Release Date: 23 June 2023
Label: Soulmusic Records / Cherry Red
Packaging Type: Brilliant Case (Jewel Case size, Holds 2 CDs)
No of Units: 4
Barcode: 5013929091030
Description
Longtime friends Martha Wash and Izora Armstead first began performing together in gospel group News Of The World, before successfully auditioning for gay disco icon Sylvester in the mid-70s and signing to Fantasy Records. Dubbed Two Tons Of Fun, the ladies toured the world with Sylvester for several years, adding gospel fire to his disco grooves before inevitably branching out on their own.
The anthemic ‘It’s Raining Men’ made them international stars in their own right in 1982 when the outrageous hi-HRG disco juggernaut topped charts across the globe. Renamed The Weather Girls, disco hitmaker Paul Jabara tailored their debut album ‘Success’ to suit their outsize personalities, crafting a six-song mini-musical mixing soaring disco, extravagant Broadway-style orchestrations and campy humour.
The albums ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ and ‘The Weather Girls’ followed, seeing the duo expand their sound into electro-funk, gospel-laced ballads and dance-orientated pop, working with producers including Full Force (Lisa Lisa, James Brown), Reggie Lucas (Madonna, Stephanie Mills) and Richard Scher (Jennifer Holliday).
After her voice was infamously used uncredited on huge club hits by the likes of C+C Music Factory and Black Box, Martha decided to try her hand at a solo career, recording her debut - simply entitled ‘Martha Wash’ - in the early 90s and being immediately embraced by clubland. Martha’s first two solo releases - the club classics ‘Carry On’ and ‘Give It To You’ both topped Billboard’s dance charts, followed by the Top 10 ‘Runaround’ while the acclaimed album saw Wash join forces with the likes of Todd Terry, The Basement Boys, Brian Alexander Morgan and Masters At Work.
Compiled and produced for SoulMusic Records by Adam Mattera, the set includes career-spanning liner notes by music historian Tim Dillinger including interviews w
Tracklisting
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Tko
Tim Hollier
The Spinners
The Residents
Max Bygraves
Nikka Costa
Various Artists
Various Artists
Mr Bongo Edits
Sai Galaxy
Marc Davis
YIN YIN
