Mike Terry’s standing and reputation among his
contemporaries is considerable.
The late Rudy Robinson, who played on many
sessions with him over the years, recollected “I
can picture him with his bari., his foot twisted
round his shin, blowing out some great licks. He
always came up with something different and he
was a top arranger. He was shy and quiet you
know, not one of those loud, kinda bossy guys.”
Singer Pat Lewis agrees, “ Everyone loved Mike
Terry. He could horse around with the other guys
in the studio but would get right down to
business when it was time. Mike is one of the
most talented men in music I know. I have a lot
of respect for him as a person and for his
music.”
Pianist Joe Hunter remembered his first sessions
and the impact he made “When Mike first came on
the scene with his baritone, the producers loved
his sound and they all wanted to use him to add
it to their records. That’s how he got to Motown.
And they used him on everything in the early
days.”
Al Kent wrote, produced and sometimes performed
many of the best songs recorded at the Golden
World Studios on Davison Avenue “Mike Terry was
essential to the sound we wanted. His sax would
provide that bass voice, like in a doowop group
kinda thing. It was like it was burping in the
background, and that gave the sound a depth. He
was unique. I don’t know if there were any other
baritone players in Detroit. If there were, they
never got a gig!”
Don Mancha is unequivocal about Terry’s talent.
“ There were four outstanding arrangers that I
had the privilege to work with – Mike Terry,
Sonny Sanders, Paul Riser and Wade Marcus. He
really was a special talent.”
Joshie ‘Jo’ Armstead, no slouch when it comes to
writing, performing and producing great music,
made a simple yet succinct assessment of his
talent. “I feel privileged to have worked with
Mike Terry. I love the guy. He made a great
contribution to American music.”
Sadly, the producers of ‘Standing in the shadows
of Motown’ were either unaware of his value, or
chose to ignore him, when assembling the
remaining Funk Brothers for the ‘Standing in the
Shadows’ movie - to their eternal shame.
Fortunately, the British rare soul scene has a
much more informed view of such matters, and
Mike Terry is revered, respected, even idolised,
for his many contributions to the great music he
helped create. His name on a label is a
guarantee of quality and excellence, and his
baritone playing still reverberates around
dancehalls and discotheques the length and
breadth of the country and across national
boundaries.
His legacy is indelibly etched in the musical
history that will transcend time and assure his
genius forever. Mike Terry - ‘Sax God’ – by
arrangement. A living legend.
music: "Not A
Chance In A Million" - Jock Mitchell (Impact
1023a)
Continued
