The Spice of Life (Marlena Shaw album)

Last updated
The Spice of Life
The Spice of Life (Marlena Shaw album).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1969
RecordedFebruary & July 1969
StudioTer Mar Studios, Chicago, Illinois
Genre Soul, jazz
Label Cadet (LPS-833)
Producer Richard Evans, Charles Stepney
Marlena Shaw chronology
Out of Different Bags
(1967)
The Spice of Life
(1969)
Marlena
(1972)

The Spice of Life is the second album by Marlena Shaw. It was her last studio album with Cadet Records and contains her famous version of the Ashford & Simpson song "California Soul" and first cover of "Go Away Little Boy."

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Woman of the Ghetto" (Bobby Miller, Marlena Shaw, Richard Evans) 6:02
  2. "Call it Stormy Monday" (T-Bone Walker) 3:01
  3. "Where Can I Go?" (Leo Fuld, Sigment Berland, Sonny Miller) 2:21
  4. "I'm Satisfied" (Morris Dollison) 2:48
  5. "I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)" (Billy Taylor, Dick Dallas) 3:12
  6. "Liberation Conversation" (Bobby Miller, Marlena Shaw) 2:03
  7. "California Soul" (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson) 2:59
  8. "Go Away Little Boy" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) 2:45
  9. "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) 3:00
  10. "Anyone Can Move a Mountain" (Johnny Marks) 3:03

(Note: times are taken from the original album sleeve.)

Bonus tracks on Chess Legendary Master Series (2CD set with Out of Different Bags, also with bonus tracks)

Technical Personnel

Additional AllMusic Credits [1]

  • Nick Ashford - Composer
  • Ken Druker - Executive Producer
  • Gerry Goffin - Composer
  • Bob Irwin - Reissue Mastering
  • Carole King - Composer
  • Hollis King - Reissue Art Director
  • Bryan Koniarz - Reissue Producer
  • Johnny Marks - Composer
  • Loonis McGlohon - Liner Notes
  • Bobby Miller - Composer
  • Bobby Lee Miller - Album Supervision
  • Jayme Pieruzzi - Reissue Mastering
  • Valerie Simpson - Composer
  • Charles Stephens - Arranger
  • T-Bone Walker - Composer

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Goffin</span> American lyricist (1939–2014)

Gerald Goffin was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Loco-Motion", and "Go Away Little Girl". It was later said of Goffin that his gift was "to find words that expressed what many young people were feeling but were unable to articulate."

<i>Dusty in Memphis</i> 1969 studio album by Dusty Springfield

Dusty in Memphis is the fifth studio album by English singer Dusty Springfield. Initial sessions were recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, while Springfield's final vocals and the album's orchestral parts were recorded at Atlantic Records' New York City studios. The album was released in March 1969 in the United States by Atlantic Records, and Philips Records distributed the record outside the U.S. Springfield worked on the album with a team of musicians and producers that included Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin, Tom Dowd, conductor Gene Orloff, backing vocalists the Sweet Inspirations, bassist Tommy Cogbill, and guitarist Reggie Young.

<i>Gonna Take a Miracle</i> 1971 studio album by Laura Nyro and Labelle

Gonna Take a Miracle is the fifth album by New York City-born singer, songwriter and pianist Laura Nyro, with assistance by vocal trio Labelle. It was released on Columbia Records in November 1971, one year after its predecessor Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. The album is Nyro's only all-covers album, and she interprets mainly 1950s and 1960s soul and R&B standards, using Labelle as a traditional back-up vocal group.

<i>Hour Glass</i> (Hour Glass album) 1967 studio album by Hour Glass

Hour Glass is the debut studio album by the group of the same name, issued in October 1967 on Liberty Records. The band featured Gregg Allman and his brother Duane Allman, who later formed The Allman Brothers Band.

David T. Walker is an American soul/R&B, and jazz guitarist. In addition to numerous session musician duties since the early 1970s, Walker has issued fifteen albums in his own name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlena Shaw</span> American jazz, blues and soul singer (1939–2024)

Marlina Burgess, professionally known by her stage name Marlena Shaw, was an American singer. Shaw began her singing career in the 1960s and continued to perform until her death. Her music has often been sampled in hip hop music, and used in television commercials.

<i>You Dont Have to Say You Love Me</i> (album) 1966 studio album by Dusty Springfield US albums 1964-1967

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me is the fourth album of singer Dusty Springfield to be released in the USA, issued on the Philips Records label in 1966. The album was more or less a retitled re-issue of Springfield's British album Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty, recorded and released in 1965, with the addition of the two hit singles "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and "Little By Little", both released in 1966. In fact, Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty had been released in the US a few months prior, but as the title track of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me became a huge hit single for Springfield, Philips USA decided to repackage and retitle the album after the single.

<i>All the Great Hits</i> (Diana Ross album) 1981 greatest hits album by Diana Ross

All The Great Hits is a compilation album by American singer Diana Ross, released in October 1981 by Motown Records. It was the second Motown compilation set to capitalize on the success of 1980's diana produced by Chic. Her duet "Endless Love" with Lionel Richie was from the film of the same name, Endless Love and, just like 1980's "It's My Turn", had already been released as a single and on a soundtrack album.

"California Soul" is a funk-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as the B-side of the Messengers' single "Window Shopping" in 1967 under the Motown group of labels.

<i>Speeding Time</i> 1983 studio album by Carole King

Speeding Time is an album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1983. King's 13th album in 14 years, Speeding Time was poorly reviewed and was her first album not to chart. Following the album's release, King did not record again for six years.

<i>Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King</i> 1980 studio album by Carole King

Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King is an album by the American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1980. It produced her last hit to date, "One Fine Day", which reached #12 on the charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Might as Well Rain Until September</span> 1962 single by Carole King

"It Might as Well Rain Until September" is a 1962 song originally written for Bobby Vee by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. King recorded the demo version of the song and it became a hit for her. However, Vee's management balked at releasing the song as a single, instead using it only as an album track. Bobby Vee recorded the song the same year for his 1963 Liberty album The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.

<i>Full Speed Ahead</i> (Táta Vega album) 1976 studio album by Táta Vega

Full Speed Ahead is the debut solo album by Táta Vega. It was released on Motown's Tamla label in 1976.

<i>Lesley Gore: Its My Party</i> 1994 box set by Lesley Gore

Lesley Gore: It's My Party is a five disc box set from Bear Family Records released June 21, 1994, that includes every Mercury Records release by Gore between 1963 and 1969. It also includes foreign language versions and never-released songs.

<i>Upside Down: The Collection</i> 2012 compilation album by Diana Ross

Upside Down: The Collection is a compilation album by Diana Ross, released by Spectrum Music/Universal in the United Kingdom in 2012. This album is a budget collection containing songs that were released from 1970 through 1981 on Motown Records. In the UK, 17 of the 20 songs contained in this compilation reached the Top 40. In the U.S., 12 of these songs made it onto the Billboard Top 40 singles charts, and 6 of those 12 reached number 1.

<i>Presenting Cissy Houston</i> 1970 studio album by Cissy Houston

Presenting Cissy Houston is the debut album by American soul singer/backing vocalist and former Sweet Inspirations lead singer Cissy Houston, originally released on Major Minor Records in 1970 in the United Kingdom. Her contract was sold to Janus Records the same year. They released the album in the United States as Cissy Houston in 1970. The 2012 CD re-release on Cherry Red Records incorporates bonus tracks from later recordings.

<i>The Definitive Monkees</i> 2001 greatest hits album by The Monkees

The Definitive Monkees is a limited edition Monkees compilation album released in 2001. It contains 29 of the Monkees' greatest hits. The album includes two tracks from the 1980s reunions. The album featured a bonus disc which featured 31 of The Monkees' rarity songs.

<i>Live at the Desert Inn</i> 1987 live album by Bobby Darin

Live at the Desert Inn is a live album by American singer Bobby Darin, released in 1987.

<i>California Nights</i> (Lesley Gore album)

California Nights is a 1967 album by Lesley Gore, the last of her seven albums released on the Mercury Records label. The title track on the album, California Nights, peaked at #16 and was Gore's last Top 20 hit. Bob Crewe produced seven of the tracks on the album, while Quincy Jones produced three. The album was reissued in 2015 as part of a compilation in both album and CD format by Ace Records, which included 15 bonus tracks from her Mercury catalogue.

<i>Whats Going On</i> Live Live album by Marvin Gaye (recorded 1972; released 2019)

What's Going On Live is a live album recorded in 1972 by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and released posthumously in 2019 by Motown. The album documents a live performance of his album What's Going On and has received mixed feedback from critics.

References

  1. "AllMusic credits". AllMusic. Retrieved September 5, 2016.