Terry worked on albums during this period too,
including a collection of instrumental covers by
an ensemble known as Detroit City Limits, and
the much revered Maxine Brown ‘Out of sight’
album for Epic. The album features several
standout tracks with Detroit connections. ‘Seems
you’ve forsaken my love’ is a beautiful lilting
ditty from the pens of Fred Bridges, Richard
Knight and Robert Eaton, collectively known as
The Brothers of Soul, who Terry had known since
the early sixties and really enjoyed working
with.
“ Man they were so talented as writers and
performers. And they could harmonize with the
best of ‘em. Fantastic guys too.” The stand out
track on the album though is a song written by
his old Motown buddy, Jack Ashford, the poignant
‘Don’t leave me baby’. Such was their
estrangement by this time, that Ashford had no
knowledge of the recording, and didn’t actually
hear it for the first time until 1998.
Terry worked with Jo Armstead again in 1968 on
an album project for Tetragrammaton Records with
Rhetta Hughes. The ‘Relight my fire’ album is
full of skilfully crafted songs, mainly written
by Armstead, but is keenly sought by collectors
for the stunning ‘Cry myself to sleep’. Many
regard this song as the finest collaboration
between Armstead and Terry.
His reputation in the industry led to
assignments all over the country for a variety
of artists. “ I would usually go where the
artist was but I preferred working in Detroit
because all my friends were here and I knew
everyone. If I went to New York I would use
Richard Tee and all his people up there. If I
went to California it was Joe Sample and all the
musicians were great there too.”
Ace songwriter/producer Don Juan Mancha
remembers the intensity and pressure of his work
schedule during that period. “He was so busy he
was doing sessions on the telephone. He was in
the hotel in Chicago one time writing out the
arrangements in his room as the musicians were
assembling in the studio. They wired up a
speakerphone into the studio and he conducted
them over the phone.”
music: "Don't
Leave Me Baby" - Maxine Brown (Epic
Album Track)
Continued
