Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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Frequently compared to Aretha Franklin, singer Margie Joseph earned neither the fame nor the critical success lavished upon the Queen of Soul, but a series of excellent records for Atlantic during the 1970s nevertheless won her a spot in the pantheon of soul cult favorites. Margaret Marie Joseph was born in Pascagoula, MS, in 1950 – she got her start in the church choir, and began pursuing a professional singing career while a student at New Orleans' Dillard University. In 1967, Joseph made her first demo recordings at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, soon after signing to the Okeh label – her debut, "Why Does a Man Have to Lie?," had the misfortune of seeing release around the same time parent label Columbia decided to close Okeh's doors, and promptly sank without a trace. Two years later Joseph signed with the Stax subsidiary Volt, and with New Orleans soul legend Willie Tee assuming production duties, she released the underground favorite "One More Chance."

Producer Freddy Briggs took the helm for Joseph's next effort, "Your Sweet Loving"; released in the summer of 1970, the single proved a minor R&B chart hit. The following year, she cracked the R&B Top 40 with a cover of the Supremes' classic "Stop! In the Name of Love," boosting sales of her fine debut LP, Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression, in the process. Another Supremes cover, "My World Is Empty Without You," formed the centerpiece of her 1972 follow-up, Phase II, but neither the single nor the album attracted much attention, and she soon signed to Atlantic to begin work with famed producer Arif Mardin, perhaps best-known for his earlier work with Aretha; indeed, Joseph's self-titled Atlantic debut was often criticized for its similarities to Franklin's classic work, although her sweetly plaintive vocals and more supple delivery were actually far more distinctive than detractors gave credit for. Joseph nevertheless scored an R&B hit in the spring of 1973 with her reading of the Al Green classic "Let's Stay Together," reaching her commercial zenith later that year when her second Atlantic album, Sweet Surrender, launched two more hit covers: "Come Lay Some Lovin' on Me" (more successful for Joseph than for the song's author, Paul Kelly) and "My Love" (a reading of the Paul McCartney & Wings smash that became her lone Top Ten R&B hit and pop Top 75 entry).

The 1975 album Margie is generally regarded by fans as the creative peak of Joseph's recording career – the singles "Words (Are Impossible)" and "I Can't Move No Mountains" are both superb, and with the lovely hit "Stay Still," she earned a rare co-writing credit. A March 1976 live date in Jamaica introduced Joseph to the vocal group Blue Magic, and they agreed to record a duet – included on the 13 Blue Magic Lane album, "What's Come Over Me" would prove her second-biggest R&B chart hit. She moved to the Atlantic subsidiary Cotillion for 1976's Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling, produced by Motown legend Lamont Dozier – the title cut reached the R&B Top 20, and the sessions also yielded the wonderful disco-era seasonal cut "Christmas Gift," included on the Funky Christmas compilation. Joseph returned to the Atlantic mothership for the Johnny Bristol-produced Feeling My Way, but when the singles "Come on Back to Me, Lover" and "I Feel His Love Getting Stronger" failed to generate much airplay, the label released her from her contract.

Joseph landed at the Philadelphia-based WMOT Records, recording an entire LP under the auspices of producer Dexter Wansel that was shelved after the company went belly-up; at this point, a frustrated Joseph quit the music business, turning to a teaching career. She returned to performing in 1982, cutting "Knockout" for the tiny HCRC label; the single was a surprise R&B hit, but HCRC went out of business as well, although the setback did allow Joseph to re-sign with Cotillion, where Narada Michael Walden agreed to produce her 1984 comeback album, Ready for the Night; the title cut was a minor hit, but again the label terminated her contract. Four years later, she signed with Ichiban to release Stay, her last new material to date, although much of her vintage Stax and Atlantic work has since been reissued on CD.

Biography by Jason Ankeny, Allmusic.com

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Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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Margie Joseph was never a huge name in soul – she never became as famous as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, or Tina Turner. But she is a talented, charming singer with a recognizable delivery; although greatly influenced by Franklin, Joseph has a softer, more girlish delivery. Unfortunately, she has rarely enjoyed the sort of promotion she deserves – not at Stax, not at Atlantic. Joseph moved from Stax to Atlantic in 1972, recording this self-titled LP the following year. Produced by Arif Mardin, Margie Joseph offers an enjoyable mix of Northern and Southern soul styles. Much of the album is devoted to covers, and the songs that Joseph embraces range from Ellington Jordan's "I'd Rather Go Blind" and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" to Brook Benton's "I'll Take Care of You." Joseph also picks a Dolly Parton song, putting a soul spin on "Touch Your Woman." Some people might be surprised to learn that Joseph recorded a tune by a country star, but then, a lot of country was very pop-minded in the early '70s. And besides, Parton is very much a crossover artist, not a hardcore honky-tonker a la Kitty Wells. This decent, if imperfect, LP has been out of print since the 1970s, but it's worth obtaining if you can track down a copy.

Review by Alex Henderson, Allmusic.com

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Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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After a three year hiatus Margie Joseph surfaced on Atlantic Records smoother and more homogenized than she was at Stax. Her vocal style is similar to ex-labelmate Carla Thomas' without the nasal sound. "Come Lay Some Lovin' on Me" is a sweet soul strutter song in Joseph's most enticing voice. What man could resist her request? Remakes of Wings' "My Love," and Breads' "Baby I'm-A-Want You" are stunners. Joseph never oversings, or become hysterical. "Sweet Surrender" rivals the starkness of her Stax sides vocally but the trappings are fancier. The songs are good, but as with Stax, the promotion for Margie's product wasn't the best. Quality songs like "(Strange) I Still Love You," written by Jerry Butler, Norman Harris, and Mikki Farrow had flava but Atlantic failed to deliver.

Review by Andrew Hamilton, Allmusic.com

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Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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In 1975, Margie Joseph enjoyed one of her greatest triumphs when she teamed up with Blue Magic for a spectacular remake of the Philadelphia soul ballad "What's Come Over Me." That hit, which Blue Magic originally recorded in 1974, was included on the group's third LP, 13 Blue Magic Lane, but it wasn't included on Joseph's own 1975 LP, Margie. Unfortunately for Joseph, the success of the "What's Come Over Me" remake did little to help this modest-selling album – some R&B experts felt that Atlantic really blew it by not including that gem on Margie. But while Margie didn't do nearly as well as it should have, it's solid and pleasing. With Arif Mardin serving as producer/arranger, Joseph generally has strong material to work with – and that includes a few Carole King tunes ("Believe in Humanity" and "After All This Time"), as well as Bill Withers' bluesy "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh." Equally respectable are two songs that Joseph co-wrote with Mardin: the funky "Sign of the Times" and the lush "Stay Still" (which has so much quiet storm appeal that it was an obvious choice when saxman Ronnie Laws recorded his Fever album in 1976). Although Margie falls short of perfect, it is one of the singer's more consistent Atlantic dates and deserved a lot more attention than it received.

Review by Alex Henderson, Allmusic.com

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Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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Joseph, an often-underrated singer, first reached success on Volt Records. At the time of this release she was best known for her time with Atlantic Records. Her early- to mid-'70s efforts were produced by Arif Mardin in a style identified with Aretha Franklin's productions of the time. Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling represents a label switch and a more definitive direction, courtesy of famed producer/writer Lamont Dozier. Those expecting a Motown-styled update of the girl group blithe attitude won't find it here. What is here is Joseph asserting her own pragmatic personality, doing rawer vocals and having great chemistry with producer Dozier. Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling often takes an almost too realistic look at relationships and the lack thereof. All of this is made better by Dozier's strong and confident production. The taunting "Didn't I Tell You" and "Why'd You Lie" mine the same problematic love terrain, with the production polish only matched by Joseph's emotive and pointed vocals. The album's best track, "Prophecy," has Joseph and Dozier again examining bleak interiors. The brilliantly arranged track has great subtle horn arrangement and impeccable rhythm guitar. Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling also has a fair amount of ballads. "All Cried Out" and "Feeling My Way" are hooky and idiosyncratic, as Joseph gives emotive and cogent performances. This album is prime and classy R&B/pop and features such esteemed players as Ray Parker, Jr. and Lee Ritenour, as well as arrangers McKinley Jackson and David Blumberg. But the star is Joseph, and she does great work here.

Review by Jason Elias, Allmusic.com

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Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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Margie Joseph - Albums Collection 1973-1984 (6CD) Reissue 2007

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