Mona Raye (and a bit on Tracy Weber)

[Nano]

Last night I replayed "Do me" among other disco tracks, and once more it hit me how good this one is. I can enjoy this the same way I did more than 20 years ago... The funky-spacey guitar, the melody, her wonderful voice.
Who was this girl? I can't find any data of her on the web (it seems "Mona Rae" is quite a common name). Did she do other records? Also, who played and produced on "Do me"?

(NOTE: I retitled this topic for a better description of what's inside)

[Marcio**]

Also, who played and produced on "Do me"?

A very poor information, Nano :D
David Williams wrote and produced "Do Me". Jimmy Ross, Karen Silver and Front Line Orchestra also belong to Quality Records :D .




http://www.black-music-collectors.co...ls/Quality.htm

[Nano]

Thanks for that link, Marcio. At least we know about this David Williams guy. And that this is "a Tee Scott mix". I wonder if anyone knows these fellas.
There are several David Williams in AllMusic.com. One of those is a guitar player from Trinidad (born 1946) who played in several records by George Benson, Aretha, Diana Ross (both on their disco days), Shalamar and Michael Jackson. Could this be our guy? Apparently he was in high demand by the first and middle Eighties.
Well... in fact, browsing AllMusic.com pages it seems this guy is listed as three different guys at least. He could be a jazz bass player (recorded with Cedar Walton) who did sessions in his free time. But his credits are mixed with a guy who played violin on the London Symphony Orchestra's recording of Frank Zappa stuff, so this couldn't be the same musician... Sometimes AllMusic makes me go arrrghhh!!! :x

Anyway, your link is interesting because Quality lists some other favorites of mine (but none of them produced by Williams himself). Two other things startled me:
1) It features a second single by Tracy Weber of "Sure shot" fame. The song is called "On step at a time" (ONE step at a time?), features catalogue number QUS-043, and was released in 1983. However, I remember Boodikka mentioning here that Weber was shot and killed in 1982, shortly after "Sure shot" came out (Boodi mention this again in Weber's page on the "Disco people" section of this site). Anyone knows about or has this single?
2) In Karen Silver's credits for her Set me free album, it says that Gino Soccio produced it... EXCEPT the two most known tracks, "Set me free" and "Nobody else". However, in DiscoMusic A-Z I can see the record's centerpiece showing it was Gino behind "Nobody else".
So, counting on that mistake, it's harder to believe Tracy Weber was alive in 1983... Well, maybe I should make another post with this. :-?

And another thing: Quality's page spells it as "Mona RAYE" (same name I remember seeing in the vinyl compilation where I discovered the track long ago). However, AllMusic puts it as "Mona RAE"... Maybe she was one of The RAES? :)

Help!

[Nano]

Hey! It seems Tee Scott was really a famous DJ. AllMusic has an entry with bio and all. He's also featured in the "In memory" section of this site (he died in 1995).

I'm answering myself :)

[Forrrce]

Well... in fact, browsing AllMusic.com pages it seems this guy is listed as three different guys at least. He could be a jazz bass player (recorded with Cedar Walton) who did sessions in his free time.

It features a second single by Tracy Weber of "Sure shot" fame. The song is called "On step at a time" (ONE step at a time?), features catalogue number QUS-043, and was released in 1983. However, I remember Boodikka mentioning here that Weber was shot and killed in 1982, shortly after "Sure shot" came out (Boodi mention this again in Weber's page on the "Disco people" section of this site). Anyone knows about or has this single?
So, counting on that mistake, it's harder to believe Tracy Weber was alive in 1983... Well, maybe I should make another post with this. :-?

And another thing: Quality's page spells it as "Mona RAYE" (same name I remember seeing in the vinyl compilation where I discovered the track long ago). However, AllMusic puts it as "Mona RAE"... Maybe she was one of The RAES? :)

Help!

David Williams, the man behind the 'Soul Is Free' LP and 'Come On Down, Boogie People' track is the jazz bass player, I believe. I have many records with him on as a bassist (as leader as well as guest) and I've seen him live with Walton. He looks exactly like the AVI disco artist of same name.

The Tracey Weber story may be true, as I heard similar tales many years ago. The words 'boyfriend' and 'drugs' were mentioned - it may even have been a case of mistaken identity.
'One Step At A Time' (QRFC-043) is nothing like 'Sure Shot' - it's a rather basic, bass-synth led, Euro-pop type track. I never liked it. The flip, however, has the instrumental of 'Sure Shot' (as a bonus track), which appeared on very few copies of the grey labelled original (I've had 3 different configurations of QRFC-005). The instrumental has a more upfront mix and features the full string backing, muted on the vocal versions. 'One Step At A Time'/'Sure Shot' (inst.) was issued by Unidisc as a CD single in the early '90s, but wasn't on their catalogue for long.

Mona Raye's 'Do Me' also came out on small New York independent, Park Place. I've always assumed this was the original mix/issue. I'm thinking she had an LP later on Atlantic...might be confusing her with Mikki.

[Nano]

Interesting... I downloaded two versions of "Do me" from Soulseek. The one that I remember clocks in at 6.30 and has the tag "81 Park Place 12"". The other one, more instrumental, lasts 8.23. However, in both archives the artist is mentioned as "Mona Rae". Damn! :-?

Forrrce, you are insightful as usual! But now I'm dissapointed... Yesterday I believed there was another Tracy Weber gem waiting to be discovered. "Sure shot" was one of my top faves from those last years of disco... :cry:

[NickNack]

The flip, however, has the instrumental of 'Sure Shot' (as a bonus track), which appeared on very few copies of the grey labelled original (I've had 3 different configurations of QRFC-005).

Tracy confustion --- ain't it the truth!

1983 - QUS 043
Side 1 One Step At A Time 5:57
Side 2 One Step At A Time (instr.) 3:57 / Sure Shot (instr.) 5:42
("One Step..." mixed by John Driscoll & Bert Coleman)

1981 - QRFC 005
Side 1 Sure Shot 5:46 (A Larry Levan Mix)
Side 2 Sure Shot (instr.) 5:42

1981 - QRFC 005 :o
Side 1 Sure Shot 5:46 (A Larry Levan Mix)
Side 2 Sure Shot (instr.) 7:18 (A Larry Levan Mix)

[NickNack]

Interesting... I downloaded two versions of "Do me" from Soulseek. The one that I remember clocks in at 6.30 and has the tag "81 Park Place 12"". The other one, more instrumental, lasts 8.23. However, in both archives the artist is mentioned as "Mona Rae". Damn! :-?

Maybe this will clear it up:

1981 Park Place Records, ALI-121081, "Do Me" (vocal/instrumental) 7:15, Mona Raye

1981 Quality RFC Records, QRFC 003, Side 1 "Do Me" 5:48 / Side 2 "Do Me" 8:28, Mona Rae, both versions are 'A Tee Scott Mix'.

[Nano]

Wow! So the name was differently spelled on each label? :o :o :o
We've certainly found something here. :)
Are these two labels American, or European, or one of each?

I guess my Park Place mp3 was faded a minute before the real end (my old tape had it mixed with another song, so I didn't know where it ended). Great job Nicky... And those Tracy 12"s with the same catalogue number! :o Sounds like a collector's nightmare.

[NickNack]

Wow! So the name was differently spelled on each label? :o :o :o
We've certainly found something here. :)
Are these two labels American, or European, or one of each?

Park Place Records
159 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10028

Quality/RFC Records
Quality Records Limited
380 Birchmount Rd
Scarborough, Ontario MTK TM7
Canada

Quality Records of America (this is the 'QUS' label)
161 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019 (Made In Canada)