Teena Marie (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010) – A.W.O.L. (Absence Without Love) (1982)
Lady T wrote, sang, and played synthesizer on this superb, little known funk bomb by Carl Anderson, produced by Minnie Riperton's former husband Richard Rudolph.
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Teena Marie was a multi-talented singer/songwriter, musician and producer who first rose to fame as Rick James’ protégé. Beloved by fans, she became known as Lady T and the Ivory Queen of Soul. She was invited on Soul Train more than any other white artist, appearing on the show nine times.
Born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, CA, she was the second youngest of six children and singing by age two. She credited her love of music to her parents’ “great musical taste” and how at their house, “everybody was always listening to something different.” Friday nights were record nights and “we would just dance and sing and have a great time.”
She learned to play the guitar, bass and congas on her own. She later formed an R&B band with her younger brother and cousin. Her family moved to Los Angeles in the early 70s, and she spent her high school years in Oakwood, the historically Black section of Venice. In 1974-75 she and some classmates formed a rock band called Truvair with her as lead singer.
Brockert auditioned for Motown in 1976 while fronting another group. Berry Gordy signed her as a solo artist, and she recorded material with various producers over the next few years, but nothing was released.
Finally, she crossed paths with labelmate Rick James who immediately recognized her talent. He produced her debut LP, Wild And Peaceful, released on March 31, 1979 and credited to Teena Marie. James wrote most of its songs, with the notable exception of the jazz standard-flavored “I'm Gonna Have My Cake (And Eat It Too),” which she co-wrote with Michelle Holland.
He wrote and performed a funktastic duet with her that became the record’s biggest single, the #8 R&B hit “I’m a Sucker for Your Love.” Gordy deliberately decided not to include any photos of her on the album’s covers or inner sleeve, leading many fans to assume she was Black.
Her coming out as white (she described her ancestry as Portuguese, Italian, Puerto Rican, Irish, and Native American) happened when she and James performed “I’m a Sucker for Your Love” in a legendary appearance on Soul Train later in 1979.
The following year, her second album Lady T (1980) was released. This time her photos were prominently featured. In a radio interview from 1981, she discussed why she thought Black audiences had embraced her. "My records have always gone Black. ‘Sucker For Love’ was an R&B song. It's a place that I like to be, and it's a place that I came from."
Teena Marie wrote and played on the little known funk bomb “A.W.O.L. (Absence Without Love)” by Carl Anderson. The 12" was commercially released in 1982 on Epic Records, and featured her on vocals and synthesizer. She also arranged the track's vocals. It was produced by Minnie Riperton's former husband Richard Rudolph. She was godmother to their daughter Maya, and also Marvin Gaye’s daughter Nona.
“A.W.O.L.” was the title track to Anderson's debut LP that came out later that year. He was a singer and actor best known for portraying Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, both in the original Broadway production, the 1973 film, and numerous subsequent revivals and touring productions. He also had roles on the groundbreaking TV show Hill Street Blues and Steven Spielberg’s classic adaptation of the Alice Walker novel The Color Purple (1985).
He was supposedly one of the many personnel who helped create the greatest album of the twentieth century, Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life (1976), but remained uncredited. Following A.W.O.L., Anderson released another eight LP’s throughout his recording career.
Other personnel on the album included Tom MacDermott on lead guitar, Paul Jackson Jr. on rhythm guitar, Freddie Washington on bass, John "JR" Robinson (of Rufus and Chaka Khan) on drums, David Boruff on saxophone, Lew McCreary on trombone, Gary Grant on trumpet, and Jerry Hey on trumpet and flugelhorn, who also arranged the horns.
Backing vocalists were Becky Lopez-Porter, Darryl Phinnessee, John Lehman, Myrna Matthews, Paulette McWilliams, Stephanie Spruill, and the legendary Jim Gilstrap.
A big thank you to writer Bob Davis of the essential site Soul-Patrol.com for alerting us to this stellar footage from the press conference Teena Marie held in 2008 after being given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. She answered questions from him and other music journalists about her life and career, including her efforts to keep Rick James’ memory alive.
#funk #soul #CarlAnderson #RickJames #TeenaMarie
Whoooo! Shoop-de-bop.