely preferred working with tammi ( as much as the fact he really liked her ) and probably to some extent, diana. in the case of this particular track it definitely sounds overlayed. in the essence of things though its still good to spotlight a talent that didnt get the credit she deserved, she was, afterall, another cog in the machine and if it was a case of trying to match up a mrs. right for marvin, at least she got her shot at it.

[Philippe]

I'm sure he wasn't trying to say that he DISCOVERED the track .....

... just that he FOUND the 'not known by many' track to be on this box CD set.

Thanks Roburt for clarifying this. I should have written I heard it for the fist time.

Sorry Dave but I'm not that fluent in English, I'm just a big Marvin fan and I bought the box as soon as it was released.

Also, I'm not on any forum to expose my ego, but only to learn and to share.

Edited October 21, 2012 by Philippe