Marlena Shaw
Encyclopedia
Marlena Shaw is an American
singer. Shaw began her singing career in the 1960s and is still singing today. Her music has often been sampled
in hip hop
music, and used in television commercials.
trumpet
player. In an interview with The New York Times
, she told the reporter “He [Jimmy Burgess] introduced me to good music through records - Dizzy
[Gillespie], Miles
[Davis], a lot of gospel
things, and Al Hibbler
, who really knows how to phrase a song.” In 1952, Burgess brought her on stage at the Apollo Theater
in Harlem
to sing with his band. Shaw's mother did not want Marlena to go on tour with her uncle at such a young age. Instead, she enrolled Shaw into the New York State Teachers College in Potsdam (now known as the State University of New York at Potsdam
) to study music. She later dropped out of school, got married, and had five children, but never gave up her singing career.
Shaw began to make singing appearances in jazz clubs whenever she could spare the time. The most notable of these appearances was in 1963 when she worked with jazz trumpeter Howard McGhee
. She was supposed to play at the Newport Jazz Festival
with McGhee and his band, but left the group after getting into an argument with one of the band members. Later that year, she got an audition with Columbia
label talent scout John Hammond
. Shaw did not perform well during the audition because she was too nervous. Undiscouraged, she continued to play small clubs until 1966. Her career took off in 1966 when she landed a gig with the Playboy Club
chain in Chicago. It was through this gig that she met with representatives of the Chess Records
music label, and soon signed with them. She released her first two albums on their subsidiary Cadet Records
. She moved to Blue Note Records
in 1972. She also recorded one of the disco era's
biggest hits - a remake of "Touch Me in the Morning
" on Columbia Records.
Shaw still performs and records today. In 2001 and 2007 Shaw was one of the performers at the North Sea Jazz Festival
in the Netherlands.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer. Shaw began her singing career in the 1960s and is still singing today. Her music has often been sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
in hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music, and used in television commercials.
Biography
She was first introduced to music by her uncle Jimmy Burgess, a jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player. In an interview with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, she told the reporter “He [Jimmy Burgess] introduced me to good music through records - Dizzy
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
[Gillespie], Miles
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
[Davis], a lot of gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
things, and Al Hibbler
Al Hibbler
Albert George "Al" Hibbler was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of his singing is classified as rhythm and blues, but he is best classified as a bridge between R&B and traditional pop music...
, who really knows how to phrase a song.” In 1952, Burgess brought her on stage at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...
in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
to sing with his band. Shaw's mother did not want Marlena to go on tour with her uncle at such a young age. Instead, she enrolled Shaw into the New York State Teachers College in Potsdam (now known as the State University of New York at Potsdam
State University of New York at Potsdam
The State University of New York at Potsdam, also known as SUNY Potsdam, or, colloquially, Potsdam, is a public university located in the Village of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York. Founded in 1816, it is among the 50 oldest colleges in the United States...
) to study music. She later dropped out of school, got married, and had five children, but never gave up her singing career.
Shaw began to make singing appearances in jazz clubs whenever she could spare the time. The most notable of these appearances was in 1963 when she worked with jazz trumpeter Howard McGhee
Howard McGhee
Howard McGhee was one of the very first bebop jazz trumpeters, together with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for lightning-fast fingers and very high notes...
. She was supposed to play at the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
with McGhee and his band, but left the group after getting into an argument with one of the band members. Later that year, she got an audition with Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label talent scout John Hammond
John H. Hammond
John Henry Hammond II was an American record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s...
. Shaw did not perform well during the audition because she was too nervous. Undiscouraged, she continued to play small clubs until 1966. Her career took off in 1966 when she landed a gig with the Playboy Club
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
chain in Chicago. It was through this gig that she met with representatives of the Chess Records
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
music label, and soon signed with them. She released her first two albums on their subsidiary Cadet Records
Cadet Records
Cadet Records was started as Argo Records in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet to avoid confusion with the similarly named label in the UK...
. She moved to Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
in 1972. She also recorded one of the disco era's
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
biggest hits - a remake of "Touch Me in the Morning
Touch Me in the Morning
"Touch Me in the Morning" is a popular song recorded by Diana Ross on the Motown label. It became her second solo number-one single in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973....
" on Columbia Records.
Shaw still performs and records today. In 2001 and 2007 Shaw was one of the performers at the North Sea Jazz Festival
North Sea Jazz Festival
The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam...
in the Netherlands.
Cadet
- Out of Different Bags (1967)
- The Spice of LifeThe Spice of Life (Marlena Shaw album)The Spice of Life is the second album by Marlena Shaw. It was her last studio album with Cadet Records and contains her famous version of the Ashford & Simpson song: California Soul.-Track listing:# Woman Of The Ghetto 6:02# Call it Stormy Monday 3:01...
(1969)
Blue Note
- MarlenaMarlena (Marlena Shaw album)Marlena is an album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded in 1972 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was Shaw's third release and her first for the Blue Note label.-Track listing:...
(1972) - From the Depths of My SoulFrom the Depths of My SoulFrom the Depths of My Soul is an album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded in 1973 and released on the Blue Note label.-Track listing:# "Prelude / I Know I Love Him" - 3:11# "Hum This Song" - 3:08# "But For Now" - 3:48# "Easy Evil" - 3:39...
(1973) - Marlena Shaw Live at MontreuxMarlena Shaw Live at MontreuxMarlena Shaw Live at Montreux is a live album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973 and released on the Blue Note label. Shaw's introduction to the track "Woman of the Ghetto" was sampled for St...
(1973) - Who Is This Bitch, Anyway?Who Is This Bitch, Anyway?Who Is This Bitch, Anyway? is an album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Jason Ankeny awarded the album 4½ stars stating "A record as fierce and blunt as its title portends, Who Is This Bitch, Anyway? vaults...
(1974) - Just a Matter of TimeJust a Matter of Time (Marlena Shaw album)Just a Matter of Time is an album by American vocalist Marlena Shaw recorded in 1976 and released on the Blue Note label.The song "Be For Real" was covered by Leonard Cohen on his 1992 album The Future.-Reception:...
(1976)
Samples
- Blue BoyBlue Boy (DJ)Blue Boy is a pseudonym for the Scottish DJ, Alexis 'Lex' Blackmore. He is best known for "Remember Me", an international dance hit in 1997. Blackmore first worked as a DJ in Glasgow and London, touring with the British techno outfit The Shamen in 1992...
's "Remember Me" (1996) included sample from "Woman of the Ghetto" from the Live At Montreux album - Ghostface KillahGhostface KillahDennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
's song "Ghetto" (2010) contains samples of the recording "Woman of the Ghetto" - St. GermainSaint Germain (musician)St. Germain is the stage name of Ludovic Navarre, a French musician. His style has been described as being a combination of house and nu jazz music.-Career:...
sampled from "Woman of the Ghetto" from Live at Montreux used in "Rose Rouge" on TouristTourist (Saint Germain album)Tourist is the 2000 album by St. Germain, one of the aliases of French producer Ludovic Navarre. The music style is described by Allmusic as "a synthesis of electronics with jazz soloing".-Track listing:#"Rose Rouge" – 7:02#"Montego Bay Spleen" – 5:44...
(2000) - DJ DayDJ DayDJ Day is a DJ, producer and musician born 1975 in Palm Springs, California. He began DJing in 1989 and formed the Innernational Crew with DJ Rip One in 1995. He had subsequent appearances with Innernational on Return of the DJ III & Laid in Full and has also worked with Stones Throw recording...
"Gone Bad" Melting Pot Records (2005) included a sample from "Liberation Conversation" from the Spice of Life album - DJ ShadowDJ ShadowJoshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
sampled her version of "California SoulCalifornia Soul"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968...
" for "Midnight in a Perfect World" on Endtroducing, he also sampled the same song on his live Brainfreeze (album)Brainfreeze (album)Brainfreeze is a 1999 live mix album by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. The two tracks of the album are uninterrupted recordings from a live performance where they sampled hit funk, soul, rock and jazz singles from 45 rpm vinyl records...
set in collaboration with Cut Chemist. While DJ PremierDJ PremierChristopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
also sampled the same song for the Gang StarrGang StarrGang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
track "Check the Technique", and Adam FreelandAdam FreelandAdam Freeland is an English DJ and producer associated with breakbeat based electronic music. He was a resident of Brighton, moved to Los Angeles where he recorded second album Cope™ but is now based back in Brighton...
sampled the track for "F.E.A.R." - this is more prominent on the version used as the soundtrack to 'Area 05' in the 2001 videogame REZRezRez, developed under the codename K-Project, Project Eden, and Vibes, is a rail shooter video game released by Sega in Japan in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, with a European Dreamcast release and United States PlayStation 2 release in 2002...
. Faze ActionFaze ActionFaze Action are a British band composed of brothers Simon and Robin Lee.Over the years Faze Action blended house music with Western classical, pan-African, and Latin music. Its music is also heavily influenced by funk, disco, and jazz....
's track "Broad Souls" also used a sample from "California Soul". In addition, Syler's lead single off Syler presents The Empire State of Mind, entitled "Holden My Own" used the "California Soul" sample. - 9th Wonder9th WonderPatrick Douthit , better known as 9th Wonder is a hip hop record producer, record executive, DJ, professor, and lyricist from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A. He began his career as the main producer for the hip hop group Little Brother, and has also worked with Mary J...
and BuckshotBuckshot (rapper)Buckshot is an underground rapper, famous as the leader of Hip Hop supergroup Boot Camp Clik, and the group Black Moon. He has released one solo album, two with producer 9th Wonder, four albums with Black Moon and four albums with the Boot Camp Clik.- Biography :Born and raised in Brooklyn...
also sampled "Woman of the Ghetto" in the track "Ghetto", and Evil Dee (of Black MoonBlack Moon (band)Black Moon is an American hip hop group, consisting of members Buckshot, 5 ft and DJ Evil Dee . The group were most notable for their debut album Enta da Stage, and their affiliation with the Boot Camp Clik.-Biography:...
)'s remix of the same song. - Spanish hip-hop group Violadores del VersoVioladores del VersoVioladores del Verso , also known as Doble V, are a rap music crew from Zaragoza, Spain. They used the name Doble V but were forced to return to their original long name, due to legal problems...
uses a sample from "Woman of the Ghetto" for the base of their song "Balantains" - Dutch beer brand Grolsch used a sample of "California Soul" for a Dutch television commercial.
- Jay Rock feat. The Game "California Soul" (2007) rap song sampled "California Soul".
- "Squire for Hire" Nathan Haines (Chillifunk records 2003) featured Marlena Shaw vocals on the title track "Squire for Hire".
- "California Soul" is played on the 2003 remake of The Italian JobThe Italian JobThe Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
. The song, however, does not appear on the movie's soundtrack. - In 2008, "California Soul" is used in a Docker's commercial.
- Rapper QwelQwelAdam Vincent Schreiber , better known by his stage name Qwel, is an underground rapper, originally from Chicago, Illinois. Qwel is also the co-founder of an underground rap crew called Typical Cats, with MC's Denizen Kane, and Qwazaar. Qwel has been featured on interviews and performances on...
sampled Marlena Shaw's song "You" on his song "The Highest Commitment" on the album If it Ain't Been in the Pawn Shop, it Can't Play the Blues. - Producer Diplo remixed the track "California Soul" for the recent compilation The Verve Remixed Vol. 4.
- DJ PremierDJ PremierChristopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
sampled 'California Soul' in the Gang StarrGang StarrGang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
track 'Check the Technique' from Step in the ArenaStep in the ArenaStep In the Arena is the second studio album by hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on January 15 1991. Initially, the album was rated 3.5 out of 5 mics in The Source magazine...
(1990) - A "California Soul" remix featuring Ya Boy appeared at the beginning of The Lincoln LawyerThe Lincoln Lawyer (film)The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2011 American thriller film adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, starring Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy and Marisa Tomei...
in 2011. - "California Soul" (remixed by Diplo) is featured in 2011 action driving game Driver: San FranciscoDriver: San FranciscoDriver: San Francisco is a sandbox-style action driving video game developed by Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. The game formally was unveiled at E3 2010 and was released in Australia on September 1, 2011, Europe on September 2, 2011 and North America on September 6, 2011 on...