Search - Johnny Bristol :: Mgm Collection

North Carolina native Johnny Bristol was best-known as a Motown songwriter/producer during the Sixties. With partner Harvey Fuqua he helmed several classic hits, like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. He closed the decade as producer and co-writer of the Diana Ross & The Supremes final no. 1, "Someday We'll Be Together." Despite his successes, Bristol never seemed to be able to escape the shadow of Motown's better-known writing/production wizards, Holland-Dozier-Holland and Smokey Robinson.


Bristol was also underrated as a singer and, when he signed with MGM Records in 1974, his performing side began to get the recognition it deserved. "Hang On In There Baby" seemed to burst out of nowhere that year. But Bristol had, in fact, earlier teamed with Jackey Beavers for several singles back in the early Sixties. At the age of 35, he felt it was time either to get back into the world of performing or hang up the mic for good. He believed that the title track from his first solo record would have been a hit for anyone, so why not do it for himself?



The record was a crossover smash in America and reached no. 3 in the UK. He also was nominated for a pair of Grammys that year, including Best New Artist. Bristol followed up the Hang On In There Baby album with a second, more personal MGM disc, Feeling The Magic, which featured among its credits a pre-Raydio Ray Parker Jr.



The Hip-O Select release includes all the tracks from both MGM albums, plus a 1980 re-tooling of "Hang On In There Baby" with Alton McLain. Bristol had given this reissue his enthusiastic blessing, but he was not able to see its release, as he passed away in March of 2004. The album stands as testament to his talent and a proof of one of his songs' sentiments: memories don't leave like people do.