b. 27th July 1943, Sacramento, California, U.S.A.
There were many soul singers like Mary Love in the 1960's & very talented, competent performers who were nonetheless pushed to the back of the pack because they lacked exceptional material, or enough personality to truly distinguish them from a crowded field.
After doing some session work as a teenager in Los Angeles, she got her chance to cut half a dozen singles for the Modern label in the mid 60's.
These included 'You Turn My Bitter Into Sweet', I've Got To Get You Back', Let Me Know', Lay This Burden Down', 'Baby I'll Come', Talking About My Man' and Is That you?'.
These were decent, commercial soul records, nothing more, nothing less, somewhat less pop-oriented than Motown, but not much.
She managed to get hold of some material by noted writers Frank Wilson and Ashford & Simpson, but only managed one minor R & B hit for Modern, 'Move a Little Closer,' which made number 48 in 1966.
Love revisited the lower reaches of the R & B Top 50 with 'The Hurt Is Just Beginning' for Josie in 1968, mysteriously, she only issued one more 45 for the Elco label, 'Born To Live With A Heartache', and that didn't come out until 1971.
Over the next decade she barely recorded at all. There was a single for a film titled 'Petey Wheatstraw' called 'Joy' and a single in 1979 called 'Turn Me, Turn Me, Turn Me'.
In the early eighties there were two more singles on U-Tone and Mirage entitled 'Liquid Fire' and 'Save Me'.
She re-emerged as Mary Love Comer in the mid '80's, and sang updated soul with a Christian-centered message.
mary and brad love comer
It was at this time she released, arguably, her finest moment 'Come Out Of The Sandbox', which arrived in the form of a Co Love 45 but later appeared on the album 'His Servant Am I', released upon her and her husband, Brad E. Comer's, label Co Love Records.
There were 12" releases to compliment the Co Love Records albums. These included 'Caught Up', 'Understanding' and 'Lose Your Blues'.
The U.K.'s 'Northern Soul' market ensured a tiny market for her (as it does for many other obscure soul singers), and it was in England that a CD reissue of her work appeared in the mid 90's.
The CD entitled 'Now And Then' contained old material along with some material that had not seen the light of day with 'Mr. Man' outstanding.
Since that release, Comer has not recorded, although she made a brief appearance at London's Jazz Café in September 2000.
Albums:
Petey Wheatstraw Soundtrack (Magic Disc 1977)
His Servant Am I (Co Love Records 1988)
Sin No More (Co Love Records 1989)
Then & Now (Kent 1994)
Nothing But The Blood (I Am Unlimited Records 2002)
