Search - Kim Weston :: Best of

Motorcity magic!

Søren Jensen | Copenhagen, Denmark | 03/16/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kim Weston's claim to fame is mainly duetting with Marvin Gaye on "It Takes Two", from then on she passed into obscurity ... until she signed with British dance producer Ian Levine in the late 80s. This prompted Levine to gather other former Motown artists, eventually signing a 100+ force to his mega-ambitious Motorcity label whose 800+ song catalogue is now being re-released by Miami-based Hot Productions. And what a treat! This 18-song set offers several excellent cuts, including brilliant re-recordings of Kim's own classics from the 60s (Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Helpless", "It Should Have Been Me" & "After The Rain" penned by her husband Mickey Stevenson), and new original material which - as the remaining Motorcity material - mainly falls into a 60s- and a 70s category. Kim's first recording with Levine is an excellent Holland-Dozier-Holland pastiche "Signal Your Intention" which you could easily be forgiven for thinking was really an original Motown track. There's a good share of 70s-flavoured tracks, such as the soft-mooded "A Case Of Too Much Love Makin'", and the wonderful "My Heart's Not Made Of Stone" and "Just One Man For Me", both co-penned by original Motown composer Sylvia Moy. Levine and Hi-NRG diva Hazell Dean penned the irrestistably catchy "Doin' It For Myself", but arguably the very best tracks on this compilation are the Hi-NRG recordings "Riding On The Crest Of A Wave" and "Restless Feet", great vocals by Miss Weston, great hooklines and a pounding beat that just makes you wanna dance. Why wasn't "Restless Feet" a hit? One of the finest Motorcity compilations, and as with all the releases in the series, also the beautiful backing harmonies deserve a special credit!"