Syreeta - Love Child (Rare)

born February 28 1946; died July 6 2004.

In 1968 the soul singer and songwriter Syreeta Wright, , met Stevie Wonder. Two years later, the couple married. The marriage was not a success - they were divorced in 1972 - but the musical collaboration was.

Syreeta wrote lyrics to many of Wonder's tunes during the next few years. These included the uptempo Signed, Sealed And Delivered I'm Yours, the melodic ballad Never Thought You'd Leave In Summer, If You Really Love Me and other songs for Wonder's 1971 and 1972 albums Where I'm Coming From, Music Of My Mind and Talking Book. He produced her first solo albums, Syreeta (1972) and Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta (1974). Her first British top-20 hit was Your Kiss Is Sweet (1975).

Born Rita Wright, in Pittsburgh, she began singing at the age of four, when, she recalled, "I would sing the Lord's Prayer and my mother would hold her breath until I made the high notes." A year later, her father, conscripted into the US army, was killed in the Korean war. She was brought up by her mother and grandmother in South Carolina and Detroit. After abandoning a wish to become a dancer because of the cost of ballet training, she was employed, in 1965, as a receptionist at Detroit's leading record company, Motown.

Rita soon moved to the artist and repertoire department as secretary to Mickey Stevenson, one of Motown's key talent-spotters. He brought her into the studio to contribute handclaps and as an occasional backing singer. In 1967, under the more exotic name of Syreeta, she got her big chance to record a song turned down by the Supremes, I Can't Give Up The Love I Feel For You.


Despite the record's lack of commercial success, Motown's owner Berry Gordy heard something of Diana Ross in Syreeta's voice. He considered her as a replacement when Ross left the Supremes at the end of 1969. But then came the meeting with Wonder.

Syreeta was also in demand as a performer on other artists' albums, recording with George Harrison, Michael Bolton, Quincy Jones and others. She sang on Wonder's later recordings, up until 1995's Conversation Peace.

She continued to record for Motown with her second husband, the bass player Curtis Robertson Jr, but without success until she collaborated with organist Billy Preston on songs for the film Fast Break (1979). One of these, With You I'm Born Again, using that modish term for religious conversion, was first issued as a single in Britain where it reached No 2 in the charts, behind Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall. This persuaded Motown to release the song in the US, where it was equally successful.

Syreeta's British popularity was confirmed when former northern soul producer Ian Levine recorded her, and other Motown veterans, for his Motorcity label in the late 1980s. Her contribution included a solo version of With You I'm Born Again and new duets with Preston.

She later played Mary Magdalene in a US touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar. In 2001, The Essential Syreeta album was compiled and issued in Britain.

Her four children and her mother survive her.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Love Child
• Syreeta
• rita wright

[christheone8773]

Interestingly enough, Syreeta was once considered to take Diana Ross' place in the Supremes - but Mary Wilson strongly opposed it, because Wilson knew that Syreeta wanted a solo career, and she didnt want to bring anyone into the group who saw the Supremes as a stepping stone-

[SpazChat]

@Timeswimmer , I'm sorry but as good as Syreeta is, she was no Diana Ross. Diana Ross didn't have to copy anyone. Someone told you a load of crap. I do think Syreeta would have been a much better Post Diana Supremes replacement though.

[zzausel]

Sandfordway: Wrong title picture. This title is not on this CD.

[hollidayevery]

This is called a DEMO...this was never meant to be a final version, ready to be released vocal...this is just a vocal that gives all of the participants of what the final version could be worked up to....IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MAYBE IT'S BEST TO SAY NOTHING, OR ASK SOMEONE!

[singlos1]

Am pretty sure this is the demo version. ross had to later learn it

[legedaryone]

wow its good to hear a early version of love child because clearly there are some lyric differences. Syretta did a good  job and its almost erie how much she sounds like Miss Ross. I lover Syretta's voice and my love for Miss Ross needs to go unmentioned.

[THEmotownboy]

The arguements in this thread are so stupid! This was a demo vocal...not meant to be released...

[MarkRahilly]

who taught who the song?

[christheone8773]

@SpazChat  and I REALLY love YOU, too!!

[SpazChat]

@christheone8773 , And who the fuck is Mary? I don't think it was her record company, was it? Stupid fat ass, half baked talent cunt who turned down $4million for a reunion tour. Yeah, real "smart" :\

[SpazChat]

@oceanbound222 , I agree. Diana's version sounds inviting, uplifting, full of conviction, passionate, alluring. Syreeta's version sounds half baked, rushed, phrasing is terrible.

[MotownMaster]

@SpazChat and Diane is no Syreeta