Dear Lover

Just as MCA Records tried but failed to capture the magic of Martha Reeves in her much-anticipated post-Motown effort, Atlantic dropped the ball with Mary Wells. In fact, they seemed to have learned nothing from her commercially disappointing 20th Century Fox album. It should've been obvious after "My Guy" she needed material that was really catchy and melodic along with great arrangements. Alas, what she got here was mostly a collection of weak, melodically meandering songs backed with Motown-lite arrangements. There was no lack of trying: the deep, slinky, Motown sax is all over the place, and a pianist tries gamely to duplicate the jazzy and cool sound of The Funk Brothers' piano man. It is really the drums, bass, and percussion that makes so many of these tracks sound pedestrian and overly familiar. Mary's voice sounds great, but the sensuality of her Motown hits is missing. There was a delicious Latin vibe to "You Beat Me to the Punch" and "Two Lovers" missing here (she had and still has a huge Latino following), and none of the originals on this album hold a candle to the sexy, finger-poppin' "My Guy". Instead of moving forward to a somewhat more pop sound, they reverted back to sweet, old-fashioned soul with simplistic lyrics echoing sentiments we've all heard many times before. It is curious that a woman whose greatest hits were either celebratory about love or defiant about its disappointments so readily took to material I would classify as "man problem music" that was all too typical of female singers in her era. Where Mary does shine the most on this collection is actually on one of the re-makes, "Love Makes the World Go 'Round". However, she should've skipped doing the oft-recorded "In the Midnight Hour" and bland re-makes of "My World is Empty without You", "Satisfaction",etc. "Dear Lover" is catchy and likable, and was probably just about her greatest hit post-Motown, but it too was old-time, sweet R&B in sound. The songwriter and producers on her Atco tracks were just playing too safe and too old school for a distinct voice and personality like Mary Wells. To hear her at her sexy, sensual best, you need only listen to her best cut on 20th Century Fox Records, "Ain't It the Truth" (which came closest to re-capturing the Motown magic) or, of course, the delicious vocal she delivered on "My Guy". I just had to have this album, as I am a major fan of Mary Wells and even read a book about her life. She was a Taurus and never gave up, but it appears she allowed the men in her life to steer her in the wrong direction too many times. A drug habit didn't help, nor did her tumultuous love life. She was all too human, but to say she remains beloved of her legions of fans is an understatement. One wonders how her career and life could've soared had she had more Smokey and less smoke in her musical journey and life.(She died much too young of throat cancer. So glad I saw her perform live at least once. Had she lived she probably would've been as strong a voice as any about the health risks of smoking.) If you are a real Mary Wells fan by all means buy this: this is the voice we love, even if the material isn't as strong as her Motown-era hits. I just wish she had found better material to sing after she left Motown and left the "my man did me wrong" songs up to the many blues and gospel-inspired singers like Etta James, Candi Staton, etc. The sound quality on this c.d. is fine btw, so this collection is not without its sublime pleasures.

I never get tired of listening to Mary! Mary Atlantic recordings, I've only discovered last year! I've long had her 20th Century CD. I wish that was in stereo, (just like her Atlantic singles on this compilation). Her producer Carl Davis, Sonny Sanders and Barrett Strong, did a complimentary job with Mary, sounding like she was still close sounding like Detroit, 1966! I know her title song, Dear Lover - is on You Tube in stereo, but not in this CD. The CD was used and has a small crack, which tells me to pay more to Amazon. Mary is of course, the first Queen of Motown - Always!

wanted the cd to add to my collection.

Good

I love Mary Wells and have been trying to get this single for a long time.

Thank you very much.

Mary Wells was an R&B legend by the time she recorded many of the songs that make up "Dear Lover: The Atco Sessions."She had been one of Motown Records first major stars, racking up a string of pop and R&B hits for the independent record label, based in Detroit and founded by Berry Gordy Jr. Working with the gifted songwriter/producer Smokey Robinson, Wells turned such tunes as "Two Lovers," "You Beat Me To the Punch," and "My Guy" into teen and soul classics. before she turned 21 years old.Gordy and his team of musical experts at Motown had primed and prepared Wells to become a major crossover performer, but then she decided to leave the label in 1964 for what she thought was a better, and more financially lucratve contract at 20th Century Fox Records. But success was minor and often elusive for Wells at 20th Century Fox, which in all honesty, did not know how to properly market and promote an R&B/soul singer back in 1964-65. After two albums and a handful of good, but not spectacular selling singles for 2oth, Wells departed the label and eventually landed at Atco/Atlantic Records.Eager to try and recapture some of the magic and success she had at Motown, Wells and Atlantic execs hired former Motown insiders like Sonny Sanders, Barrett Strong and Chicago-based producer Carl Davis to compose and supervise some of her initial recordings for her new label. The results were a return to a soft and sophisticated soul style that made Wells so popular. She wasn't a blues or sanctified shouter like Aretha or tina turner. In fact, Wells never really raised her voice to a shouting level. She didn't have to. She was a gifted vocalist and a master of understated subtlety. She could get the same results as many soul belters by simply employing more subtle phrasing and a sultrier tone.Wells' sessions with Sanders and Davis yielded a hit in "Dear Lover," a sultry pop tune with strains of the Motown Sound and "Uptown Soul" all over it. The song reached the R&B Top 10 in 1966. It's B-side, "Can't You See You're Losing Me," was a dance floor stomper that was penned by Barrett Strong, one of Well's former Motown label-mates. Over the years, this tune has become popular with England's Northern Soul crowd because of its pounding dance rhythms.Both "Dear Lover" and "Can't You See..." are featured on this excellent and rare disc on the Soul Classics label. The collection also gathers some of Wells' other recorded output for Atlantic. In fact, this disc features the entire first side of Wells' sole album for Atco Records "The Two Sides of Mary Wells," a pseudo-concept album that featured Wells covering pop/soul classics like "Good Lovin'" "My World Is Empty Without You," "Satisfaction," and "In the Midnight Hour" on one side, while the flip featured her interpreting show tunes and standards.(Note: The entire "Two Sides of Mary Wells" album has been reissued recently.) This set also includes two previously unreleased tracks "Love Letter," and "Hands Off My Baby." "Dear Lover: the Atco Sessions" is worthwhile because it highlights the talents of one of soul music's true pioneers and shows Wells working in a smooth soul style, which she would alter when she left Atlantic for Jubilee Records.

A great CD from the late Mary Wells. As you would probably expect, a little more soulful than her earlier Tamla recordings.

Great piece of Soul

Brilliant CD buy it!