Search - Mary Wells :: 20th Century Sides

SILK & SATIN SOUL MASTERPIECE FROM MARY WELLS!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 02/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mary Wells hit big in the early 60's & became the first Superstar Motown Diva who was largely responsible for Motown's early success by quickly becoming a R&B legend who crossed over onto the pop charts with one hit after another! Mary Wells and Smokey Robinson were the building blocks of Motown and both had memorable hits that ushered in a new sound that took the music world by storm and assured the new record companies success!! After numerous memorable and classic hits, Mary Wells went to #1 with "My Guy" and this consistent sultry and soulful hitmaker was on top where she belonged and had a sound all her own and at this point it looked as if sky was the limit for this great singer! Next Mary Wells moved to 20th Century Fox Records and came out with an extraordinary album of sophisicated soul and pop classics that appeared to be banned from the airwaves because the first single "Ain't It The Truth" was a smooth and exotic classic with Mary at her peak and equal to and maybe a little better than on her classic Motown output! Many of us called radio stations and pleaded and requested with each new single release to play Mary but were told that her 20th Century Fox singles were not on the station playlist and it became clear that something was going on across the board to keep Mary Wells records away from the public and off the airwaves!!! With an apparent radio ban in place at this point in her career, Mary struggled for the rest of her life and never again received the acclaim or commerical success that her talent deserved even though artistic growth continued as anyone who cares can see in this wonderful collection that contains numerous potential hits that never happened and as a result both Mary Wells and the public were cheated. Look at the "out of stocks" on this great singers product and click to order fast while you can as this is the awesome collection that was kept from the public on this once in a lifetime great talent...listen to the wonderful single releases such as the rhythmic winner "Use Your Head", or the hopelessly romantic "Everlovin' Boy", the sultry "He's A Lover", or the haunting and hypnotic grandeur of the passionate soulful classic "Never Never Leave Me" and realize that Mary Wells deserved to have a great career after Motown as she recorded many incredibly great songs but for some strange and sad reason this was not to be. The timeless standard "Time After Time" is the closer of this extraordinary collection of wondrous vocal performances and anyone who loves great singers will totally be amazed with this moving sublime version...I always throught of Mary Wells as a stylist on the level of a Peggy Lee and she deserved so much more acclaim than she ever received and as a lifelong fan of this largely overlooked after 1964 and grossly underappreciated singer I am sorry that the system and music industry let Mary Wells down but am grateful that she left behind so much pleasure for us connoisseurs to enjoy such as this great and totally satisfying collection...Thank You Mary Wells, we love you and rest in peace."

A Career Peak

Donald F. King | Cleveland Hgts., OH USA | 12/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mary Wells is one of the finest singers of the Rock and Roll era, period. Her Motown work starts off rather raw (Motown hadn't developed its "sound" during most of her tenure there), but when Smokey Robinson took charge of her recordings, especially at the time of her "Mary Wells Sings My Guy" album, they were among the sweetest moments to ever come from the company!



It is a well-documented rock and roll tragedy that Mary's career took a downward turn upon her departure. What makes it even sadder is that she then went on to record some of the loveliest music of her career. Her first Twentieth Century Fox album is wonderful, and completely represented here. "Use Your Head", "Never, Never Leave Me", "Everloving Boy" and others are the mellowest, most beautiful items in her repertoire. I've read them described as a cross between Motown and New York uptown soul. My only nit to pick with this superb album is that her "Mary Wells Sings Love Songs to the Beatles" is completely overlooked. Find a mint copy on vinyl and enjoy it!



This is followed up by the next great album of her career, her "Two Sides of Mary Wells" and other Atco releases. It, too, is not to be missed, even if it is missing "Where Am I Going?", "Sunrise, Sunset", and other, beautiful, big ballad-y type things."