Sure Thing: The Warner Brothers Recordings 1972-1977

Deluxe 6CD box set focuses on the Warner Bros. Records’ catalogue by the iconic Donne Warwick. Featuring 85 tracks, this stellar collection highlights the legendary singer’s critically acclaimed five albums with Warner Brothers, released between 1972 and 1977. With four of the albums are expanded with a total of 24 bonus tracks including single edits and rarities. Plus a first-ever compilation disc of 16 additional bonus tracks, featuring all the non-album recordings she made with various producers in 1973 and 1974. ‘You Are A Song’ is named after one of seven tracks from sessions with producer Tony Camillo, marking their first official Warner Music Group CD release. Also included is a previously unreleased extended version of ‘We Need To Go Back’ produced by Ashford and Simpson.

Sure Thing captures Dionne’s array of recordings for Warner Brothers, acknowledged as an often-overlooked yet musically satisfying bridge between her stunning decade of classic hits with Scepter Records in the 60s and the 20-years-plus documented fully on the ‘Déjà Vu: The Arista Recordings’ 12CD SoulMusic Records box set.

Key tracks and highlights include ‘Then Came You,’ Dionne’s chart-topping 1974 hit duet with The Spinners and ‘Just As Long As We Have Love,’ the single’s much-loved ‘B’ side; ‘You’re Gonna Need Me’ from the Holland-Dozier-Holland-produced LP, ‘Just Being Myself,’ sampled by global hitmaker Usher on ‘Throwback’ in 2004; a rare 12” special disco mix of the Thom Bell- produced ‘Once You Hit The Road’; and rare groove favourite ‘Move Me No Mountain,’ from Dionne’s recordings with Jerry Ragovoy.

Compiled and co-produced for SoulMusic Records by label founder David Nathan and Joe Marchese of The Second Disc, this beautifully crafted set includes Marchese’s extensive career- spanning liner notes with quotes from previously unpublished interviews with Dionne, Burt Bacharach, Thom Bell and Brian Holland; a sequential sessionography; stunning artwork from John Sellards (including the cover for ‘You Are The Song’) and excellent mastering by Nick Robbins from digital sources provided by Warner Brothers.