Pearly Gates - Fading Into The Night

Pearly Gates, real name Vi Billups, was one of the three original members of The Flirtations. They started out as the Gypsies, a group from New York, with the early sixties girl group classics, "Jerk It", and the Northern Soul legendary classic "It's A Woman's World", before becoming The Flirtations, and emigrating to England. They had many hits in the 1970s, including "Nothing But A Heartache", and another Northern Soul classic, "Need Your Love", on the Deram label. In the late seventies they disbanded, and I got to produce a whole album on Pearly, called "No Two Ways About It", during the classic disco era, an album for Music Business legend, Artie Mogul ,once he had left United Artists in 1979. But he reneged on the deal, and I never got paid, and the album never came out, till years later, when I started using the tracks on my Nightmare Gold series in 1986, and then eventually the tracks were all used on Hot Records 1995 CD release, "The Best Of Pearly Gates". In the meantime, the Flirtations, without Pearly, had reformed for Proto Records, for Barry Evangeli, with the high energy anthem, "Earthquake", which Ian Anthony Stephens produced. This lineup of The Flirtations then went to Passion Records, under Anne Plaxton, and I got to produce them on "Read All About It". And at the same time, Pearly herself did a solo track for a label called Funkin Marvellous, called "Action", which George Hargreaves produced, and this was a huge floorfilling classic, and one of the most popular High Energy records of the 1980s. Next, I myself produced her next single for that label, called "Third Time Lucky". Then Pearly rejoined the Flirtations, and all three original girls, Earnestine, Shirley, and Pearly, were back together once again. We then did a Flirtations single for Nightmare Records, called "Back On My Feet Again", and also a solo track with Pearly called "One Less Bell To Answer" . Finally we had so many tracks with Pearly that we completed the album for Hot Productions and this particular song, "Fading Into The Night", was included from the lost 1979 album and now with a video, can finally be appreciated like it should have been almost thirty years ago. I have now known Pearly for thirty years, and yet she still looks thirty years old.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Disco
• Northern-Soul
• High-Energy
• Diva
• Girl-Groups
• Flirtations
• Female-Singers

[MADAMEARIES]

First saw Pearly Live in Heaven when she was promoting Action, went out bought the 12" the following day, and I still have it. I just love this woman. I also remember the early It's Cliff Shows that the Flirtations did in 70 & 71. Vi & Shirley still look the same even today, Incteadable.

[DavidDBUK]

Vie popped around to the flat last weekend - Such a thrill to see her looking and being so fabulous !

Go Hun your magic xx

[harguitar]

Superb

[harguitar]

Who's the girl..She's amazing! The song, and her singing has lifted my day. Beautiful.

[rhthesinner]

One of my favourites of Ian's. Priceless!

[88GURP]

This is Pretty GOOD it has the 54 feel

[nrgfan105]

What a superb. uplifting track.

[LeatherbearPhilip]

I agree wholeheartedly.

[Discoboy1974]

Magical ... in my opinion, Pearly Gates' lost disco album is among the best of Ian Levine's disco productions of the 70s, and I am SO PLEASED to finally see this wonderful lady do a video of it. Thank you Pearly, and thank you Ian for making this reality!