Continuing the 'under the radar' 80s Hidden Gems theme, here's a well known Marvin Gaye penned song made famous by The Originals in 1969/70 but possibly not as well known is this version from Hamilton Bohannon from 'Music In The Air' album 1980 but also escaped on Mercury 45.
Elizabeth (Liz) Lands is credited as lead on 6 of the 8 tracks on the 'Music In The Air' album including this track. She also featured on the follow up album 'One Step Ahead' (on April My Love (Part 1)) in 1980 and was backing vocalist on much of 'Alive' in 1981 but most obvious on You're The One which is a nice jazzy swinger.
I can't just leave this post at that, so here's a little bit of information about Liz Lands.
Liz Lands' godmother was the extraordinary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson and, needless to say, her roots too were in gospel. She had an incredible 5 octave vocal range.
Her very first release was an album on Mercury in 1959 'Untamed'. She was then signed to Motown by Berry Gordy, originally for his gospel imprint Divinity on which she released just one 45, and was then switched to Gordy for her next 3 singles in 1963 and 1964. The first being We Shall Overcome on the flip side to Dr. Martin Luther King I Have A Dream speech (she was a member of SCLS (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)), followed by a tribute to the recently assassinated president JKF, the finally 'Midnight Johnny', which gets spins on UK's Northern Soul scene, had The Temptations on backing vocals.
She is also acclaimed for her backing vocals on Mary Wells' Oh Little Boy (What Did You Do To Me) which was on the B side to My Guy.
She then formed her own label T&L with husband Tommy Brown and released a further 5 singles in 1965.
In 1967 she had a one-off release on One-derful (One Man's Poison with the superb Don't Shut Me Out on the flip).
Ian Levine sought her out in 1990 and released a Hi-NRG track called Starting All Over Again on his Motorcity label (which I'm not familiar with and can find no clip - but suspect is not the best vehicle for her incredible vocal range?). I guess she probably did loads of other work with him. I know of at least 2 duets she did with Levine: Johnny Bristol - Someday We'll Be Together and Hang On In There Baby and covers of Edwin Starr's Headline News and Holland Dozier Holland's How Sweet It Is (not sure who first recorded this - probably Marvin Gaye in 1964?).
Here's an interview (her last) she held in Feb 2011 with Kehinde Akomolede-Thompson, two years before she died. At 14:40 she 'attacks' Ian Levine and claims she's owed hundreds of thousands of dollars (16:50) - she only released one single on his Motorcity label and several other tracks that appeared on compilations, but I can't imagine a lot of money was made by Levine on these projects - certainly not enough to justify the amount she claims in royalties - but who knows?
I found this post on SoulfulDetroit listing all her recordings (have copied it in case it becomes unavailable). I've added links to tracks found:
Untamed! (1959)
1. Ol' Man River
2. Snow White Gown
3. Ku Ku Ba
4. Plain Gold Ring
5. Have A Child
6. From The Womb To The Tomb
7. Summertime .. I can't find this but I'd love to hear it ... anyone?
8. Friday The Thirteenth
9. Mr. Mountain
10. The Children
11. The Mighty One
13. We Shall Overcome (1963)
17. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
18. Oh Little Boy (w/MARY WELLS) (1964)
19. Midnight Johnny (w/The Temptations)
20. Keep Me (w/The Temptations)
21. I Wish You Love (1965)
22. One Man's Poison (1967)
24. Come In The Room
25. Somebody Bigger Than You And I – duet with ?
26. Silent Night (Part 1) w/Paul Mitchell Trio
27. Silent Night (Part 2) w/Paul Mitchell Trio
3. Cotton Fields
4. Let It Be Me
5. Since I Met You Baby
6. Baby I'm For Real (w/Bohannon) (1980)
7. The Hammer (w/Bohannon)
8. Thoughts And Wishes (w/Bohannon) NB not sure if this is the same version as released on Music In The Air?
9. The Funk Walk (w/Bohannon)
10. The Funk Walk (Fast Version) w/Bohannon
11. April My Love (Part 1) w/Bohannon
13. You're The One (w/Bohannon)
14. Starting All Over Again (1990)
18. Headline News
19. Walk The City Streets (w/MARY WELLS)
20. Hang On In There Baby (w/JOHNNY BRISTOL)
21. Someday We'll Be Together (w/JOHNNY BRISTOL)
22. Starting All Over Again (12")
Here's a few more not on the list as released after it was originally posted (in 2013).
On a 2013 Ace compilation: Finders Keepers: Motown Girls 1961-67 Is:
I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
A couple of previously unreleased tracks on One-derful! which came out on Secret Stash compilation The One-derful! Collection in 2014
Presumably a previously unreleased Motown track from Oct 1964. It is on an Ace compilation CD from 2018: Baby I've Got It! More Motown Girls, written by Frank Wilson.
It is alleged that there is a lot more unreleased Liz Lands material in the Motown vaults including two live albums but apparently it is jazz/MOR material.
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