Teena Marie
Wild And Peaceful - Expanded Edition


Venice, California, was Teena Marie’s launching pad, about as far away form the Motor City as one can be and still be in the lower 48. Born Mary Christine Brockert, “Tee” as a child showed promise as both an actress and singer; she performed in commercials and in one episode of the classic sitcom, The Beverly Hillbillies. While studying English Lit at Santa Monica City College, she landed a Motown-produced TV pilot called Orphanage Children. While the pilot never aired, Motown signed 20-year-old Teena Marie in 1975.


Four years passed, during which the white soul singer worked on demos with a variety of producers. Then, while practicing in a Motown office, she was discovered by Rick James. It was magic. Not since Stevie Wonder introduced Syreeta had Motown produced such synergy between superstar and apprentice. James co-produced with longtime engineer Art Stewart her 1979 debut, Wild and Peaceful, which featured Teena Marie’s first Top 10 single “I’m A Sucker For Your Love.”



What the album didn’t feature, at least in its U.S. incarnation, was a picture of Ms. Marie. Nervous that a white singer might not be embraced by urban radio, Lady T’s picture was left off the album cover, and her ethnicity wasn’t broached in any of the publicity material. And she sure didn’t sound white. The album climbed to #18 on the Soul LPs chart. Our reissue’s expanded packaging incorporates artwork from the LP’s European release, which did feature a pic of Teena. Also included is an essay by A. Scott Galloway and lots of quotes from Teena.



Wild And Peaceful: Expanded Edition was supervised by Teena Marie and is the first of three of her original Motown albums to get the Select remastered and expanded treatment. We’ve added three bonus tracks to the album’s original classic six: the 12” instrumental flipside of “I’m A Sucker For Your Love”; “You Got The Love,” a session outtake; and a stunning closer, “Every Little Bit Hurts.” Though another version of the latter, a cover of Brenda Holloway’s first Motown hit, was released on a 1994 Teena Marie hits collection, the artist pointedly told us… “wait, there’s a version with me and Rick. Find that.” One listen you’ll know why she remembered it more than 25 years after it was recorded.



Lady T’s tenure at Motown lasted four albums. She made a lasting mark, and her career continues to thrive more than two decades later.

Tracks:

1. I'm A Sucker For Your Love
2. Turnin' Me On
3. Don't Look Back
4. Déjà Vu (I've Been Here Before)
5. I'm Gonna Have My Cake (And Eat It Too)
6. I Can't Love Anymore
7. I'm A Sucker For Your Love (instrumental)
8. You Got The Love
9. Every Little Bit Hurts - with Rick James

silverchild said:

thanks for this. Even though i already have all of her early stuff (heheh on CD and Vinyl ) I'll still be picking up the Hip-O expanded editions as well up for sure.

Any hints at which other two will get this treatment? Hmmm...hard to pick only two out of "Lady T", "Irons In The Fire" & "It Must Be Magic" because all three are gems IMO. in fact If i could only have done 3 of the 4 Id've picked those last three and left off Wild & Peaceful.

That said I already have two versions each of 'Lady T' and "It Must Be Magic" on cd (they were re-issued & remastered with bonus tracks years back) If thy pick either of these I wonder what extras to the existing extras they've dug up for the Hip-O re-rereleases?

At any rate, if there's ONLY ONE Teena record that could get the special treatment, that should absolutely be my favorite T Album...the wonderful "Irons In the Fire". I wore that record OUT back then (several times:). "Irons In The Fire" definitely deserves the royal treatment and i hope they do something extra extra special for that one...

keep us posted!

.
[Edited 4/5/08 15:32pm]

justhemusic said:

This disc was actually released a few years ago when Hip-O was releasing other Motown LP's (chicks) by the likes of Syretta, Blinky and others.

This is definately my favorite Teena Marie album.

Yeah I was gonna say... this already been out!

I'm getting this!

Does anyone know...are there any plans to remaster/reissue the 'Lady T' and 'Irons In The Fire' CDs?

AWW SHIT!! I must get it, #1,2 & 5 are my shits!!!

vainandy said:

Really? I always try to pick my favorite album by her and I can never do it It would be a tie between 'Irons In The Fire' and 'It Must Be Magic'...with 'Robbery' close behind.