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LP
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ACRSLP 1650LP
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"Mary Wells was undoubtedly the first true female soul superstar. Not only did she bring glitz, glamour and a glorious voice to Motown, she broke down the barrier between the pop and R&B worlds. Her unerring desire for freedom in the industry paved the way for the likes of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to pursue their dreams without restraint. She was a young lady of many firsts -- she was the first female solo artist on Motown to have a top 40 pop hit, a top 10 R&B entry, an R&B No.1 and be nominated for a grammy. Starting her budding career at the age of 17 with designs on being a songwriter for her idol Jackie Wilson, she approached Motown owner Berry Gordy Jr with her song 'Bye, Bye, Baby.' Hearing her voice, he signed the songstress on the spot and the rest, as they say, is history. She went on to have a successful, albeit short, relationship with Motown scoring hits with 'Bye, Bye, Baby,' 'I Don't Want To Take A Chance,' 'You Beat Me To The Punch,' 'The One Who Really Loves You,' and 'Two Lovers.' Working closely with Smokey Robinson, together they help define the sound the Motown label is known and loved for until she put her foot down over a royalties dispute and left. This collection features all her Motown singles alongside selected tracks from her two albums put out during these formative years."
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RUM 2011077LP
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Detroit, 1962 must have been quite the place -- just buzzing with electricity. Motown was taking off and that was thanks, in no small part, to Mary Wells. Her first singles and debut LP had found massive success but it was this, her second album that really put her on the map. With a handful of tracks written by Mr. Miracle himself, Smokey Robinson, including the smash-hit title-track (which reached #2 on R&B charts, and #8 on the Hot 100), The One Who Really Loves You is as emblematic of the Motown Sound as an album can get. Pure class.
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LP
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RUM 2011045LP
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"Released in August 1961, Mary Wells' debut album was the very first LP on the legendary Motown label. To hear Mary Wells' rich-throated belting of the lyrics on 'Bye Bye Baby' is a reminder of the even greater artistic career that might have been had Motown mogul Barry Gordy and producer Smokey Robinson not opted to soften and commercialize Wells sound. The raw power in Wells' voice is evident much more so than on her later and better-known hits. While the song is entirely secular and romantic in its R&B riffs, Wells' gospel choir training is amply evident. It's more reminiscent of the type of recordings for which Aretha Franklin would later become known than of the smooth pop sound prominent on most of Wells' other hits. Not only an incredibly underrated R&B album, filled with a quantity of killer dancefloor-fillers, but an important insight into an artist and her record company both taking their first steps toward what would be the eventual enduring legacy of each."
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