MD Records - 3 New releases: Ruby Andrews, Bottom & Co. & Mary Gresham

Three new releases have been announced by MD Records which Mark Merry has been playing over the last few weeks on his SoulSermonMixUp on Starpoint Radio. Two are previously unreleased and the other consists of two album tracks released on CD only in 2008, available on vinyl for the first time.

They were available as test pressings (limited to 20 each) which have now all sold out. I'm awaiting confirmation of if and when they will be available as standard pressings.

NB - No sound files available but if you click on images below it will take you to MD website where sound samples are available. If you want to hear them in full then check out Mark Merry's podcasts.

Ruby Andrews - It Takes Me Away  / You're My Life [MD #112]

This is the first song that Ruby Andrews recorded at Zodiac (written by Bridges, Knight & Easton), probably around 1967,  but it wasn't considered good enough at the time to release. MD are issuing it for historical reasons and have stated that the sound quality isn't up to their normal standards. The flip side was selected by Andrews herself as one of her more modern unreleased tracks.

Bottom And Company - You're Messing Up A Good Thing / I'm Sorry [MD #113]

Two previously unreleased tracks from Bottom & Co. found on a reel tape by Jordan Wilson. The tape comes from Wishbone production company which was a company and studio owned by Terry Woodford and Clayton Ivey who worked at Muscle Shoals before being signed as writers/producers for Motown. Bottom & Co released four singles on Motown in 1974-75 and an album on Gordy in 1976. Their 1974 B side 'Gonna Find A True Love' has been a modern/Northern soul favourite for years and was written by Terry Woodford and produced and arranged by him and Clayton Ivey for Wishbone Inc..

The A side is a 70s/modern version of 'You're Messing With A Good Thing', a track also recorded by several others including John Edwards in 1973 on 'John Edwards' (and 1996 on 'Careful Man'),  Bobby Womack in 1974 on 'Lookin' For A Love Again', Heywood Cash in 1976 on Epic 45 and Bobby Sheen in 2010 on 'Too Many To Fight: The Wishbone Sessions From Muscle Shoals' released on CD by Soulscape. 

It is thought that Bottom & Co.'s version may actually be the first recording of the song. The flip 'I'm Sorry' is a soulful group harmony track written by John J. (J.J.) Boyce who was a member of Bags.                                  

Mary Gresham - Use Me / Nobody's Gonna Turn Me Against You [MD #114]  

Mary Gresham first became known via a 2008 CD 'Voices From The Shadows' released on Garry Cape's Soulscape label. Both sides are from that album and were originally recorded in 1973. It's the first time they have been issued on vinyl. 'Use Me' is a sister funk cover of the Bill Wither's song (also recently released by Joy Denalane), whilst 'Nobody's Gonna Turn Me Against You' is an upbeat southern soul dancer.