Search - Yvonne Fair :: The Bitch Is Black

It Should Have Been Yvonne

Dexter | Scotland | 05/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well today I welcomed a dear old friend back into my home and what a delight that was. She looked good and sounded even better than ever and I learned so much about her that I didn't know before. I am talking about receiving my brand new remastered never before officially released on CD copy of Yvonne Fair's `The Bitch Is Black'.



This is one of my top two favourite Motown albums from the `70's and I'm thrilled that it's now been recognised for the classic that it is. There is a 20 page booklet filled with fascinating stories about Yvonne's life courtesy of her daughter & ex-husband and many lovely photographs. The music is timeless earth shaking soul delivered in Yvonne's own inimitable style. She weaves her magic spell covering songs like `Tell Me Something Good', `Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On' with an non-credited Marvin Gaye & `Let Your Hair Down' making them sound like they were written just for her. No one could ignore Yvonne's plea to `Stay A Little Longer'. I love all 10 tracks but if I had to pick just one it would have be the gut wrenching `It's Bad For Me To See You' which never fails to reduce me to tears as it's a song with which I can personally identify.



`The Bitch Is Black' has been a part of my life since Yvonne's definitive version of `It Should Have Been Me' started its journey up the UK charts in '76 where it peaked at #5. As a result of that hit I bought the album and fell in love with Yvonne's voice and longed for her to release a follow up which sadly never happened. However `The Bitch Is Black' has become her enduring legacy and now with this release on Reel Music I'm sure that Yvonne will gain many more fans.



My grateful thanks to Paul Williams and all those associated with this release.

"

The Bitch is Black

Michael Payne | 05/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For all of the young people out there who are just

discovering motown, I have to let you know that this

cd is a must have. this is a real sample of old school

r&b at it's best. Norman Whitefild, who around that time

recieved grammys or nominations for the Temptation's

'papa was a rolling stone' and 'cloud nine' was on a roll.

Yvonne is an r&b Diva. The theatrics and excitment on

every cut is spectacular! Patti and Aretha, I like,

but I think they did alot of sceaming, where as Yvonne

Belts and pleads the lyrics. You really beleive that

she has lived the pain that she so forcfully sings about."

A Fair treat!

Per Larsson | Kumla, Sweden | 05/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Artists were not treated fairly by the Motown machine during the 1960's and early 1970's. Some acts, nonetheless talented, had huge successes, whereas other acts had not, despite being equally or in Yvonne's case even more talented than many others. Yvonne already recorded for Motown in the late 1960's, but didn't have any of her material released until the single "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" b/w "Let Your Hair Down" in June 1974. The album "The Bitch Is Black" followed one year later.



With this release the album "The Bitch Is Black" steps into the digital age for the first time and it's about time! Yvonne's a fantastic singer and she squeezes the most out of every song on this album, including the definitive rendition of "It Should Have Been Me". In most cases, I prefer my soul to be from the 1960's, but Yvonne's voice begs me to differ.



If you're not convinced already, the songs on the album have been remastered and have never sounded better. A 20-page booklet accompanies the CD, containing some good photos and great stories of Yvonne's life, including her touring with James Brown during the 1960's and her years at Motown. I thought I knew Yvonne, but I learned alot from this booklet.



The only thing that I can complain about is the lack of unissued material. Nevertheless, this release offers a great opportunity to hear the sounds, watch the images and learn the stories of one of the best and truly most underappreciated soul singers from the 1960/1970's."