Nothing that I could possibly write about Valerie Simpson in a few paragraphs could even attempt to do justice to the massive body of work that she's produced. But I have to try--after all, since she is so "behind the scenes," it might be easy to forget that she is much more than just half of Ashford & Simpson.
If you enjoy great soul music, then you are instantly a fan of Mrs. Simpson's works. She has co-written (along with writing partner and loving husband Nick Ashford) bonafide classics, rather, institutions in American music--"You're All I Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross, "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan and "Let's Go Get Stoned" by Ray Charles just to name a few. Let's not forget the favorites that they recorded under their own Ashford & Simpson monicker: "Solid," "Found a Cure," and "Is It Still Good To Ya" just to name a few more.
Here are a few things about Valerie that you may not know. In the late 60s, while she and Mr. Ashford were staff writers at Motown, her voice was used (and uncredited) on many later Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell duets during the time that Terrell became ill. And she was so well-respected, that Motown let her release two solo albums in the early 70s. Both were brilliantly performed and crafted, and compared to a "Joni Mitchell meets Aretha Franklin" kind of sound. But they didn't do so well sales-wise, a trend that was reversed when she took the act to Warner Bros. in '73 and added her long-haired husband to the singing duties. They've since recorded over ten well-recieved albums together.
Valerie Simpson was and is one of the most important black American and female composers and artists in modern music and she should be recognized as such. Awareness is the key. Her music, voice, and spirit are the reasons.
Unless otherwise noted, all written material copyright 1999, Melissa A. Weber.
No part of these pages may be reproduced on another site without my prior written consent.
Links:
Official Ashford & Simpson Site
Real Audio:
Silly Wasn't I by Valerie Simpson (solo), 1971
Don't Cost You Nothin' by Ashford & Simpson, 1977
Selected Discography:
Exposed by Valerie Simpson, Tamla, 1971
Valerie Simpson by Valerie Simpson, Tamla, 1972
All albums by Ashford & Simpson
Find Valerie Simpson Music:
Get vinyl from Gemm.com
Get CDs from Amazon.com
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