Beverly & Duane - Beverly & Duane (LP 1978 Ariola America - CD 1997 Expansion) - Rare Soul (FLAC 188MB)

A Lost Detroit Gem!!!..The Duo were Beverly Wheeler & Duane Williams. In 1977, the Duo were signed by Ariola Capitol EMI Records, with their first album due out in 1978 recorded in Detroit originally & was going to be released by Fee records of Detroit. Detroit Soul Legend & Producer Willie Hatcher (who had some connection to Fee but at this stage is unverified) was “Glad I Gotcha, Baby” and was released with an extended length version (on here). Highlights for me are the stunning love songs/steppers "I Wanna Be With You" & “Living In A World (All By Myself) and the Rare Northern Gem " I Found Love". The album is produced by Will Hatcher, an artist in his own right who met Beverly & Duane through appearing on a Detroit TV show ‘The Scene’ on station WGPR. Having performed ‘You Haven’t Seen Nothing Yet, ‘Till The Love You’re Gonna Get’ he was interviewed about his singing and record company Wheelsville. He told viewers he was looking for outstanding singers to record, and after giving his phone number out on air was contacted immediately by Duane. At the time Duane played piano and organ at his father’s church where Beverly regularly sang. As Beverly & Duane they also performed in and around the Detroit club scene while pursuing a record deal. After hooking up with Will Hatcher they collaborated on the songs for this album which when finished got overheard by Will’s record company executive friend Woody Wilson. Another Detroit act Chapter 8 had landed a deal at Ariola through Woody, so through this connection Will Hatcher leased Beverly & Duane to the same major label and put them on tour with The Floaters. Beverly & Duane had two American hits from this album, ‘We Got To Stick Together’ and ‘Glad I Gotcha Baby’ after which they got married and moved to California and settled down. Beverly toured subsequent to the albums release in expectation of the duo’s first child & she was still working as an administrative assistant at Ford Motor Company at that time & to my knowledge didn't record again after this album. Duane remained active in the record business and singing in and around the Detroit area till their move to L.A. Soul Junction put out an album by duane in 2009 now long deleted from stock of his unreleased recordings that i may have hidden away somewhere. I want to thank USMAN47 for asking me if i had it otherwise it may have stayed hidden in my collection forever thats why i like requests to jog this old memory of mine. Highly Recommended album for Quality Detroit Soul IMHO a Masterpiece!

AMM 

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