Clay McMurray

Manufacturer/engineer Clay McMurray is most beneficial known for Spyder Turner’s edition of Ben E. King’s “THE STAND BY POSITION Me,” a high 20 pop strike that peaked at quantity 12 on Feb 11, 1967. McMurray can be known for co-writing (with Gloria Jones and Pam Sawyer) the traditional ballad “EASILY Were YOUR LOVER.” McMurray created the first strike edition for Gladys Knight as well as the Pips if they had been authorized to Motown’s subsidiary Soul label. The solitary went to number 1 R&B on January 23, 1971, and TOP pop in Feb 1971, going precious metal. An album, EASILY Were YOUR LOVER, was released Apr 1971 and included the wonderful ballad “I Don’t Wish to accomplish Incorrect” (TOP R&B) and addresses of Sly as well as the Family members Stone’s “Everybody’s a Superstar” and Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright.” Included in numerous performers, “EASILY Were YOUR LOVER” was popular one by Stephanie Mills and was the name an eye on her 1987 MCA Information record. The LP included the main R&B strike “(You’re Puttin) a Hurry on Me” (Oct 10, 1987). While a scholar and doing work for an insurance provider, McMurray posted Turner’s cover of “THE STAND BY POSITION Me” being a demonstration to MGM Information. Basically, the demonstration was Turner executing “guesstimating” imitations of Jackie Wilson, David Ruffin, Billy Stewart, Smokey Robinson, and Chuck Jackson performing “THE STAND BY POSITION Me.” MGM released the demonstration as an archive, giving Turner a significant pop strike. MGM released a 1967 recording, THE STAND BY POSITION Me, as well as the follow-up solitary, “I CANNOT ALLOW IT TO BE Anymore,” charted quantity 95 pop that same yr. In order to become more proficient in the record business, McMurray got a promotions work with Arc-Jay-Kay Distribution in Detroit. 3 years later on, he was employed by Motown’s quality control division, which basically intended that he critically paid attention to every Motown record before it had been released. After 2 yrs, McMurray was employed being a manufacturer at Motown. In 1971, McMurray had taken over creation of Gladys Knight as well as the Pips from Norman Whitfield (“I Noticed It With the Grapevine”). Pam Sawyer posted a melody, “EASILY Were YOUR LOVER,” that she and Gloria Jones wrote and directed at McMurray for Gladys Knight as well as the Pips. Whitfield urged McMurray to record the melody, saying that it might be lots one strike. Knight initially turned down the melody until Motown creator/chief executive Berry Gordy intervened. The music became the group’s second number 1 R&B strike. The creation and writing projects began to move set for McMurray, like the Wonders’ “Nowhere to visit,” co-written with Gary Concerns and Dennis Jackson using their wonderful, first post-Robinson recording, Renaissance; Kiki Dee’s 1971 Motown debut Great Objectives; the Four Tops; the Spinners; Gladys Knight as well as the Pips; a co-production within the Temptations’ Xmas Card recording; Undisputed Truth’s Woman You’re Alright; as well as the Supremes. He also created and wrote music for folk rocker Paul Parrish’s Forest of My Brain album. McMurray wedded Karen Pree from the Pree Sisters. The group disbanded and McMurray started dealing with his wife being a single artist. Shifting to L.A., he recognized a position because the A&R movie director at Norman Whitfield’s Whitfield Information. He blended the film soundtrack from the 1976 General Pictures discharge Carwash. The MCA Information album proceeded to go platinum. The name track, recorded from the music group Rose Royce, was lots one R&B strike for 14 days on Dec 26, 1976, and lots one pop strike on January 29, 1977. Two additional strike singles had been released: “I Wanna Obtain Next for you” (TOP R&B and pop) and “I AM GOING Down” (TOP R&B). Turner composed popular for the music group titled “Perform Your Dance” and documented an record, Music Internet (released January 1978), for Whitfield/Warner Bros. Three singles had been released: “COULD IT BE Like You’re After,” “I AM Waitin’,” and “Tomorrow’s Just Yesterday.” IN-MAY 1977, the McMurrays began their very own record creation company, Like ‘n Ease and comfort Entertainment Company, and music posting businesses Claka Music and Farrah Music. In June 1977, MCA released Karen Pree, made by McMurray. It had been a musically assorted display for Pree’s very clear, laid-back vocals that included a cover of “Cry Me a River.” McMurray also co-produced an recording for Rick Western for the label. That same yr, New Birth protected one of is own songs, “Your Like Is in my own Veins,” on the 1977 RCA LP Reincarnation, made by McMurray’s ex-Motown colleague Frank Wilson. Later on, McMurray shared executive credits on numerous albums and his previously works are available on several compilations and reissues.