Marlena Shaw (born Marlina Burgess in New Rochelle, New York, on 22 Septemb… Read Full Bio ↴Marlena Shaw (born Marlina Burgess in New Rochelle, New York, on 22 September 1942; died 19 January 2024) was an American jazz, blues, and soul singer. Shaw began her singing career in the 1960s and continued to perform until her death. Her music has often been sampled in hip hop music, and used in television commercials.

Shaw's first musical influences were her uncle and grandmother, who loved to sing and play gospel music on the family’s hi-fi record player. As a young girl, Shaw was also involved with numerous gospel singing groups. Her first experience singing before a large audience was with her uncle, who played trumpet and exposed her to the music of jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie. At only 10 years old, Shaw performed with her uncle at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and they were asked to return for the next week's show. As she recalls, her uncle got booked elsewhere on the same night, and a young Shaw had to take the stage solo at the Apollo for the second show.

Shaw's professional aspirations were rejuvenated after she was married and living on an Air Force base near Springfield, Massachusetts. Encouraged by friends, she auditioned and got gigs near the base, then made a demo tape in the garage of Charlie Parent, a local drummer. The tape eventually landed her a regular gig at the Concord, a resort hotel in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York.

Shaw's big break was an invitation to sing with the Count Basie Orchestra. Basie’s accountant heard her at the New York Playboy club. Basie was sent a copy of one of her records, while Shaw met with Basie alumnus and trumpeter Frank Foster to arrange charts of some of her numbers. The next thing she knew, she was flown out to meet the whole band at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.

She met with representatives of the Chess Records music label, and soon signed with them. She released her first two albums on their subsidiary Cadet Records. A 1969 album track "California Soul", a funk-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson and originally issued as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension, later became a staple of the UK rare groove scene. This song has appeared in television commercials for Dockers, KFC[3] and Dodge Ram trucks. Unable to find her own style at Chess, she moved to the jazz-oriented Blue Note Records in 1972.

In 1977 she released an LP Sweet Beginnings on Columbia that contained: "Yu Ma / Go Away Little Boy", a medley containing the old Goffin and Carole King standard, originally recorded by Nancy Wilson. The album also contained the track Look at Me, Look at You, popular on the U.K. rare groove scene. She sings the theme song "Don't Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow" from the 1977 film Looking for Mr. Goodbar that's also found on its soundtrack. She also recorded one of the disco era's biggest hits, a remake of "Touch Me in the Morning", also on Columbia Records.

In 1982 Shaw recorded the Gary Taylor ballad called "Without You in My Life" from the LP Let Me in Your Life that was jointly produced by Johnny Bristol and Webster Lewis on South Bay records. This had moderate chart success in the USA. In 1983 she recorded the vocals for "Could It Be You", a track by Phil Upchurch on his Name of the Game album.

Shaw continued to perform and record. In 1999, 2001 and again in 2007, Shaw was one of the performers at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands.

What's Your Answer?
Marlena Shaw Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Marlena Shaw:

'Round Midnight It begins to tell, 'Round midnight, midnight. I do pretty we…
Alone Together No choice now, it's too late Let him go, he gave…
California Soul Like a sound you hear that lingers in your ear But…
Call It Stormy Monday They call it stormy Monday but Tuesday's just as bad They…
Day In Day in, day out The same old hoodoo follows me about The…
Don You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
Don't Ask To Stay Until Tomorrow Don't promise moments forever This night will fade to haunte…
Easy Living Living for you is easy living It's easy to live when…
Eyes Of Love In the eyes of the world I'm a loser just…

Feel Like Makin' Love Strolling in the park, watching winter turn to spring Walkin…
Feel Like Making Love Baby, when I think about you I think about love Darlin',…
Go Away Little Boy Won't you go away (little girl) Wish you wouldn't stay (litt…
Handy Man Hey girls, gather round Because of what I'm puttin' down Oh,…
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be lig…
Here It's very clear, our love is here to stay Not for…
How Deep Is the Ocean How much do I love you? I'll tell you no lie How…
I I wish I knew how It would feel to be free I…
I Think I I wish I knew how It would feel to be free I…
It Is Love It's very clear, our love is here to stay Not for…
It Might As Well Be Spring I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm I'm as…
Last Tango in Paris We don′t exist We are nothing but shadow and mist In the…
Let's Wade in the Water Let's wade in the water, Wade in the water, Listen to me…
Liberation Conversation Blues ain't nothing but a good woman gone bad Blues ain't…
Life You are the sunshine of my life That's why I'll always…
Lookin Thru the Eyes of Love In the eyes of the world I'm a loser just…
Loving You Was Like A Party Loving you was like a party I can't get used to…
Mercy Mercy Mercy It seems like this? came on me I'm lost in a…
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy It seems life has played a game on me I'm lost…
Our Love Is Here To Stay It's very clear, our love is here to stay Not for…
Rhythm Of Love I like the sound of the rain Coming down (when we…
Save the Children I just want to ask a question Who really cares? To save…
Save the Children (Live) I just wanna ask a question Who really cares? To save a…
So Far Away So far away Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more? It…
Stormy Monday They call it stormy Monday but Tuesday's just as bad They…
The Eyes Of Love In the eyes of the world I'm a loser just…
The Nearness of You Its not the pale moon that excites me That thrills and…
The Song Is You I hear music when I look at you, A beautiful theme…
Them There Eyes I was just minding my business Life was a beautiful song D…
Touch Me In The Morning Touch me in the morning Then just walk away We don't have…
Unforgettable Unforgettable That's what you are Unforgettable Tho' near or…
Waiting for Charles to Come Home Waiting for Charlie to come home Bring me all the love…
Walk Softly Time is all important to everything It seems to be an…
Where Can I Go Tell me Where can I go? There's no place I can…
Where Do You Start Where do you start? How do you separate the present…
Woman of the Ghetto I was born and raised in a ghetto I was born…
Woman of the Ghetto (Akshin Alizadeh Instrumental Mix) From 1973's " Cookin' with Blue Note: Live at Montreaux", he…
Woman of the Ghetto (live) Every night she's on the corner She's got her business in…
Woman of the Ghetto - Live I was born, raised in a ghetto I was born and…
You I hear music when I look at you, A beautiful theme…
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life You are the sunshine of my life That's why I'll always…
You Don You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
You Don't Know What Love Is You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
You Taught Me How to Speak in Love I know how to say 'Je amour' I know how to…
Yu-Ma / Go Away Little Boy Go Away Little Boy La la la la la la…

Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy Won't you go away (little girl) Wish you wouldn't stay (litt…

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