Marva Whitney

[Soul Salad]

Just a quick thing, but firstly i vote the name "Marva Whitney" to be the coolest name out there for a soul Diva.

I used to be a JB fanatic along with all his funky people and had not all (nearly impossible) but a huge amount of JB produced vinyl at one point. Anyway just wanted to know any thoughts whatsoever on "ball of Fire" by Mrs Whitney - I've always loved this record and brought the 7" a couple of decades back but only for the other side, don't think i ever listened to this until a few months back. Reading between the lines it appears to be a relatively known record amongst the soul fraternity? but was this ever played out/on a radio DJ set?, or never simply because it's a common and dirt-cheap? how do people rate it as a NS tune? 

Any stories/thoughts of this just for interest or are my ears broken? and it's actually a crap song and I'm the only one that rates it on this forum? - Negative comments will NOT offend me!

D

PS Not JB produced and not on her fantastic (still) LP IMO

 

[Alan T]

It's a brilliant double sider by a great artist. Ball Of Fire has been played quite a bit over the years, not sure how popular it is these days. Also done by Connie Austin before her on the same label.

[Pomonkey]

Even though Marva's last show ever was for us in NYC (she was amazing) still bow to Connie's version of Ball of Fire, her audible breathing even as she accentuates is beyond special.   That said, think Marva's best recording is an unissued acetate that lucky enough to own, one side uses an uptempo Forte backing track, both are off the hook, if ever get round to doing issues it's on the list.  

[Clee93]

Saving My Love For My Baby is one by her that I love and play out every now and again.
 

Penned by JJ Barnes so has a fair bit of Detroit about it, has the mouth organ solo to end all harmonica solos & is really cheap at around 20ish pounds. 
 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Clee93

[Keamus]

Loved Marva’s interpretation of this classic for many a year

 

[nicoocho]

Oh yeah, great take on it, one of my faves from her.

[nicoocho]

30 minutes ago, Pomonkey said:

Even though Marva's last show ever was for us in NYC (she was amazing) still bow to Connie's version of Ball of Fire, her audible breathing even as she accentuates is beyond special.   That said, think Marva's best recording is an unissued acetate that lucky enough to own, one side uses an uptempo Forte backing track, both are off the hook, if ever get round to doing issues it's on the list.  

The words unissued +acetate + uptempo in the same sentence on a post about Marva Whitney would definitly ignite my curiosity to climax ...

[Sutty]

This… 

and this…

 

[Soul Salad]

3 hours ago, Pomonkey said:

Even though Marva's last show ever was for us in NYC (she was amazing) still bow to Connie's version of Ball of Fire, her audible breathing even as she accentuates is beyond special.   That said, think Marva's best recording is an unissued acetate that lucky enough to own, one side uses an uptempo Forte backing track, both are off the hook, if ever get round to doing issues it's on the list.  

Go on please post? - would love to hear it!

[Soul Salad]

4 hours ago, Alan T said:

It's a brilliant double sider by a great artist. Ball Of Fire has been played quite a bit over the years, not sure how popular it is these days. Also done by Connie Austin before her on the same label.

Thanks Alan

Thought it must have been. Yes Connies version i do like, but for me its Marvas over that, no reason other than its the first one i heard

[Pomonkey]

https://www.facebook.com/100004575060757/videos/817307098431785

https://www.facebook.com/100004575060757/videos/pcb.1517654951730326/1517654415063713

 

 

[Woodbutcher]

14 minutes ago, Pomonkey said:

https://www.facebook.com/100004575060757/videos/817307098431785

https://www.facebook.com/100004575060757/videos/pcb.1517654951730326/1517654415063713

 

 

[Mike]

5 hours ago, Pomonkey said:

 

 

 

My recommendation be to use 'open to all' services such as youtube for sharing videos on here

Best if ya do avoid posting 'closed' shops such as facebook etc etc,  as in services that require logins or approval to view the content as can be frustrating for members 

cheers

mike

 

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[Mal C]

I love 'Don't Let Our Love Fade Away' on Excello, and her 'This is my Quest' on T-Neck is especially good deepie, written and produced by Floyd Smith, and Lennie Satin no less.

 

[Chalky]

Think most of us who have Dj’ed have dabbled with her releases.

Tommy and The Derbies, the Kansas group led by Tommy Gadson and not the Tommy Tate Derbys, with Marva

Edited November 22, 2023 by Chalky

[Pigeon Thing]

..the Marva W Taylor - Nothing I'd Rather Be Than Your Weakness on forte is also canny...they got some milage out of the backing track at forte...(albeit diff recordings)...

[Soul Salad]

5 hours ago, Mal C said:

I love 'Don't Let Our Love Fade Away' on Excello, and her 'This is my Quest' on T-Neck is especially good deepie, written and produced by Floyd Smith, and written by Lennie Satin and Floyd Smith no less.

 

Thanks Mal,

Fantastic!! - Never came across either of these! - Thats what you get if you "presume" these artists only recorded for one label like i did.

[Pomonkey]

Reposting as saw people cannot open the links to my FB page, here's one side of the unissued Marva acetate, the backing track is an earlier and far better version of a later song she did but this is the real deal 

[Pomonkey]

And here's the uptempo flip, you'll recognize the backing as used on a couple of other Forte releases but she takes it by the scruff of the neck and by a minute in is just letting loose.  The photos are from her very last ever show, the 2nd time we were lucky enough to put her on stage - Dig Deeper on New Year's Eve 2010, and yes that's Billy Prince of the Precisions dueting with her, beyond great.  

[Soul Salad]

WOW What a cracking tune

11 minutes ago, Pomonkey said:

Reposting as saw people cannot open the links to my FB page, here's one side of the unissued Marva acetate, the backing track is an earlier and far better version of a later song she did but this is the real deal 

WOW What a cracking tune, is it Marva though sort of sounds like her and other bits don't?  -doesnt  matter anyway to me, it's fantastic!

[Pomonkey]

18 minutes ago, Soul Salad said:

WOW What a cracking tune

WOW What a cracking tune, is it Marva though sort of sounds like her and other bits don't?  -doesnt  matter anyway to me, it's fantastic!

Oh yes it's 1000% her, play the uptempo flip just added too, unmistakeable

 

[Soul Salad]

2 minutes ago, Pomonkey said:

Oh yes it's 1000% her, play the uptempo flip just added too, unmistakeable

 

Sounds a bit Vicki Anderson too - sort of both ?, in no way am i disputing it, it's truly a great record and big Thank you for posting that

[Pigeon Thing]

...That was easier than I though it was going to be...

[Mal C]

5 hours ago, Pigeon Thing said:

...That was easier than I though it was going to be...

This sounds very close to 'Shirley Brown - Even If The Signs Are Wrong' which was an unreleased Excello track that Kent put on their brill CD 'Uptown Down South', I wonder if they swapped it about a bit,  the melody and tempo are very very simular.

 

[Mal C]

I think the link here maybe a guy called Ellis Taylor, he owned Forte, wrote, and Produced Martha, and the Discogs link here states they were married, hense her name 'Taylor' on the Forte 45, I think his work might have influenced others at Excello, where he worked in the early 7ts, so no accident the 'sound' on Shirley Brown is very near.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1740838-Ellis-Taylor-2

They also sang together, him being the 'Gripey' husband,  think he may have been saying somethibg there?  laughing

[Pigeon Thing]

yup...Ellis wrote and produced the two Gene Williams versions of "don't let out love fade away" which pre date the two Marva versions...The Shirley Brown track is great though, never heard it before...and its also in a fairly recent Kent split 7"...happy days...

[Soul Salad]

This turned into a great little post, thought i was a JB Guru - NOPE just slightly off track, but just had to add that THE very record that kick started my love for soul/JB then onto all the other "umbrellas" was Message by Myra or Vicki (whatever her real name was). That single record for me was one of life's turning points. Anyway that doesn't really have anything to do with this Marva Whitney discussion.

[John Benson]

Speaking of getting mileage out of a song, she recorded "Your love was good for me" quite a few times, from the Federal release through about 3 King  releases - this is one of them: King 6202

 

[Pigeon Thing]

10 hours ago, John Benson said:

Speaking of getting mileage out of a song, she recorded "Your love was good for me" quite a few times, from the Federal release through about 3 King  releases - this is one of them: King 6202

 

...lovely...