Arenita Walker / Cynthia Girty [2021] - Open Your Eyes / Where's My Smile [North Broad St #NBS004]

Colin Law's North Broad St label has acquired the master tapes for some unreleased 70s recordings by Arenita Walker and Cynthia Girty. Who? you might ask, well read on to find out.

Two sides are due to be NBS' fourth release on 17 May 2021 and they are taking pre-orders now and they are almost certainly going to sell out before official release due to the interest in them, so I suggest pre-ordering now to avoid disappointment.

Both Arenita and Cynthia were in Detroit groups in the 60s and were also both writers. They became close friends and in the early 80s were members of the P-Funk group Godmoma with a third member Carolyn Myles.

Walker & Girty wrote several songs together which were recorded by Bobby Womack ('Stop Before We Start' 1978), David Ruffin ('Still In Love With You' 1980), Johnnie Taylor ('Sneakin' Sneakin' 1980) and several others.

'Open Your Eyes' is a marvellous tune and a future modern soul classic written by Girty & Walker, produced by Don Davis and arranged by Cecil Womack.

'Where's My Smile' is a Girty & Walker penned soulful ballad.

Details

Rating:	9
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul 70s
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	North Broad St
Cat No:	NBS004
BPM:	100
Value:	£20

Arenita Walker

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Arenita was a member of The Lollipops who released only two (known) singles, the first in 1966 on Harry Balk's Impact label which only ran from 1965-67 until it was bought, along with Balk's other label Inferno, by Motown. The A side 'Loving Good Feeling' was written by Duke Browner and is a storming Northern Soul tune. The mid-tempo flip side 'Step Aside Baby' was written by Walker. 

Their next release was on Motown's V.I.P. imprint in 1969. Curiously it was scheduled for release in July 1969 on Gordy G-7089, and demos exist of it, but it wasn't released on Gordy and was subsequently issued on V.I.P. in Nov. 1969. The top side 'Cheating, Is Telling On You' was co-written by Browner & Walker, it's another nice mid-tempo number. The flip side, written by Browner, is another mid-tempo tune which has hints of The Supremes.

An absolutely brilliant, previously unreleased, recording by them called 'Look What You Done Boy' appeared in the late 80s. It was found on an acetate (you can find a scan of it on Soul Source).  A few 'carvers' did the rounds with Kim Weston 'After The Rain' on the flip. I believe the first commercial relaese was on a CD compilation 'Motortown Uncovered Vol. 2' in 1992 on a rather dodgy looking label Motortown.

Another unreleased track 'Sweet Sweet Love' (co-written again by Browner & Walker) surfaced on 'A Cellarful Of Motown Vol. 3' in 2007.

She released an album in 1993.

Discography

1966 - Loving Good Feeling / Step Aside Baby [Impact #1021]

1969 - Cheating, Is Telling On You / Need Your Love [V.I.P. #25051]

1968/69 - Look What You Done Boy [Motown Unreleased]

1968/69 - Sweet Sweet Love [Motown Unreleased]

1993/2010 - Love Anonymous II [BTRL]

Cynthia Girty

Cynthia Girty was the lead singer with Cynthia & The Imaginations who released four singles, one on Ernest Burt's Magic City, two on Mercury subsidiary Blue Rock and one on Johnnie Mae Mathews Big Hit label as Cythina & The Imaginary Three which was a different group of backing singers, The Imaginations had four members.

During the 80 she also provided backing vocals for several artists including George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, David Peaston, Maceo Parker and R.J.'s Latest Arrival.

Discography

1968 - There's Something The Matter (With Your Heart) / Is There Anyone, Anywhere [Magic City #MC-006]

A: Lowrider - sweet soul harmony

B: Funky crossover

Both sides written by Leroy Luckett & Earnest Bert (owner of MagicCity)

1969 - Hey Boy (I Love You) / Love Is Real [Blue Rock #B-4074]

A: Lowrider - sweet soul harmony / crossover

This song was later recorded by (Emory &) The 4 Dynamics as 'Things That A Lady Ain't Supposed To Do' on William Bell's Peachtree label in 1970.

B: Mid-tempo Northern soul written by Leroy Luckett and Ernest Burt (owner of Magic City)

1969 - Why Weren't You There (I Needed You) / The Love You Forgot [Blue Rock #B-4082]

A: Class Northern Soul - written by Ernest Bert, Paul Williams (The Temptations) and Jake Hammond (aka Timmy Shaw  - Hammond was his real name)

B: Deep Soul Harmony

1970 - Many Mood (Of A Man) / That's What I Am (Without You) [Big Hit #TZ 110]

A: ?

B: Northern Soul / Crossover Written by Timmy Shaw, Paul Williams (The Temptations) and Johnnie Mae Mathews

Godmoma

Discography

1980 - Here [Elektra #5E-552]

It's no coincidence that the best tracks on the album (i.e. the none p-funk tracks) are co-written by Walker & Girty. Funk heavyweights Bootsy Collins (and his brother Phelps 'Catfish'), Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley were all involved on the album.

Taste of Magic 

I Like It

Godmoma of Love

1981 - Taste Of Magic / Godmoma Here [Elektra #E-47209]

A: P-Funk

B: P-Funk

1982 - I Like It / Taste Of Magic [Elektra #E-47420]

A: Mellow

B: P-Funk