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The great Marlena Shaw’s music runs the gamut of jazz, R&B, pop, disco, and more, and she’s got some of the most outstanding chops around.
My favorite song of hers is from her 1977 album, Sweet Beginnings.
The song, entitled “Go Away Little Boy,” is a cover of a Carole King/Gerry Goffin hit, and Marlena’s version was so soulful, so lush, so timeless, so…appropriate…that its beauty, fun, and downright truth lingers on long after the song is over. You find yourself humming it for the rest of the day. I think any woman who’s ever heard it can relate because you’ve had that moment—or something close—with the man who came home with fourteen mirrors, some Afro Sheen, some Afro clean, some afro fluid, some afro do-it to-it and was gonna just sit up and look at you to do all the work while he “gets himself together.” I’m just sayin.’ This song is simply wonderful, from the extravagant arrangement, to Marlena’s reflective introductory banter (nearly half the song) and ultimately soaring voice, to the feel-good sentiment it evokes in me of the late 70’s. I will always love this song, will always sing along every time it comes on. Hopefully, y’all love it and will sing along, too. (Click the link below to listen.)
The Lo Zone 
>Dang Lo…that took me back to when my parents would have card parties, you know…a little bid whist here, some pinocle there! When my mother (RIP) would put this "album" on…my uncles would look at each other with this, ummm, look, and they'd keep it rollin' and talking shyt! Ahhh, the good ole days!I love this song, especially now that I'm all grown up and I've lived a little. Now I've got to go back into the spider webs, in the garage and see if it's in my dad's albums!
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>I just bought Carol King's hits…man…
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>He may have been a "Little Boy" but she surely didn't want to let him go. Listen to the end of the song.
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>Odd you should play this. I bought a compilation yesterday that has this on it. She actually first recorded the song in 1966 and I think she then re-issued it. I also bought Linda Clifford's compilation which reminded me of my one night of "celebrity" at Studio 54. Damn I miss my 20s.
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>Yep, Juan. It was actually on her "Spice of Life" cd in the 60's, but most people really became familiar with it from the Columbia release in '77. How ironic that you just picked it up yesterday. Guess we're all connected on some deeper psychic level.
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