Margie Joseph
Encyclopedia
Margaret Marie "Margie" Joseph (b. August 19, 1950) is an American
R&B, soul
and gospel
singer. Her greatest success came in the 1970s, with her biggest hits being her version of Paul McCartney
's "My Love", her version of The Supremes
' "Stop! In the Name of Love
" and her duet with Blue Magic
. "What's Come Over Me")
, and sang in her church choir. In 1967, during her time attending Dillard University
in New Orleans where she studied speech and drama, she recorded some demos
at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
s. This led to her debut on the Okeh label , "Why Does a Man Have to Lie?". In 1969, she signed with Volt Records, a subsidiary of Stax
, and recorded the single "One More Chance" with producer Willie Tee
. Her next single, "Your Sweet Lovin'", produced by Freddy Briggs, became her first hit, reaching # 46 on the Billboard
R&B chart. Its follow-up, a version of The Supremes
' "Stop! In the Name of Love
" also became a minor hit on the pop chart (# 96 pop, # 38 R&B). An eight-minute version of the track, arranged by Dale Warren
, together with an Isaac Hayes
-inspired rap entitled "Woman Talk," featured on her 1971 album, Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression. Her second album, Phase II, in 1972, also featured a Supremes cover, "My World Is Empty Without You
," but failed to achieve the same success.
She then signed to the Atlantic
label, and worked with producer Arif Mardin
, winning her comparisons with Aretha Franklin
. A string of R&B hits followed, with her version of Paul McCartney
's "My Love" becoming her most successful record, reaching # 69 on the Hot 100 and # 10 on the R&B chart in 1974. The album Margie, in 1975, is sometimes regarded as her creative peak, and contained the singles "Words (Are Impossible)" and "Stay Still." She then recorded with the group Blue Magic
, having another hit with a duet version of "What's Come Over Me" (R&B # 11). In 1976, she moved to Cotillion Records
to make the album Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling, produced by Lamont Dozier
, the title track reaching # 18 on the R&B chart. Returning to Atlantic, she then recorded the album Feeling My Way with producer Johnny Bristol
, but with diminishing commercial success, and she was released from her contract. After recording an album with Dexter Wansel
for the WMOT label, which went unreleased when the label closed down, she decided to turn to a teaching career. However, she recorded the single "Knockout" for the small H.C.R.C. label in 1982, and it became her last big hit, reaching # 12 on the R&B chart. She re-signed to Cotillion and recorded the 1984 album Ready for the Night with producer Narada Michael Walden
, but was then dropped by the label.
She returned to work in human services, recording and releasing a gospel album, Latter Rain, in 2006.
Many of her earlier recordings have been reissued on CD. There is also a CD which features Margie, Blue Magic
and Major Harris
, recorded live at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, released in 2006 on the Collectables label.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer. Her greatest success came in the 1970s, with her biggest hits being her version of Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's "My Love", her version of The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
' "Stop! In the Name of Love
Stop! In the Name of Love
"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number-one position on the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States from March 21, 1965...
" and her duet with Blue Magic
Blue Magic
Blue Magic can refer to:* Blue Magic , a R&B and soul music vocal quintet.*"Blue Magic" , a song from rapper Jay-Z's album American Gangster...
. "What's Come Over Me")
Life and career
Margie Joseph was born in Gautier, MississippiGautier, Mississippi
Gautier is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States, along the Gulf of Mexico west of Pascagoula. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,681 at the 2000 census. In 2002, Gautier annexed land nearly doubling its population to...
, and sang in her church choir. In 1967, during her time attending Dillard University
Dillard University
Dillard University is a private, historically black liberal arts college in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 1930 incorporating earlier institutions that went back to 1869, it is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church....
in New Orleans where she studied speech and drama, she recorded some demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,in 1969 when musicians Barry Beckett , Roger Hawkins , Jimmy Johnson and David Hood left FAME Studios to create their own studio...
s. This led to her debut on the Okeh label , "Why Does a Man Have to Lie?". In 1969, she signed with Volt Records, a subsidiary of Stax
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
, and recorded the single "One More Chance" with producer Willie Tee
Willie Tee
Willie Tee was an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, producer and notable early architect of New Orleans funk and soul, who helped shape the sound of New Orleans for more than four decades.-Biography:...
. Her next single, "Your Sweet Lovin'", produced by Freddy Briggs, became her first hit, reaching # 46 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B chart. Its follow-up, a version of The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
' "Stop! In the Name of Love
Stop! In the Name of Love
"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number-one position on the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States from March 21, 1965...
" also became a minor hit on the pop chart (# 96 pop, # 38 R&B). An eight-minute version of the track, arranged by Dale Warren
Dale Warren
Dale Ossman Warren was an American musician, who was best known for his work as an arranger for Motown Records in the early 1960s, and later for the Stax label where he worked with Isaac Hayes among many others...
, together with an Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
-inspired rap entitled "Woman Talk," featured on her 1971 album, Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression. Her second album, Phase II, in 1972, also featured a Supremes cover, "My World Is Empty Without You
My World Is Empty Without You
"My World Is Empty Without You" is a 1965 song recorded and released as a single by The Supremes for the Motown label.-Overview:Written and produced by Motown's main production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song's slow tempo accompanies a somber lyric which delves into the feelings of...
," but failed to achieve the same success.
She then signed to the Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
label, and worked with producer Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
, winning her comparisons with Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
. A string of R&B hits followed, with her version of Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's "My Love" becoming her most successful record, reaching # 69 on the Hot 100 and # 10 on the R&B chart in 1974. The album Margie, in 1975, is sometimes regarded as her creative peak, and contained the singles "Words (Are Impossible)" and "Stay Still." She then recorded with the group Blue Magic
Blue Magic (band)
Blue Magic is an American soul music group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972, they were originally composed of lead Ted Mills, Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, and Richard Pratt...
, having another hit with a duet version of "What's Come Over Me" (R&B # 11). In 1976, she moved to Cotillion Records
Cotillion Records
Cotillion Records was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records and was active from 1968 through 1985. The label was originally formed as an outlet for blues and deep Southern soul; its first single, Otis Clay's version of "She's About A Mover", reached the R&B charts. Cotillion's catalog quickly expanded...
to make the album Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling, produced by Lamont Dozier
Lamont Dozier
Lamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
, the title track reaching # 18 on the R&B chart. Returning to Atlantic, she then recorded the album Feeling My Way with producer Johnny Bristol
Johnny Bristol
Johnny Bristol , was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, but with diminishing commercial success, and she was released from her contract. After recording an album with Dexter Wansel
Dexter Wansel
Dexter Gilman Wansel is an American keyboardist, raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He contributed to the development of the Philly Sound and worked with producers Gamble and Huff at Philadelphia International Records. Wansel led the musical group, Yellow Sunshine...
for the WMOT label, which went unreleased when the label closed down, she decided to turn to a teaching career. However, she recorded the single "Knockout" for the small H.C.R.C. label in 1982, and it became her last big hit, reaching # 12 on the R&B chart. She re-signed to Cotillion and recorded the 1984 album Ready for the Night with producer Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
, but was then dropped by the label.
She returned to work in human services, recording and releasing a gospel album, Latter Rain, in 2006.
Many of her earlier recordings have been reissued on CD. There is also a CD which features Margie, Blue Magic
Blue Magic
Blue Magic can refer to:* Blue Magic , a R&B and soul music vocal quintet.*"Blue Magic" , a song from rapper Jay-Z's album American Gangster...
and Major Harris
Major Harris
Major Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All American and finished third and fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989...
, recorded live at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, released in 2006 on the Collectables label.
Singles (chart hits only)
| Year | Title | Label & Cat. No. | U.S. Pop Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "Your Sweet Lovin'" | Volt 4037 | |
|
| 1971 | "Stop! In The Name Of Love" | Volt 4056 | |
|
| 1973 | "Let's Stay Together" | Atlantic 2954 | |
|
| 1973 | "Come Lay Some Lovin' On Me" | Atlantic 2988 | |
|
| 1974 | "My Love" | Atlantic 3032 | |
|
| 1974 | "Words (Are Impossible)" | Atlantic 3220 | |
|
| 1975 | "Stay Still" | Atlantic 3290 | |
|
| 1975 | "What's Come Over Me" with Blue Magic Blue Magic Blue Magic can refer to:* Blue Magic , a R&B and soul music vocal quintet.*"Blue Magic" , a song from rapper Jay-Z's album American Gangster... |
Atco / WMOT 7030 | |
|
| 1976 | "Hear The Words, Feel The Feeling" | Cotillion 44201 | |
|
| 1976 | "Don't Turn The Lights Off" | Cotillion 44207 | |
|
| 1978 | "Come On Back To Me Lover" | Atlantic 3445 | |
|
| 1978 | "I Feel His Love Getting Stronger" | Atlantic 3509 | |
|
| 1982 | "Knockout" | H.C.R.C. 03337 | |
|
| 1984 | "Ready For The Night" | Cotillion 99771 | |
|
Albums
- 1971: Margie Joseph Makes A New Impression (Volt 6012)
- 1972: Phase II (Volt 6016)
- 1974: Margie (Atlantic 7248)
- 1974: Sweet Surrender (Atlantic 7277)
- 1976: Blue Magic-Major Harris-Margie Joseph Live! (WMOT 2-5000)
- 1976: Hear The Words, Feel The Feeling (Cotillion 99006)
- 1978: Feeling My Way (Atco 19182)
- 1983: Knockout! (HCRC 20009 )
- 1984: Ready For The Night (Atco 1984)
- 1988: Stay (Itchiban 1027)
- 2006: Latter Rain (Sista Praise CD 700 )
- 2006: Blue Magic-Major Harris-Margie Joseph Live! CD (Collectables)