Syreeta Wright - Just A Little Piece Of You (Motown Records 1974)

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• published: 26 Mar 2014
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Syreeta Wright (August 3, 1946 -- July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with ex-husband Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston. Wright performed demo vocals for the Supremes hit "Love Child" and Ross's "Something's On My Mind". When Diana Ross left the Supremes in early 1970, Motown boss Berry Gordy considered replacing her with Syreeta, but offered the place in the group to Jean Terrell. According to several sources, Gordy then changed his mind and tried to replace Terrell with Syreeta, but this was vetoed by Supreme Mary Wilson. Wright also sang background on records by Martha and the Vandellas, notably singing the chorus to the group's modest hit single, "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing". Wright met labelmate Stevie Wonder in 1968, and the two began dating the following year. On the advice of Wonder, Wright became a songwriter. Their first collaboration, "It's a Shame", was recorded by The Spinners, in 1969. Motown withheld its release until July 1970. The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wright also began singing background for Wonder, most notably on the hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)", which Wright co-wrote with Wonder. In September 1970, after a year-long courtship, Wright, 24, and Wonder, 20, married in Detroit. The couple then wrote and arranged songs from Wonder's Where I'm Coming From, which was released much to Berry Gordy's chagrin in the spring of 1971. Wonder returned to Motown in 1972 after being promised creative control for his recordings, allowing Wonder to set up a company called Black Bull Productions. Wonder and Wright came with songs for Wonder's next album, Music of My Mind. Following a tour opening for The Rolling Stones in the summer of 1972, Wonder issued his follow-up, Talking Book, which turned out to be Wonder's breakthrough album. In between the albums, Wright decided to return to her own singing career. Motown reassigned the singer from Motown's Gordy imprint, where "I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You" was released, to Motown's L.A.-based MoWest subsidiary. Wonder and Wright had marriage troubles and divorced in the summer of 1972, ending their 18-month marriage. Following their divorce, Wonder oversaw the production of Wright's first solo album, Syreeta, which included Wright's take of Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You" from Music of My Mind, the Smokey Robinson classic "What Love Has Joined Together", and The Beatles' "She's Leaving Home", which featured both Wonder and Wright applying background vocals via the talk box. MoWest issued "I Love Every Little Thing About You" in the late winter of 1972, but it failed to chart. Material from Syreeta and Wonder's Talking Book were deemed autobiographical due to the rise and fall of the ex-couple's marriage. Remaining best friends, Wright would continue to provide background vocals and compositions with Wonder for the next two decades. Wright continued to record for Motown into the 1980s, releasing her second self-titled album in 1980, and releasing the funk/boogie-oriented Set My Love in Motion in late 1981. Wright left Motown in 1983, then two years later after collaborating with Smokey Robinson for the soundtrack to Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon in 1985. Wright briefly recorded for Motorcity Records before retiring from show business for good in the mid-1990s, settling in Los Angeles with her four children. Syreeta Wright died on July 6, 2004 of congestive heart failure, a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments she was receiving for breast and bone cancers. She was 57 years old. She is survived by her four children Jamal, Hodari, Takiyah, and Harmoni as well as several grandchildren and half sister Brenda Moore. They want to see you, feel you They all want to do for you But all they have to offer Are those two jealous eyes They never see beyond things that shine They want to hold you, touch you They all want to be near you Surround you with themselves some more Of love you see But I'm satisfied with just a little piece of you Just a little piece of you They want to move me, exclude me They all want to get through me They can't understand why My love keeps growing strong But all I really want is just a little piece of you Just a little piece of you Just a little piece of you They want to change you, to hold you They even want to control you Convince you that their love Will give you all that you need Show you the side of them that they want you to see I need to be there sometimes Give your heart a little sunshine All I want to do is to see our spirit run free l'm satisfied with just a little piece of you Just a little piece of you baby I just want a little piece Just a little piece of you Oh yeah baby just a little piece of you... I only want a little piece of you That is all you need to give me