The Marvelettes - Sophisticated Soul

So I finally got my hands on a copy of the Marvelettes' Sophisticated Soul album.

The Marvelettes - Sophisticated Soul
Tamla, 1968

For years I have wanted this album because I am in love with the song, "You're the One For Me Bobby" (Not to be confused with the song "You're the One" which was also on this album and released as single). It was always just outside my reach.

I never ran across it in record stores. I could never find a copy of it online except for copies overseas. Those overseas copies would run $30, $40, sometimes as much as $60. Which I might have paid but when you add international shipping, it wasn't worth it. There never seemed to be copies for sale in the United States.

I once met a guy who ran a record stand at a flea market in Macon, Georgia. He swore up and down he had a copy of it in a storage unit. I told him I wanted it. He said it would be more than his usual $5. I told him I would pay the $30 he was asking for it. Each week I went back, he never had it. That was as close as I ever got.


This album didn't have a hit on it. Plus, Gladys Horton had left the group (though her voice does appear on the album as a backing vocal on "You're the One"), and Anne Bogan had stepped in to replace her. Even though there was production and writing by Smokey Robinson and Ashford and Simpson, and instuments played by the Funk Brothers, the album didn't produce a big hit. Not to mention Sophisticated Soul came towards the end of the Marvelettes run. This all adds up to there just weren't as many copies of this one as there were some other Marvelettes albums.

The album was such an afterthought of the #Motown catalog that it never made it to CD or mp3. So, I was just screwed. No "You're the One For Me Bobby" for me.

Then one day last week I look up the album - as I would do for time to time - and there are copies everywhere! All over the United States. Just about all of them were $10 and under. It's like a warehouse was found with dead stock cases or something.

So now, I own two copies. And I will probably buy a third one to trade!

Now next on my list of records to get is Kiosk's "Mona Call" (Good luck with that one, right?)

Follow more of my record collecting stories on Instagram.

Record Collecting: Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur - Southern Winds
Warner Brothers, 1978
Produced and arranged by Christopher Bond
Features Les Dudek on slide guitar

I was first introduced to Maria Muldaur's music through my Instagram buddy @minglewoodblues. She posted a picture of Geoff and Maria Muldaur's album Sweet Potatoes. Since my favorite dessert happens to be sweet potato pie, and I was getting ready to bake my first sweet potato pie of the season, I decided to listen to it. After telling @minglewoodblues that I really enjoyed it, she suggested I take a listen to this Maria Muldaur solo album.

She mentioned a track titled "I'll Keep My Light In My Window". I recognized the song from Quantic and Alice Russell's album, Look Around The Corner.I thought that Muldaur's version might be the original version of the song, however when I got my hands on this copy of the album I noticed the song writing credits went to Leonard Caston and Terri McFadden, names I recognized from Motown.Turns out the original was done by the little known Motown duo, Caston & Majors. Now my hunt continues to find that version.

But back to Maria Muldaur. Along with the Caston & Majors song, she covers a few songs by Leon Russell, and JJ Cale's "Cajun Moon". Her singing is strong, yet sultry, and still leaves room for a touch of playfulness. Her backing band is solid. This one is a treat that you can pick up at a cheap price.