ABBA

The late Maretha Stewart had an eclectic discography, to say the least. A staple in the studio as a session singer in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, her credits range from School House Rock! to the soundtrack of Lialeh. Other soundtracks she appears on are The Wiz and Fame. She has also done a great deal of work with the gang at Sesame Street, on such muppet-filled fare as Born to Add, Hot! Hot! Hot! Dance Songs and Sesame Disco! When not getting jiggy with Oscar the Grouch and The Cookie Monster, Maretha worked with an eclectic mix of real-life artists and groups, never boxing herself into one genre. In the 1960s, she sang background vocals on a number of James Brown LPs, including James Brown Sings Raw Soul and Out of Sight, and later made the cut on James Brown’s Singles, Vol. 3: 1964, Hell, and Star Time. Maretha also appeared on several Bob Dylan albums, including Dylan, New Morning, Planet Waves, Self Portrait, and The Basement Tapes, with Bob Dylan & The Band. In the 1970s, she sang Naked Songs with Al Kooper, was Laid Back with Gregg Allman, and whipped up Secret Sauce with Sky King. She wasn’t as busy in the ‘80s, but she found time to make Inside Moves with Grover Washington, Jr. Other artists and groups she recorded with include Teresa Brewer, The Coasters, Kiki Dee, Yvonne Elliman, Maynard Ferguson, Marvin Gaye, Hilda Harris, Quincy Jones, Eddie Kendricks, Cyndi Lauper, Ralph MacDonald, Peter, Paul & Mary, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, Livingston Taylor, Luther Vandross, and Bill Withers. Her legacy lives on in digital form on Nina Simone’s 2006 re-issues, Silk & Soul and Nina Simone Sings the Blues, and in cartoon form on the DVD, School House Rock Special 30^th Anniversary Edition.

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