Kim Weston
Encyclopedia
Kim Weston is an American soul
singer, and Motown alumna
. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
".
, she was signed to Motown Records in 1963, scoring a minor hit with "Love Me All the Way" (R&B #24, Pop #88). Weston's biggest solo
hits with Motown were "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
" (R&B #4, Pop #50, 1965, later covered by The Isley Brothers
, Blood, Sweat & Tears
and The Doobie Brothers
, and "Helpless" (R&B #13, Pop #56, 1966, previously recorded by The Four Tops on their Second Album LP
). Her biggest claim to fame was singing the classic hit "It Takes Two
" with Marvin Gaye
in 1966 and her later recording of the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing". It was the success of "It Takes Two
" that caused Motown to partner Gaye with Tammi Terrell
, spawning even more success for the label.
Weston left Motown in 1967 and later sued the label over disputes about royalties
. She and her then-husband William "Mickey" Stevenson (former A&R
head at Motown) both went to MGM Records
. Weston cut a couple of singles for MGM, "I Got What You Need," and "Nobody," which went largely unnoticed due to lack of airplay and promotion
. She made an album
for the label, This Is America, which included her popular version of the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing." This was released as a single and featured in the movie Wattstax
. All the money from the single was donated to the United Negro College Fund
.
She recorded several more albums for various labels, Stax/Volt
among them, and also made an album of duets with Johnny Nash
. None of these recordings
charted, and Weston reportedly relocated to Israel
, where she worked with young singers.
Along with many former Motown artists, she signed with Ian Levine
's Motorcity Records
in the 1980s, releasing the single "Signal Your Intention", which peaked at #1 in the UK Hi-NRG charts. It was followed by the album Investigate (1990), which included some re-recordings of her Motown hits as well as new material. A second album for the label, Talking Loud (1992), was never released, although all the songs were included on the compilation The Best Of Kim Weston (1996).
Today she is a disc jockey on a local Detroit radio station, where she sponsors the summer events at Hart Plaza. She also tours sporadically, often alongside former Motown colleagues Mary Wilson
, Martha Reeves
and Brenda Holloway
. She is also featured on the 2006 four-CD release of the Motortown Revue
series.
Compilations
Chart Singles
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer, and Motown alumna
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
"Take Me in Your Arms " is a song written by the premier Motown songwriting/production team of the 1960's Holland–Dozier–Holland: the song had its highest profile via a 1975 recording by the Doobie Brothers.-Motown versions:...
".
Career
Born Agatha Natalie Weston in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, she was signed to Motown Records in 1963, scoring a minor hit with "Love Me All the Way" (R&B #24, Pop #88). Weston's biggest solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
hits with Motown were "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
"Take Me in Your Arms " is a song written by the premier Motown songwriting/production team of the 1960's Holland–Dozier–Holland: the song had its highest profile via a 1975 recording by the Doobie Brothers.-Motown versions:...
" (R&B #4, Pop #50, 1965, later covered by The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
, Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
and The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
, and "Helpless" (R&B #13, Pop #56, 1966, previously recorded by The Four Tops on their Second Album LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
). Her biggest claim to fame was singing the classic hit "It Takes Two
It Takes Two (song)
"It Takes Two" was a hit single recorded in late 1965 by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston for Motown's Tamla label.Produced by Weston's then-husband, longtime Gaye collaborator William "Mickey" Stevenson, and co-written by Stevenson and Sylvia Moy, "It Takes Two" centered around a romantic lyric which...
" with Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
in 1966 and her later recording of the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing". It was the success of "It Takes Two
It Takes Two (song)
"It Takes Two" was a hit single recorded in late 1965 by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston for Motown's Tamla label.Produced by Weston's then-husband, longtime Gaye collaborator William "Mickey" Stevenson, and co-written by Stevenson and Sylvia Moy, "It Takes Two" centered around a romantic lyric which...
" that caused Motown to partner Gaye with Tammi Terrell
Tammi Terrell
Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed...
, spawning even more success for the label.
Weston left Motown in 1967 and later sued the label over disputes about royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
. She and her then-husband William "Mickey" Stevenson (former A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
head at Motown) both went to MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
. Weston cut a couple of singles for MGM, "I Got What You Need," and "Nobody," which went largely unnoticed due to lack of airplay and promotion
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
. She made an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
for the label, This Is America, which included her popular version of the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing." This was released as a single and featured in the movie Wattstax
Wattstax
Wattstax is a 1973 documentary film by Mel Stuart that focused on the 1972 Wattstax music festival and the African American community of Watts in Los Angeles, California. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974...
. All the money from the single was donated to the United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
.
She recorded several more albums for various labels, Stax/Volt
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
among them, and also made an album of duets with Johnny Nash
Johnny Nash
John Lester "Johnny" Nash, Jr. is an American pop singer-songwriter, best known in the US for his 1972 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now". He was also the first non-Jamaican to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.-Life and career:...
. None of these recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
charted, and Weston reportedly relocated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where she worked with young singers.
Along with many former Motown artists, she signed with Ian Levine
Ian Levine
Ian Levine is an English songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who.Levine attended Arnold School in Blackpool from 1963 to 1970...
's Motorcity Records
Motorcity Records
Motorcity Records is a British record label formed by producer Ian Levine in 1989. The label aimed to record new material with former Motown artists.-History:...
in the 1980s, releasing the single "Signal Your Intention", which peaked at #1 in the UK Hi-NRG charts. It was followed by the album Investigate (1990), which included some re-recordings of her Motown hits as well as new material. A second album for the label, Talking Loud (1992), was never released, although all the songs were included on the compilation The Best Of Kim Weston (1996).
Today she is a disc jockey on a local Detroit radio station, where she sponsors the summer events at Hart Plaza. She also tours sporadically, often alongside former Motown colleagues Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson (singer)
Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...
, Martha Reeves
Martha Reeves
Martha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and Pop singer and former politician, and was the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. During her tenure with The Vandellas, they scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Jimmy Mack", "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run"...
and Brenda Holloway
Brenda Holloway
Brenda Holloway is an American singer and songwriter, a recording artist for the Motown label during the 1960s...
. She is also featured on the 2006 four-CD release of the Motortown Revue
Motortown Revue
The Motortown Revue was the name given to the package concert tours of Motown artists in the 1960s. Early tours featured Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Barrett Strong, and The Contours as headlining acts, and gave then-second-tier acts such as Marvin Gaye, Martha & The...
series.
Discography
Standard albums- 1966: Take Two (duet album with Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
) - 1966: Take Me in Your Arms (shelved)
- 1967: For the First Time
- 1968: This Is AmericaThis Is America (album)This Is America is the third studio album by Kim Weston. The entire album contains the theme of patriotism.-Side 1:# "This Is America"# "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"# "If I Ruled the World"...
- 1970: Big Brass Four Poster
- 1970: Kim Kim Kim
- 1990: Investigate
Compilations
- 1991: Greatest Hits & Rare Classics
- 1996: The Very Best of the Motorcity Recordings
- 2003: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kim Weston
- 2005: Motown Anthology
Chart Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1963 | "Love Me All the Way" | 88 | 24 | - | |
| 1964 | "What Good Am I Without You" (duet with Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range.... ) |
61 | 28 | - | Take Two (1967) |
| 1965 | "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) "Take Me in Your Arms " is a song written by the premier Motown songwriting/production team of the 1960's Holland–Dozier–Holland: the song had its highest profile via a 1975 recording by the Doobie Brothers.-Motown versions:... " |
50 | 4 | - | |
| 1966 | "Helpless" | 56 | 13 | - | |
| 1967 | "It Takes Two" (duet with Marvin Gaye) |
14 | 4 | 16 | Take Two |
Further reading
- Kim Weston interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' October 2008
- Whitall, Susan. For the Record: Women of Motown (1998, ISBN 0-380-79379-2)