A record played today by Gary Van Den Bussche on his lunchtime show on
Starpoint Radio by Odia Coates with "Make It Up To Me Baby" pricked up my ears, if I'd heard it before then I'd forgotten about it!
It's a song written by Paul Anka and Scottish composer
Johnny Harris. The version I knew was the later more uptempo/disco version
on which she duetted with Anka on three years later in 1976, but this is the real deal, pure class and I would say should be in everyone's collection but as far as I'm aware it's only available on original 7" and hasn't featured on any compilation (but may be wrong) so it's not that easy to get hold of.
It was her debut solo single in 1973 having been a member of
Sisters Love from 1968 who joined Motown in 1972 and
released a few singles the MoWest imprint in 1972-73 before migrating to
the main label for one single before disbanding. I don't know whether Coates was featured on those singles,
one of which, "Learning to Trust My Man", got spins on the UK's Northern Soul scene and of course "Give Me Your Love" was a big on the rare groove scene.
She will be best known for her #1 Hot 100 hit "(You're) Having My Baby" with Anka in 1974 which was Anka's first #1 hit for 15 years. The
song was originally intended to be an Anka solo but Coates was in the
recording studio at the time and at the suggestion of a United Artists
executive was made into a duet.
Odia Coates recorded just one, self-titled, album in 1975 on United Artists which
included a solo version of the hit with Anka (who wrote most of the original
material on the album) but it doesn't include the song featured here which
has become a collector's item now fetching up to £300 in mint
condition. If looking for it make sure it's the Buddah single and not the one on United Artists as that's the duet version with Anka!
There are couple of good soulful ballads on the album "Heaven And Hell" and
"Do I Love You (Yes In Every Way)". The album is not available digitally but fairly
cheap and easy to pick up on original vinyl.
Coates died from breast cancer aged 49 in 1991.
| Rating: | 9 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Modern Soul |
| Format: | Single |
| Media: | 7" Vinyl |
| Label: | Buddah |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 1973 |
| Key/BPM: | N/A |
| Price: | £150-£300 approx. (based on Discogs prices) |
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