Hattie Littles - You See The Trouble With Me

This priceless footage of Hattie Littles singing the Barry White song, and also performing it at the Motorcity Revue at The Pontchartrain, was filmed in Detroit in 1990. I miss Hattie Littles terribly. She had a most tragic life, and I was so grateful for a chance to record her, ever since, as a youth discovering Motown for the first time, Dave Godin's raving about her made me so especially interested in her. But Dave Godin told me he'd heard that she'd died many years before we started Motorcity, so when the late great Dave Hamilton, one of Motown's guitar players, with the Funk Brothers, told me that this was totally untrue, and Hattie was still singing gospel in Detroit, I couldn't wait to record her, and she literally cried with joy at being given the chance to sing again. We released two entire albums, "The Right Direction", and "Borderline", and then a greatest hits compilation entitled "The Best Of Hattie Littles". I recorded a total of twenty one tracks on her, and even brought her to England to stay with me at my house, to record her second album for us. She had had such a rough life, supposedly murdering her husband in the 1960s for being abusive, and spending many years in jail, curtailing her recording career throughout the sixties and the seventies. But she had a heart of gold, and was so full of optimism and joy at the new chance she had, and I was so sad to hear that she died of a heart attack in the 1990s, when Pat Lewis phoned and broke the terrble news to me. Back at Motown, Hattie's first ever single on the Gordy label in 1962, "Back in My Arms" coupled with "Is It True", is legendary for its rarity, and thankfully was recently finally released, both sides in fact, on the wonderful new boxsets that Motown are doing of all their early singles. The second single on Gordy in 1963, "Your Love Is Wonderful" (which we recut)/"Here You Come", was acclaimed by the late Dave Godin as one of the greatest pieces of deep soul ever made. But magically, in recent years, so many unreleased tracks have turned up, that Hattie's fans have had a real treat, with such Motown gems as "Love, Trouble, Heartache, Misery", "Money That's What I Want", "False Words", "Wish you Were Here" (written for her by Marv Johnson), and "You Got Me Worried" (written by Clarence Paul). In the early days of the Motortown Revue, Hattie was the opening act for Marvin Gaye, and toured with him extensively, with her cross of blues and early Motown, and it was fitting and historical that when we did our huge concert at the Pontchartrain Hotel in August 1990, that Hattie be the opening act. She was a real treasure of Motown, and I was proud to have given her a second chance to shine.

• Category

  Music

[diva72star]

Hattie Little's was my mother's baby sister. To see all your love and adoration for my Auntie is wonderful. I can't wait to show Mama the videos of Aunt Hattie. Thanks for keeping her memory alive!

[IanLevine]

I have five videos of her singing, and they're all here on YouTube. I recorded a total of twenty one songs with her. I thought she deserved so much better than Motown ever gave her - I miss her terribly and I am proud to have given her songs that can be remembered. She did the most wonderful song called "Running A Fever", but sadly there is no footage of her singing it.

[IanLevine]

Please show your Mother all five videos, and please report back and tell me what she thought of them.

[Margandy]

Just simply superb .... I only found her from Ian's videos and I now have all her CD's. I have requested her to be played on Alex Lester Radio 2 as a listeners library choice - Thanks Ian

[IanLevine]

You are so so welcome. Imagine Hattie Littles on Radio 2. I pray you can pull it off.

Have you watched all my other videos ???

[IanLevine]

Dear old Hattie. I miss her terribly. She really deserved a chance.

[199145610]

yes

[Pagotto27]

I love this music in a Barry White's voice, principally in an live show in Belgium.

I never imagined that there was a version so good like that.

Thanks IanLevine for posting it.

[FUERZAPITBULL]

muy muy buena una version exelent ella pone todo el corazon

[meatla]

Ay 3:07 does anybody knows who play that guitar? If you guys repeat the song focus in the guitar, the song sound even better than it is already.

Nice play...

[Mckellen31]

I have never heard this pretty and paceful voice... Thank you so much Ian Levine.

[mgmstlmo]

She has a great voice, like her sound, thank god you were around to give her that second chance. Really liked her doing Nowhere To Run To...

[fussionfunk]

Congratulations Ian, she was amazing...Love her.

Peace Brotha :)