| Margie Joseph | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Margaret Marie Joseph |
| Born | August 19, 1950 |
| Origin | Gautier, Mississippi, United States |
| Genres | Soul, gospel |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Labels | Okeh, Volt, Atlantic, Cotillion, Atco, H.C.R.C. |
| Associated acts | Blue Magic |
| Website | http://www.margiejoseph.com/ |
Margaret Marie "Margie" Joseph (b. August 19, 1950) is an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. Her greatest success came in the 1970s, with her biggest hits being her version of Paul McCartney's "My Love", her version of The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" and her duet with Blue Magic. "What's Come Over Me")
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Margie Joseph was born in Gautier, Mississippi,[1] and sang in her church choir. In 1967, during her time attending Dillard University in New Orleans where she studied speech and drama, she recorded some demos at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.[2] This led to her debut on the Okeh label , "Why Does a Man Have to Lie?".[2][3] In 1969, she signed with Volt Records, a subsidiary of Stax, and recorded the single "One More Chance" with producer Willie Tee.[2] Her next single, "Your Sweet Lovin'", produced by Freddy Briggs, became her first hit, reaching # 46 on the Billboard R&B chart. Its follow-up, a version of The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" also became a minor hit on the pop chart (# 96 pop, # 38 R&B).[4] An eight-minute version of the track, arranged by Dale Warren, together with an Isaac Hayes-inspired rap entitled "Woman Talk," featured on her 1971 album, Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression. Her second album, Phase II, in 1972, also featured a Supremes cover, "My World Is Empty Without You," but failed to achieve the same success.[2]
She then signed to the Atlantic label, and worked with producer Arif Mardin, winning her comparisons with Aretha Franklin. A string of R&B hits followed, with her version of Paul McCartney's "My Love" becoming her most successful record, reaching # 69 on the Hot 100 and # 10 on the R&B chart in 1974. The album Margie, in 1975, is sometimes regarded as her creative peak, and contained the singles "Words (Are Impossible)" and "Stay Still." She then recorded with the group Blue Magic, having another hit with a duet version of "What's Come Over Me" (R&B # 11). In 1976, she moved to Cotillion Records to make the album Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling, produced by Lamont Dozier, the title track reaching # 18 on the R&B chart. Returning to Atlantic, she then recorded the album Feeling My Way with producer Johnny Bristol, but with diminishing commercial success, and she was released from her contract. After recording an album with Dexter Wansel for the WMOT label, which went unreleased when the label closed down, she decided to turn to a teaching career. However, she recorded the single "Knockout" for the small H.C.R.C. label in 1982, and it became her last big hit, reaching # 12 on the R&B chart. She re-signed to Cotillion and recorded the 1984 album Ready for the Night with producer Narada Michael Walden, but was then dropped by the label.[2]
She returned to work in human services, recording and releasing a gospel album, Latter Rain, in 2006.[1]
Many of her earlier recordings have been reissued on CD. There is also a CD which features Margie, Blue Magic and Major Harris, recorded live at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, released in 2006 on the Collectables label.
| Year | Title | Label & Cat. No. | U.S. Pop[5] | U.S. R&B[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "Your Sweet Lovin'" | Volt 4037 |
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| 1971 | "Stop! In The Name Of Love" | Volt 4056 |
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| 1973 | "Let's Stay Together" | Atlantic 2954 |
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| 1973 | "Come Lay Some Lovin' On Me" | Atlantic 2988 |
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| 1974 | "My Love" | Atlantic 3032 |
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| 1974 | "Words (Are Impossible)" | Atlantic 3220 |
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| 1975 | "Stay Still" | Atlantic 3290 |
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| 1975 | "What's Come Over Me" with Blue Magic |
Atco / WMOT 7030 |
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| 1976 | "Hear The Words, Feel The Feeling" | Cotillion 44201 |
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| 1976 | "Don't Turn The Lights Off" | Cotillion 44207 |
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| 1978 | "Come On Back To Me Lover" | Atlantic 3445 |
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| 1978 | "I Feel His Love Getting Stronger" | Atlantic 3509 |
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| 1982 | "Knockout" | H.C.R.C. 03337 |
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| 1984 | "Ready For The Night" | Cotillion 99771 |
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