Monday, 20 December 2021

Kim Weston - A Profile...


Today is Kim Weston's birthday, she will be 82. Her given name is Agatha Nathalia Weston born in Detroit on 20 Dec 1939. She was signed by Motown in 1961 and was a member of The Wright Specials who released two of only four singles on the gospel imprint Divinity in 1962 and 1963, however, she states that, whilst she was a member of the group, she didn't record with them. Her first solo single came in Feb 1963 which was the original version of a Norman Whitfield and Mickey Stevenson song that Yvonne Fair would had a hit with eleven years later in 1974, "It Should Have Been Me".

Here is her full discography of albums and singles along with a hand picked playlist of forty of her best tunes, several unreleased until years later.

Her biggest hit was a Holland Dozier Holland song "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" recorded, but not released, first by Brian Holland in 1964. It was #4 R&B and #50 Hot 100 in 1965. Many others have recorded it since with the best version by The Isley Brothers in 1968. Apart from a duet with Marvin Gaye on "It Takes Two" (which also reached #4 R&B and #14 Hot 100) in 1967, her only other top 20 R&B hit was a cover of a Four Tops 1965 album track "Helpless" in 1966 (#13 R&B #56 Hot 100). She had a further five records in the R&B chart up to 1970.

She recorded a solo album whilst at Motown "Take Me In Your Arms" but it was never released so her only Motown album is a duets album "Take Two" with Marvin Gaye in 1966.

There's an album on Spotify called "Take Me In Your Arms" (which has what looks to me like a photo of a young Aretha Franklin on the cover!). Whether this is the unreleased Motown album or not I don't know but I somehow doubt it as a/ there are too many tracks (18) and b/ because of the wrong photo being used which indicates it's 'possibly' not a legitimate release.

She left Motown acrimoniously in a dispute over royalties along with her husband Mickey Stevenson in 1966 (and later sued them) and joined MGM where she released two albums and six singles between 1966-69. A handful of singles were then released on three different labels (Pride, Banyan Tree (duet with Johnny Nash) and People) until she joined Stax in 1971 and released three singles on Mikim (presumably a contraction of the couple's name Mickey Stevenson and Kim Weston) subsidiary of Volt and one on Enterprise between 1971-74. One more record appeared on, what would appear to be her own label, Rahkim in 1975 which featured Ronnie McNeir.

In the 80s/90s she teamed up with Ian Levine who had met her in 1969 and she was the first artist he recorded on his Motorcity label. She released an album and around five singles. Another album, "Talking Loud", was recorded in 1992 but not released but some of the tracks would later appear on a compilation "The Best Of Kim Weston" in 1995.
There have been several compilations with the best being "Greatest Hits & Rare Classics" (1991), "The Story Of...Hits And Rarities" (1995), "The Motown Anthology" (2005).

Albums

Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston
1966 - Take Two [Tamla #T 270]

Available on Amazon
Full album HERE
It Takes Two (2:53)
I Love You, Yes I Do (2:18)
Baby I Need Your Loving (3:09)
It's Got To Be A Miracle (This Thing Called Love) (3:27)
Baby Say Yes (3:12)
What Good Am I Without You (2:50)
Till There Was You (2:24)
Love Fell On Me (2:25)
Secret Love (2:44)
I Want You 'Round (2:24)
Heaven Sent You I Know (3:01)
When We're Together (2:36)

1966 - For The First Time [MGM #SE-4477]

Where Am I Going (2:55)
Free Again (3:52)
Everything In The World I Love (3:09)
When The Sun Comes Out (2:49)
Walking Happy (2:50)
The Beat Goes On (3:13)
In The Dark (3:25)
If You Go Away (3:43)
Come Rain Or Come Shine (2:20)
Come Back To Me (3:01)
That’s Life (3:22)

1968 - This Is America [MGM #E4561]

Full Album HERE
This Is America (3:13)
When Johnny Comes Marching Home (2:39)
If I Ruled The World (3:10)
The Impossible Dream (The Quest) (3:16)
Born Free (2:38)
Somewhere (2:05)
The Exodus Song (3:40)
People (2:52)
Touch The Earth (2:48)
Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing (4:12)
The House I Live In (4:41)
This Is My Country (2:09)

Johnny Nash & Kim Weston
1969 - Johnny Nash & Kim Weston [Banyan Tree #BTS/1016]

It's Gonna Be Better (2:55)
Just Losing You (2:51)
Baby Don't Leave Me (2:35)
Without You (2:45)
They're Just Gonna Have To Try (2:45)
We Try Harder (2:30)
But You Know I Love You (2:43)
Stranded In The Middle (3:50)
The Letter (2:50)
My Time (2:22)
What Could Be Better (2:55)
1970 - Big Brass Four Poster [People #PLP-5001]

Available on Amazon
Full Album HERE
Big Brass Four Poster (3:30)
Something I Can Feel (3:02)
Love Don't Let Me Down (2:34)
He's My Love (3:33)
Here Comes Those Heartaches Again (2:44)
What's Gonna Happen To Me (4:07)
Something (4:19)
My Man (2:48)
Windmills Of Your Mind (3:24)
Eleanor Rigby (3:37)
Sounds Of Silence (3:45)

1971 - Kim Kim Kim [Volt #VOS 6014] 

Available on Amazon
Full Album HERE
You Just Don't Know (3:33)
The Love I've Been Looking For (3:39)
What Could Be Better (2:47)
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (3:59)
Love Vibrations (2:50)
Buy Myself A Man (3:11)
Got To Get You Off My Mind (2:46)
Soul On Fire (2:33)
Brothers & Sisters (Get Together) (2:46)
Penny Blues (3:38)
The Choice Is Up To You (Walk With Me Jesus) (3:17)

1990 - Investigate /Dancing In The Streets [Motorcity #MOTCLP29]
NB originally titled Investigate in 1990 and reissues as Dancing In The Streets in 2006

Available on Amazon
Full Album HERE
Investigate (3:48)
My Heart's Not Made Of Stone (5:01)
It Should Have Been Me (4:00)
Restless Feet (4:53)
Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While) (3:19)
Dancing In The Street (3:03)
Helpless (2:55)
Emotion (3:32)
Signal Your Intention (4:02)
Who's Gonna Have The Last Laugh (4:02)

2007 - Just One Man For Me [One Media]
There is a bit of overlap on this album to the previous with six tracks being repeated (flagged with #) but still 12 'new' tracks which are mainly reworkings of earlier recordings, some previously issued as singles.

Available on Amazon
Full Album HERE
Somebody's Eyes (4:40)
#Helpless (2:53)
You Hit Me Where It Hurt Me (4:38)
#Signal Your Intention (4:03)
#My Heart's Not Made Of Stone (5:03)
Doin' It For Myself (4:32)
#Investigate (3:48)
It's Too Late (4:14)
A Case Of Too Much Love Makin' (4:20)
Talkin' Loud (4:36)
#It Should Have Been Me (4:01)
After The Rain (4:11)
Just One Man For Me (4:20)
Riding On The Crest Of The Wave (4:59)
#Restless Feet (4:52)
Oh No, Not My Baby (3:26)
Springtime In My Heart (3:44)
Baby I'm Yours (4:04)
Singles

NB Links on cat. no to Discogs, on titles to Spotify unless title prefixed with * then to YouTube

The Wright Specials
Divinity

Kim Weston
Tamla

Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston

Kim Weston

Gordy

Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston


MGM
video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcOJA4c9XyI

1967/09 - *That's Groovy / *Land Of Tomorrow [MGM #K 13804]
1969/09 - Thankful / I Will Understand [MGM #K 13992]

Banyan Tree
Kim Weston & Johnny Nash
1969/06 - My Time / *We Try Harder [Banyan Tree #B 1002]
1969/06 - Changes / *Both Sides Now [Banyan Tree #B 1002]

People
1969/11 - *Danger, Heartbreak Ahead / I'll Be Thinking [People #P-1001]
1969 - Are You Going Wrong? / I'll Be Thinkin' [People #P-1002] Promo only

Pride
1970/04 - Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing / This Is America [Pride #PR-1]

Volt (Mikim) (i.e. a contraction of Mickey Stevenson / Kim Weston)
1971/07 - @If I Had It My Way / *Gonna Be Alright [Mikim (Volt) #MIA-1502]
1972/01 - *Little By Little And Bit By Bit / (I Wanna Be A) Hang-Up To You [Mikim (Volt) #MIA-1503]
1972 - The Choice Is Up To You / Buy Myself A Man [Mikim MIA-1504] (not listed)

Enterprise
1974/06 - *Goodness Gracious / *Beautiful People [Enterprise #ENA-9101]

Rahkim
1975 - *Detroit (That's My Home Town) / Detroit (That's My Home Town) Instrumental [Rahkim #RS-101]

Aura
197? - *God Bless America / So Glad [Aura #AR 7193]

Tamla Motown (UK only as part of box set)
1980 - Do Like I Do c/w The Marvelettes - Finders Keepers Losers Weepers [Tamla Motown #TMG 1000]

Ian Levine productions
Nightmare
1987 - Signal Your Intention / Signal Your Intention (Nightmare Dub Mix) [Nightmare #26] 12"
1988 - Helpless / Signal Your Intention [Nightmare #55]
1988 - Who's Gonna Have The Last Laugh / Who's Gonna Have The Last Laugh (Nightmare Dub Mix) [Nightmare #72]
1989 - Frankie Gaye & Kim Weston ‎– It Takes Two / It Takes Two (Instrumental) [Nightmare #110]

Motorcity
1989 - Kim Weston - Emotion / Signal Your Intention [Motorcity #MOTC 12]
1997 - You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me) / The Monitors - Share A Little Love With Me (Somebody) [Nightmare #101] White label promos only

Tamla Motown UK only
2016 - I'm Gonna Make It Up To You c/w J.J. Barnes - Show Me The Way [Tamla Motown #536 954-2]


Most of Kim Weston's recordings are available on her Soundcloud

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