Kim Weston (1939 – ) is another great lady of soul, who has never received the proper recognition for her work. She was yet another Motown singer who was obscured by their group Supremes and their most magnificent lead singer, Diana Ross.
Kim in the early 60's, with The Andantes
Kim Weston is a third-generation fine art photographer from one of the most influential and creative families in American history. His recognition as a singularly creative artist and photographer continues a family legacy that traces its roots back to his grandfather Edward Weston, his.
Kim was signed to Motown 1962-67, and she made some truly great music there, but it was not given the right kind of promotion, and so all people remember of her Motown work is her two biggest hits “Take me in your arms (Rock me a little while)” and “Helpless”. And of course her 1966 album with Marvin Gaye, “Take Two” which included their hit single “It takes two”.
Kim Weston Photo
- Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston. 20th Century Masters: Weston, Kim. Emotion Kim Weston & the Motorcity All Stars. Kim Kim Kim Kim Weston. The Very Best Weston, Kim. It Should Have Been Me Weston, Kim. KIM WESTON 45 RPM Gonn KIM WESTON › (See all 10.
- View Kim Weston’s profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Kim has 5 jobs listed on their profile. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Kim’s connections.
- - The Very Best Of Motown (4 CD set) CD1 - 01 - The Marvelettes - Too Many Fish In The Sea.mp3 02 - The Contours - Do You Love Me.mp3 03 - The Velvelettes - He Was Really Saying Somethin'.mp3 04 - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Nowhere To Run.mp3 05 - Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Shotgun.mp3 06 - The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak 4 You).mp3 07 - The Temptations.
Kim in 2004, with Scherrie Payne and Brenda Holloway
Kim Weston in 1965 | |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Agatha Nathalia Weston |
| Born | December 20, 1939 (age 81) |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts | Marvin Gaye |
Kim Weston (born December 20, 1939) is an American soul singer, and Motownalumna. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs 'Love Me All the Way' and 'Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)', and with her duet with Marvin Gaye, 'It Takes Two'.
Singer Kim Weston
Career[edit]
Born Agatha Nathalia Weston in Detroit, Michigan, she was signed to Motown in 1961, scoring a minor hit with 'Love Me All the Way' (R&B No. 24, Pop #88). Weston's biggest solo hits with Motown were 'Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)' (R&B No. 4, Pop No. 50, 1965, later covered by the Isley Brothers, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Jermaine Jackson , the Doobie Brothers and Phil Collins), and 'Helpless' (R&B No. 13, Pop No. 56, entered Cashbox March 26, 1966, previously recorded by The Four Tops on their Second AlbumLP). Her biggest claim to fame was singing the classic hit 'It Takes Two' with Marvin Gaye in 1966 and her later recording of the Black National Anthem, 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'.[1] It was the success of 'It Takes Two' that caused Motown to partner Gaye with Tammi Terrell, spawning even more success for the label.
Weston left Motown in 1967 and later sued the label over disputes about royalties. She and her then-husband William 'Mickey' Stevenson (former A&R head at Motown) both went to MGM Records. Weston cut a couple of singles for MGM, 'I Got What You Need,' and 'Nobody,' which went largely unnoticed due to lack of airplay and promotion. She made an album for the label, This Is America, which included her popular version of the Black National Anthem, 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'. This was released as a single and featured in the movie Wattstax. All the money from the single was donated to the United Negro College Fund.
She recorded several more albums for various labels, Stax/Volt among them, and also made an album of duets with Johnny Nash. None of these recordings charted, and Weston reportedly relocated to Israel, where she worked with young singers.
Weston made a guest appearance on The Bill Cosby Show (1969–1971), in episode No. 50 in March 1971.
Along with many former Motown artists, she signed with Ian Levine's Motorcity Records in the 1980s, releasing the single 'Signal Your Intention', which peaked at No. 1 in the UK Hi-NRG charts. It was followed by the album Investigate (1990), which included some re-recordings of her Motown hits as well as new material. A second album for the label, Talking Loud (1992), was never released, although all the songs were included on the compilation The Best Of Kim Weston (1996).
Kim Weston Bio
Kim Weston was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013.
Discography[edit]
Studio albums
- 1966: Take Two (duet album with Marvin Gaye) (Tamla T 270)
- 1966: Take Me in Your Arms (Motown) (shelved)
- 1966: For the First Time (MGM SE-4477)
- 1968: This Is America (MGM SE-4561)
- 1969: Johnny Nash & Kim Weston (duet album with Johnny Nash) (Major Minor SMLP 54)
- 1970: Big Brass Four Poster (People PLP-5001)
- 1970: Kim Kim Kim (Volt VOS 6014)
- 1990: Investigate (Motorcity MOTCLP29)
- 1991: Talking Loud (Motorcity Records) (shelved)
Compilations
- 1991: Greatest Hits & Rare Classics
- 1996: The Very Best of the Motorcity Recordings
- 2003: 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kim Weston
- 2005: Motown Anthology
Live Releases
- 2020: Live in Detroit 1978
Chart Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | U.S. R&B | UK | |||
| 1963 | 'Love Me All the Way' | 88 | 24 | - | |
| 1964 | 'What Good Am I Without You' (duet with Marvin Gaye) | 61 | 28 | - | Take Two (1967) |
| 1965 | 'Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)' | 50 | 4 | - | |
| 1966 | 'Helpless' | 56 | 13 | - | |
| 1967 | 'It Takes Two' (duet with Marvin Gaye) | 14 | 4 | 16 | Take Two |
| 1967 | 'I Got What You Need' | 99 | - | - | |
| 1968 | 'Nobody' | - | 39 | - | |
| 1969 | 'We Try Harder' (duet with Johnny Nash) | 135 | - | - | |
| 1970 | 'Danger, Heartbreak Ahead' | - | 49 | - | |
| 1970 | 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing' | 120 | 50 | - | |
Further reading[edit]
- Whitall, Susan. For the Record: Women of Motown (1998, ISBN0-380-79379-2)
- Chafets, Ze'ev, 'Devil's Night: And Other True Tales of Detroit' (Random House, 1990, ISBN0-394-58525-9)
References[edit]
- ^Huey, Steve. 'Biography: Kim Weston'. AllMusic. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
Kim Weston Top Songs
External links[edit]
Kim Weston Photography
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Kim Weston on IMDb