Thelma Houston is definitely underrated. The music industry is so crude and cutthroat. They didn't give her what was due to her. I got a chance to see her in concert once in San Jose CA. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. She's a great singer and entertainer and a living legend.
I've seen her 5 times and always leave wishing I was rich, so I could buy her a star on the Hollywood walk of fame and every other award there is for music and performance.
Pss as I'm watching this l can't help but to think about queen sista Gloria Gaynor l will survive 🥰and queens Evelyn Champagne King and lrene Cara yes lrene Cara 🥰❤️🖤💚 love to all of you
She is UNQUESTIONABLY one of The Greatest Ever, regardless of genre. She is the polar opposite of "irrelevant" - she is life-changing, life-affirming, and a touchstone of vocal excellence and soul.
I believe I heard Saturday night/ Sunday morning on satellite radio. At 57 at the time have never heard that record. I couldn't stop playing It. It's such a happy song, and I think that's what we need especially nowadays, happy songs😁♥️
It's about time...so many talented singers that no one ever speaks about anymore...thank you for this...Saturday Night Sunday Morning is my jam...👍🏽👍🏽 You used to hold me is my shit as well
This was a great episode. I fell in love with her voice as a toddler when she sang with the Arts Reynold Singers! Lord knows that voice should be recognized by the world. She can sing for me anytime! Plus, I think she’s aging backwards! #ShePhyne
I’m glad this segment happened for Thelma Houston. We all wondered what exactly ever happened to her. After 1976 we virtually never ever heard a peep of music from her. Back then it was mom and pop record stores or Jet magazine with only the top 20 songs or albums. Motown should be ashamed for her like this.
Always a favorite of mine with songs like "You've Been Doing Wrong For So Long," "Don't Make Me Pay For Another Girl's Mistake," plus "If It's The Last Thing I Do." Really nice lady I had the opportunity too meet more than a few times. Motown Legend
When I was a child, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, was the staple skate land song!!! The DJ has to play it, dim the lights and fire up the disco balls. This made the moment magical 🧙♀️
She's beautiful and I love her voice!!❤What a beautiful video.I appreciate her resilience. She could've given up.She experienced a lot.I remember her disco hits as child in the mid and late 1970s.
"Qualifying Heat" (1984) was released by MCA, not RCA. Before recording with Jam and Lewis (and Monte Moir), she reunited in 1980 with Jimmy Webb in RCA's "Breakwater Cat" (I love this album). The following year she had two dancing hits, "If You Let Me" and "96 Tears", included in her second RCA LP. I also think it was worth mentioning that she recorded the excellent CD "Throw You Down" for Reprise in 1990, with legendary producer Richard Perry, the man behind the Pointer Sisters' huge hits, Ella Fitzgerald's pop album "Ella" and Carly Simon's "Hotcakes".
RCA If you feel it # 6 dance# 35 R&B #48 UK. 96 # tears # 22 dance #76 R&B Working girl #46 R&B Just like all the rest # 80 R&B, You used to #7, Dance#13 R&B #49 UK, I'd rather spend the bad times with you #4 dance, I guess it must be love# 59 R&B # 80 UK Out of my hands # 82 R&B Throw you down # 5 dance, High #66 R&B Don't leave me this way Remix #19 dance #35 UK, I need somebody tonight #195 UK. Save the country # 74 You've been doing wrong # 64 R&B If it's the last thing I do # 44 R&B 47 AC # 12 R&B, I'm here again #18 Dance 21 R&B, Saturday night #34 pop # 33 Dance ,#19 R&B.
So glad you filled in the 'gaps' in the timeline. I can recall enjoying "Never Gonna Be Another One" off her 1981 album as well. And "Throw You Down" is an 'unsung' masterpiece.
She’s too hard on herself regarding love 😟 we make the best choices we can based on how we understand life and ourselves at the time, mixed in with a little luck-god or bad.🤷🏽♀️
I loved her album Qualifying Heat and thought it was a big hit cause I would always hear "Used to Hold Me So Tight" on the radio. So I was quite shocked and surprised when I went to see her at Gay Pride in Long Beach and she sang nothing from that album. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought this was her best work.
When Whitney Houston came on the scene, WE ALL thought Thelma was Whitney's mother, not Cissy. NON OF US knew who Cissy was BUT WE ALL KNEW WHO THELMA WAS. My best friend said, "she (Whitney) got to be Thelma's daughter with THAT voice! I Salute you Ms. Thelma Houston!!! I love you 💔
Wish you would stop saying all as if we all think alike. That is not true. Many knew who Cissy was! Many. In fact the Grammys when Whitney first attended in 85 literally acknowledged Whitney as being the daughter of Cissy Houston who was infamous for her background work with many artist. Know what you talking about
@@I-AM-BELIEVER I am not sure if you are kin to Cissy and Whitney's family but you REALLY need to relax and find you a hobby or something. You are VERY uptight 🤭
Thelma Houston you will never be irrelevant. Anyone that appreciates excellence, will find you to be one of the most beautiful women as well as one of the greatest singers, actresses, performance artist of all times. I'm still. Wishing you would do more films. Dinah Washington & Dakota Staton always come to mind. A video tribute to both these ladies featuring you singing some of their songs would be phenomenal.. I'm a fan of anything you do. I love your collaboration with Janitor 42.💕❤️💕 I'm also looking forward to your new EP featuring ISLY , as well as your autobiography!😍 We love you and we celebrate you and all of your accomplishments and look forward to more from you, Miss Thelma Houston ;❤️💕❤️😍
You used to hold me so tight was a top 10 r&B hit. I'd rather spend the bad times with you was a top 10 dance hit. It's not bad for a record that got absolutely no promotion from MCA records. However, I agree with you they should have been higher numbers, and they should have been on the pop charts as well as the r&B chart in higher placement.
Hands down "don't leave me this way" could arguably be the greatest song on radio, I mean it has all the ingredients, magical voice, sound, beat, i mean all the ingredients 🥰🌈🐈⬛️🐈⬛️
They certainly did Out of my hands, the first single, was on the radio and on the charts, Throw you down, was at the top of the dance charts, Also the songs High & What he has, also charted on the dance charts.
Love her music, but I truly appreciate these types of incredible people, music, and history…she is a wonderful artist as well as well deserved recognition that I don’t feel like she received…
What a lovely woman. I play bass and Don't leave me this way is like a disco bass guitar anthem. I can't sing, but in my own way ( on my bass) I'm still singing her.
Actually Gloria Gaynor was the first disco singer to be crowned the queen of Disco. Google it. And Thelma Houston is also considered to be a queen of Disco. I believe that's why Donna Summer picked Thelma Houston and Diana Ross to be on her thank God it's Friday album. Google it. She respected Thelma and held her in high regard and felt that Thelma was a queen just as she was. So when Casablanca her record label approached her with songs for Thank God it's Friday she picked Diana Ross and Thelma Houston specifically to be on that soundtrack album.
I'm telling you right now watching on song is really good if you're inspiring singer because it's nice to know the dirty tricks and schemes that the music industry do so you can avoid them as much as possible and pray that you're lucky. One thing I noticed about record labels is that they will drop you in a heartbeat and they will sell your dreams and when it comes to women that's when the real chess games come in. They just can't be to it girls on one record label one girl is bound to fall and be pushed back. Even when they talk you up and are highly favored by the music record label you still can get dropped like a hat and you could absolutely get played unless you have family in them industry that help you and guide you and really really great connections that will help you and guide you through it all.
That's why "Do you know" never fit with Diana to me. There were way better female artists at Motown than Ross, but Ross was definitely playing the game.
Seems like Diana Ross took from A LOT of singers which is crazy because you had other people on the label who had hits out of the gate and you didn’t focus on them. It took 9 singles before Diana got a hit with The Supremes
Thelma's career should've gone stratospheric after 'Don't Leave Me This Way" but she committed the worst sin at Motown- outshining Diana Ross! Gordy just could not accept that. Thelma had a massive No1 and won a Grammy in 1977. Diana Ross's album flopped that year. Thelma's career was smothered.
@@WestJason9 You make a very important point! We forget that these artists are at root just ordinary people with all the same faults etc. Many with some talent and a bit of success can go off the rails and others develop a huge ego. Either can derail a career. being "difficult to work with" can see you sidelined. Certainly at Motown 3 women were envious of Gordy's obsession with Diana Ross- who they all though had limited singing ability, It didn't end well for Thelma, Flo Ballard, Gladys Knight or Martha Reeves who were dropped or moved label. I watched an interview and unsung on Eddie Holman who had one of THE best falsetto's in the business but again didn't do so well. His interview gave insight to why his career never soared- dripping with arrogance! People skills- getting along with others, appreciating and recognising their important contribution to your success is important in life. Also some of these folks aren't the brightest bulb either!
@@knockshinnoch1950 yes if she had better management who could've helped restructure her deal at Motown she could've had even more hits and perhaps theatrical projects that she would've been in a position to partake in as well
so...she leaves because Motown will only let her make disco music so she switches labels and her first song is disco (but it's a no. 7 hit...on the dance charts).
![The Marvelettes - Unsung [No Ads]](/img/n.gif)
Thelma Houston is definitely underrated. The music industry is so crude and cutthroat. They didn't give her what was due to her. I got a chance to see her in concert once in San Jose CA. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. She's a great singer and entertainer and a living legend.
Like her vibrant
I've seen her 5 times and always leave wishing I was rich, so I could buy her a star on the Hollywood walk of fame and every other award there is for music and performance.
She looks amazing!!!
Thelma Houston looks absolutely gorgeous, and her voice still sounds great.
Pss as I'm watching this l can't help but to think about queen sista Gloria Gaynor l will survive 🥰and queens Evelyn Champagne King and lrene Cara yes lrene Cara 🥰❤️🖤💚 love to all of you
So did I
Love Evelyn so much
She is UNQUESTIONABLY one of The Greatest Ever, regardless of genre. She is the polar opposite of "irrelevant" - she is life-changing, life-affirming, and a touchstone of vocal excellence and soul.
My brother that passed away loved Thelma Houston,she was one of the queen's of Disco!
What a career! Learned so much about this legend.
I believe I heard Saturday night/ Sunday morning on satellite radio. At 57 at the time have never heard that record. I couldn't stop playing It. It's such a happy song, and I think that's what we need especially nowadays, happy songs😁♥️
Brilliant hard working singer,I love all her songs.
I really enjoyed watching this. She had a single hit big enough to sustain a decades-long career .... not many artists can say this.
It's about time...so many talented singers that no one ever speaks about anymore...thank you for this...Saturday Night Sunday Morning is my jam...👍🏽👍🏽 You used to hold me is my shit as well
I enjoyed this, love Thelma's voice and energy.
This was a great episode. I fell in love with her voice as a toddler when she sang with the Arts Reynold Singers! Lord knows that voice should be recognized by the world. She can sing for me anytime! Plus, I think she’s aging backwards! #ShePhyne
I’m glad this segment happened for Thelma Houston. We all wondered what exactly ever happened to her. After 1976 we virtually never ever heard a peep of music from her. Back then it was mom and pop record stores or Jet magazine with only the top 20 songs or albums. Motown should be ashamed for her like this.
Always a favorite of mine with songs like "You've Been Doing Wrong For So Long," "Don't Make Me Pay For Another Girl's Mistake," plus "If It's The Last Thing I Do." Really nice lady I had the opportunity too meet more than a few times. Motown Legend
When I was a child, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, was the staple skate land song!!! The DJ has to play it, dim the lights and fire up the disco balls. This made the moment magical 🧙♀️
She's beautiful and I love her voice!!❤What a beautiful video.I appreciate her resilience. She could've given up.She experienced a lot.I remember her disco hits as child in the mid and late 1970s.
She took Teddy Pendergrass song and made it a disco hit....
no disrespect but Donna Summer will always be the queen of disco
You used to, used to hold, used to hold me, used to hold me so tiiiiight❤❤ Love from México!
"Qualifying Heat" (1984) was released by MCA, not RCA. Before recording with Jam and Lewis (and Monte Moir), she reunited in 1980 with Jimmy Webb in RCA's "Breakwater Cat" (I love this album). The following year she had two dancing hits, "If You Let Me" and "96 Tears", included in her second RCA LP. I also think it was worth mentioning that she recorded the excellent CD "Throw You Down" for Reprise in 1990, with legendary producer Richard Perry, the man behind the Pointer Sisters' huge hits, Ella Fitzgerald's pop album "Ella" and Carly Simon's "Hotcakes".
RCA If you feel it # 6 dance# 35 R&B #48 UK. 96 # tears # 22 dance #76 R&B Working girl #46 R&B Just like all the rest # 80 R&B, You used to #7, Dance#13 R&B #49 UK, I'd rather spend the bad times with you #4 dance, I guess it must be love# 59 R&B # 80 UK
Out of my hands # 82 R&B Throw you down # 5 dance, High #66 R&B Don't leave me this way Remix #19 dance #35 UK, I need somebody tonight #195 UK. Save the country # 74 You've been doing wrong # 64 R&B If it's the last thing I do # 44 R&B 47 AC # 12 R&B, I'm here again #18 Dance 21 R&B, Saturday night #34 pop # 33 Dance ,#19 R&B.
So glad you filled in the 'gaps' in the timeline. I can recall enjoying "Never Gonna Be Another One" off her 1981 album as well. And "Throw You Down" is an 'unsung' masterpiece.
I always feel like UnSung episodes are rushed and missing info.Maybe it’s the budget I don’t know but the show could be so much doper.
@@louenkleinsmidt
That my jam!🎉❤
@@MarShawnH88I agree because she had a lot more hit record's than they mentioned but it's still a great show.
She’s too hard on herself regarding love 😟 we make the best choices we can based on how we understand life and ourselves at the time, mixed in with a little luck-god or bad.🤷🏽♀️
A wonderful story. One of the best that is doing it.
Blessings.
Love Thelma’s Story!❤️
I still play the mid 80's "Keep it light"❤️ what a great voice ❤️
Yes I do I'm 44 and do not like today's music
I love that song 🎵 😍
It's just an old cliche, that you use to play the game your way.
You have great taste in music. ❤🎉
grew up on this song in Jamaica 70s , da greatest
Sunshower is still one the most brilliant albums. Still play it.
i like how she says wake up baby. i would be up yes.
She had the prettiest mushroom hairstyle back in the day!
She has such an infectious bubbly energy and i love it. I used to think she and Gladys knight were related.
Lol where my royalties😁🤣
Man, she was a pretty little chocolate thing.
Donna Is Definitely The Queen Of Disco
I loved her album Qualifying Heat and thought it was a big hit cause I would always hear "Used to Hold Me So Tight" on the radio. So I was quite shocked and surprised when I went to see her at Gay Pride in Long Beach and she sang nothing from that album. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought this was her best work.
It was her best work🔥🔥🔥
She's Still Beautiful! MORE Beautiful, NOW!!
Family that's strength
When Whitney Houston came on the scene, WE ALL thought Thelma was Whitney's mother, not Cissy. NON OF US knew who Cissy was BUT WE ALL KNEW WHO THELMA WAS. My best friend said, "she (Whitney) got to be Thelma's daughter with THAT voice! I Salute you Ms. Thelma Houston!!! I love you 💔
Wish you would stop saying all as if we all think alike. That is not true. Many knew who Cissy was! Many.
In fact the Grammys when Whitney first attended in 85 literally acknowledged Whitney as being the daughter of Cissy Houston who was infamous for her background work with many artist. Know what you talking about
@@I-AM-BELIEVER Ok. When I said all, I mean me and all MY friends (15 year olds in GA). We did not know. Is THAT better 😜!
@@executivewoman678 Well clarify then
@@I-AM-BELIEVER I am not sure if you are kin to Cissy and Whitney's family but you REALLY need to relax and find you a hobby or something. You are VERY uptight 🤭
Thelma and her sister look better than the kids.... lol Love Her
I watched this on television already more than once in ty was good to watch it.
Thelma Houston you will never be irrelevant.
Anyone that appreciates excellence, will find you to be one of the most beautiful women as well as one of the greatest singers, actresses, performance artist of all times.
I'm still. Wishing you would do more films.
Dinah Washington & Dakota Staton always come to mind.
A video tribute to both these ladies featuring you singing some of their songs would be phenomenal..
I'm a fan of anything you do.
I love your collaboration with Janitor 42.💕❤️💕
I'm also looking forward to your new EP featuring ISLY , as well as your autobiography!😍
We love you and we celebrate you and all of your accomplishments and look forward to more from you, Miss Thelma Houston ;❤️💕❤️😍
Ps I'm a Laker fan for life and I like that purple jumpsuit 🥰❤️🖤💚 love you Kobe and GiGi forever 💜💛
She did a duet with Morrissey on his last album. It was a great duet
Bobby don't you think they know!
She nails the vocals on that duet! 💕 Great song!💕💕💕
@@victorlatimer1009 I love that song.
Qualifying Heat Singles should have been top 10 hits
You used to hold me so tight was a top 10 r&B hit. I'd rather spend the bad times with you was a top 10 dance hit.
It's not bad for a record that got absolutely no promotion from MCA records.
However, I agree with you they should have been higher numbers, and they should have been on the pop charts as well as the r&B chart in higher placement.
I truly adore themla Houston so much ❤
Thelma Houston, Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor are the Queens of Disco.
Thelma Houston.
Lovely 😍 👌 👍 🥰 ☺ 😙 ain't she.
Just got done listening to you use to hold me so tight😘😍🔥
my Jam!!
Excellent episode....I looked up Thelma's discography and was surprised to find out she recorded so MANY albums
The Art Reynolds Singers were incredible!!!🎶💯🔥🎯
Thelma Houston, that voice is lethal🔥
Ps.
They forgot to mention, Thelma Houston had a top ten Single, Turn your world round❤, 🎉❤🎉 Released in 2019.
Thelma's, "Saturday Night", was my favorite.
Hands down "don't leave me this way" could arguably be the greatest song on radio, I mean it has all the ingredients, magical voice, sound, beat, i mean all the ingredients 🥰🌈🐈⬛️🐈⬛️
Thanks for the upload
I love the song with your son!
You are sososo sososo sososo underrated
4:30 I would *love* to hear Thelma Houston singing "Someone to watch over me"
Thelma was recording way before disco. She should have been bigger before “Don’t Leave Me This Way “.
Wow beautiful lady she still has it!!
You are sososo sososo sososo talented
You are a legend
I love your style
they completely ignored the "throw you down" album era😂
They certainly did Out of my hands, the first single, was on the radio and on the charts, Throw you down, was at the top of the dance charts, Also the songs High & What he has, also charted on the dance charts.
Love her music, but I truly appreciate these types of incredible people, music, and history…she is a wonderful artist as well as well deserved recognition that I don’t feel like she received…
Gospel day! That was it!,,, no more marriages for sure….❤
Hold tight live this
This is a masterpiece
You kill this jam
You are sososo sososo sososo brilliant
What a lovely woman. I play bass and Don't leave me this way is like a disco bass guitar anthem. I can't sing, but in my own way ( on my bass) I'm still singing her.
icon
Hey Ms Thelma,you are a disco queen and so is my girl Donna Summers🥰❤️🖤💚
She was not the queen of Disco. BUT… don’t leave me this way WAS a tremendous hit and she DID make some great music
Donna Summers WAS the queen of disco
BUT....😄 I forgot what I was going to SAY got DISTRACTED.
@@danielescamilla4076 only ONE Summer. SUMMER. Not “Summers”
Actually Gloria Gaynor was the first disco singer to be crowned the queen of Disco.
Google it.
And Thelma Houston is also considered to be a queen of Disco.
I believe that's why Donna Summer picked Thelma Houston and Diana Ross to be on her thank God it's Friday album.
Google it.
She respected Thelma and held her in high regard and felt that Thelma was a queen just as she was.
So when Casablanca her record label approached her with songs for Thank God it's Friday she picked Diana Ross and Thelma Houston specifically to be on that soundtrack album.
I remember her "Save The Country" single was a hit in Chicago on WLS and WCFL in early 1970.
I love your voice
I like her and she is beautiful and young and vibrant.
You are sososo sososo sososo bless
WHAT THEY WERE AFRAID OF HAPPENING, DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MCA, DID A, HIT AND RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Legend 💯 ❤️🔥
I thought Donna Summer was the Queen of Dicso ?
She WAS
@@dddddadadad1796 Then why Unsung said She was the Queen of Disco then?? ( Meaning Thelma Houston ? )
Well donna summers become more popular
The show never explained why her label dropped her while she had a hit record on the radio.
She's very bubbly. I like her energy.
I'm telling you right now watching on song is really good if you're inspiring singer because it's nice to know the dirty tricks and schemes that the music industry do so you can avoid them as much as possible and pray that you're lucky.
One thing I noticed about record labels is that they will drop you in a heartbeat and they will sell your dreams and when it comes to women that's when the real chess games come in.
They just can't be to it girls on one record label one girl is bound to fall and be pushed back.
Even when they talk you up and are highly favored by the music record label you still can get dropped like a hat and you could absolutely get played unless you have family in them industry that help you and guide you and really really great connections that will help you and guide you through it all.
I feel like they're leaving out a lot of stuff with this one.
@evonzina Gloria Gaynor came to my mind as well. Yes Luv me some Evelyn C King and I Cara🤩❤️🖤💚
So the record company dropped Thelmas beautiful hypnotic voice over that circus act Patti, geez ,😶
Circus act?
When did Freda Payne turn into an asian lady
Good question..
😂
🤣🤣🤣 After several surgeries too many. Talk about milking one hit .... i.e. Freda Payne "Band of Gold"
Don't Leave Me This Way didn't hit Number One until 1977. Do your research, TV One.
🔥🔥❤❤
Please do some new jams
In Australia, Thelma Houston was a one-hit-wonder. A previous issue of hers, "Piano Man" was virtually ignored by Australian radio stations.
I saw her video with Johnny Mathis, where he/ they could'nt get close enough, just saying. Jesus is Love
At 24:55 ol boy and girl was getting down🕺🏼💃
That's why "Do you know" never fit with Diana to me. There were way better female artists at Motown than Ross, but Ross was definitely playing the game.
Seems like Diana Ross took from A LOT of singers which is crazy because you had other people on the label who had hits out of the gate and you didn’t focus on them. It took 9 singles before Diana got a hit with The Supremes
It's business u can have a good song but u have to market and promote the artist
They told her not to sign!
Well when you’re sleeping with the head of the record label you tend to get a considerable amount of attention.
Thelma's career should've gone stratospheric after 'Don't Leave Me This Way" but she committed the worst sin at Motown- outshining Diana Ross! Gordy just could not accept that. Thelma had a massive No1 and won a Grammy in 1977. Diana Ross's album flopped that year. Thelma's career was smothered.
It may have also been bad management as well...
@@WestJason9 ABSOLUTELY! Or not heeding good advice!
@@knockshinnoch1950 I get the sense that Thelma is head strong and that may have alienated her as well
@@WestJason9 You make a very important point! We forget that these artists are at root just ordinary people with all the same faults etc. Many with some talent and a bit of success can go off the rails and others develop a huge ego. Either can derail a career. being "difficult to work with" can see you sidelined. Certainly at Motown 3 women were envious of Gordy's obsession with Diana Ross- who they all though had limited singing ability, It didn't end well for Thelma, Flo Ballard, Gladys Knight or Martha Reeves who were dropped or moved label. I watched an interview and unsung on Eddie Holman who had one of THE best falsetto's in the business but again didn't do so well. His interview gave insight to why his career never soared- dripping with arrogance! People skills- getting along with others, appreciating and recognising their important contribution to your success is important in life. Also some of these folks aren't the brightest bulb either!
@@knockshinnoch1950 yes if she had better management who could've helped restructure her deal at Motown she could've had even more hits and perhaps theatrical projects that she would've been in a position to partake in as well
12:18 Motown music exec, Susan(or Suzanne) *Depasse,* her surname is correctly pronounced *De-Pass-ee!* The 'e' on the end is *NOT* silent!
If Thelma Houston was born in 1943, then by 1966 she'd be *23* years old! Get your maths straightened out, @DivasAndDjs.
Dang Kimberlynn Broadnax needs some weave or a wig
so...she leaves because Motown will only let her make disco music so she switches labels and her first song is disco (but it's a no. 7 hit...on the dance charts).