TRACK OF THE DAY
Forgive me again if I'm the last to know, but this is a little like the WTF moment I had with Donny Hathaway - suddenly discovering a 70s song of his that I'd never heard before. Honestly, I was quite sure I had everything that Marvin Gaye had touched in the 1970s ...
I was just listening to an old Gilles Peterson interview with Larry Mizell, who was talking about three tracks that he and his partners recorded with Marvin Gaye in 1972 for an album which was shelved after some 'political trouble' at Motown, after which Gaye went off to record "Trouble Man".
Marvin Gaye and the Mizell Brothers, shelved??
Apparently so ....
Anyway, a track called "Where Are We Going?" surfaced 30 years later on one of the Gaye compilations, and you can grab it here.
1972 is the same year that the Mizell sound broke through with Donald Byrd's jazz-funk album "Black Byrd", and you can hear a pop-soul version of that sound here, from the backing vocals by Freddie Perren, Fonce Mizell and Larry; through the classic Mizell middle-eight at 1:35; then onto the brief trumpet solo. Would love to hear the other two tracks ...
Album links in this post to 'Into the Rhythm' and 'Un Mondo in Mi Settima'
Marvin Gaye discography @ Blaxploitation Jive
More Tracks Of The Day
More funk n' soul
Oh Simon that Mizell/Gaye track is awesome. What a revelation...never heard it before. What a great combination the two talents make. Didn't the Mizells cut their teeth working with J5? But their own sound is really in place here. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSimon, all,
ReplyDeleteCheck this out
http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/video-archive/lectures/mizell_brothers__sky_high_brothers
What a terrific track! Thanks Simon!
ReplyDeleteSimon, it's gonna take forever to crawl through the last few months of blog posts if you've been putting up treasures like this! I'm surprised this didn't come up in the extensive Mizell feature Wax Poetics did a year or so ago.
ReplyDeleteA MASSIVE thanks for this sweet slice of sunshine 70s soul!
May I join your group of last ones not to have known this song, Simon? ;)
ReplyDeleteListening later, thanking now! :)
@Cheeba Nice to read a comment of yours, hope to see you back on your blog very soon!
thanks for this one Simon, it sounds so fresh !! I love it
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments guys :)
ReplyDeleteGood to see you Cheeba! Was getting a bit worried ..
this is great track.
ReplyDeletethank you Simon for high quality sound file
No problems Gianni ...
ReplyDeletehey ish, Fonce Mizell was part of 'the Corporation' who did "I Want you back", 'ABC' etc, Larry joined him around the time of this song, just as they were setting up their own prod. company to work with Byrd ...
hey Simon,
ReplyDeleteI think I recall hearing that GPWW show, in which he interviews Larry and insists on calling him MIZZLE (instead of MY-ZEL)...
I also recall being surprised by the J5 connection,.
But I totally don't recall any mention of Marvin.
So, great sleuthing... and thanks as always!
TN
Below is a link to the early 80's
ReplyDeleteMizell produced track Gigolo, buy Mary Wells. I believe the Bros. played all the instruments on the track. No where near as good as there 70's stuff, but still pretty damm good.
http://rapidshare.com/files/241777670/09_-_gigolo.mp3.html
Thanks for that Johny
ReplyDeleteHello Simon, heard this a few years ago and it really is wonderful. I suppose The Mizells+Marvin=Magic!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much.
I love this place!!! I Remember too the GP show featuring Larry Mizell but I had not listened to that Marvin's stuff... Thanks for diggin the crates
ReplyDeleteHello Simon, got to say thanx for this wonderful, long-sought-after gem. Hopefully, we can get the other tracks the Mizell Bros. recorded with Marvin.
ReplyDeleteAll the best.
I think this was originally released on the Let's Get It On deluxe 2cd set from years ago -- definitely worth checking for lots of "unknown Marvin" if you don't know it already: the bonus material is mostly unfinished/aborted collaborations that turned out at least a couple cool tracks. Herbie Hancock's on one, and I think Marvin did something with Hamilton Bohannon as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Nick -
ReplyDeleteYou got me running back to my CD shelf to do some checking :)
This particular version has only been on a "Very Best Of" double album. There's a slightly different mix on the later "Let's Get It On" deluxe edition, with some whistling at the start (!). I'm glad that I checked the deluxe edition again though, definitely some great stuff. I like the Willie Hutch productions there too.
Wow! This is just plain fantastic, Simon! How did I miss this one?! This made my day (or night or whatever)! Thank you!
ReplyDelete/Laf
You guys really go above and beyond the call of duty. Keep up the top-notch work. Thanks. Peace and Blessings
ReplyDeleteoh this is really nice.
ReplyDeletePolitical trouble at Motown you say?? Please elaborate. If anyone can find out the truth, I believe you can Simon.
ReplyDeleteHi Runaway Trane -
ReplyDeleteInfo comes from an interview that Larry Mizell did with Gilles Peterson on BBC Worldwide in 2006. He's talking about his time working at Motown, and says :
"We cut three tracks with Marvin Gaye. They came out actually really good, but there were some political things going on that the album actually got shelved, and Marvin went on to write and produce the soundtrack to the movie “Trouble Man”."
So no further elaboration on that ... would still love to hear the other two tracks!
Very, very cool! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteive got the other marvin/mizell vocal track "woman of the world", and it's a monster. respect and love.
ReplyDeletethanks, great song, the red bull mizell interview was great too
ReplyDeleteHello, aesome read. I just found your blog and I'm already a fan. =]
ReplyDeleteTheres a great version by funk inc
ReplyDelete