Syreeta Wright (real name Rita Wright) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1946. Her family moved several times, between South Carolina and Detroit, before settling in the latter. When Wright finished High School, she joined a number of singing groups before becoming a receptionist at Motown and then followed in the footsteps of Martha Reeves when she took up the post of secretary for Mickey Stevenson in 1965.
She was probably hoping to catch someone’s ear with her singing, so it was no great surprise when Eddie Holland suggested in 1966 that she record some demos of songs that were being considered for the Supremes.
In 1967, Brian Holland, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson teamed up to write a song for her, entitled “I Can’t Give Back The Love I Feel For You”, which was produced by Holland and Dozier and released in January 1968 on the Gordy label, credited to Rita Wright. An Ashford/ Simpson composition, “Something On My Mind”, was on the B-side. Both songs have interesting melodies that would suit Diana Ross. Wright sings them well, but the single didn’t sell. She returned to singing backing vocals for the Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas and to recording demos of songs written for Diana Ross (including “Love Child”). She also met Stevie Wonder during 1968, and they began dating in 1969, At Stevie Wonder’s suggestion, Wright took up songwriting. Together they wrote “It’s A Shame”, which was recorded by the Spinners in 1969 and released in 1970. Wright had no records released during these years.
When Diana Ross decided to leave the Supremes to start her solo career, Wright was considered as a possible replacement by Berry Gordy. Jean Terrell beat her, but she came very close. Even as Jean Terrell’s appointment was being announced by Diana Ross at their farewell concert, Berry Gordy was thinking of changing his mind and bringing Wright in instead.
Despite not being granted any releases in 1970, but she was active in the two Motown studios and also in Los Angeles. She sang backing vocals for Stevie Wonder, whom she married in Detroit on 14th September, and also continued songwriting. She can be heard on “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” and “If You Really Love Me”, both of which she co-wrote with Wonder. In 1971, the couple moved to New York.
In 2016, Ace Records UK released a comprehensive collection of her recordings from this period on their Kent Soul imprint, including many unreleased tracks, entitled “Syreeta – The Rita Wright Years”.
Later in 1971, Motown created a new label, based in Los Angeles, that was given the name MoWest. Its purpose was to cater for West Coast acts, with the implication that Detroit need not be involved in the production process. A small number of new acts were signed and Syreeta Wright, now recording as Syreeta, switched from Gordy. Sadly, MoWest never fulfilled its potential, but the decision to join the new west Coast label may have played a part in the break up of Wonder and Wright. They completed an amicable divorce in 1972.
Just before the divorce, Syreeta recorded her first solo album between October 1971 and February 1972, working closely with her husband Stevie Wonder and some of the musicians and technicians associated with “Music of My Mind”. Recordings were made in New York (Electric Lady Studios), in Los Angeles (Crystal Industries) and in London (Olympic Studios). Sadly, by the time of its release on the MoWest label in June 1972, their marriage had ended. They remained good friends, however, and Syreeta continued working with Stevie Wonder for many years.
The album was entitled “Syreeta”, which was Syreeta Wright’s new professional name. It is a relatively short album, lasting under forty minutes, with nine songs. Three are by Stevie Wonder, three by Wonder and Syreeta, one by Syreeta, and one by Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers. The remaining track is a cover of Lennon and McCartney’s “She’s Leaving Home”. The album entered the charts, reaching number one hundred and eighty-five on the Billboard Pop chart and number thirty-eight on the R&B chart. It includes some good songs, the best of which is “To Know You Is To Love You”, co-written and sung by Syreeta and Wonder, with Buzzy Feiten playing guitar.
Two singles were also drawn from the album and released in 1972. The first was “To Know You Is To Love You” and the second was a cover of Stevie Wonder’s song “I Love Every Little Thing About You” from the “Music of My Mind” album. Neither entered the charts.
Syreeta had come to Motown at around twenty years of age. Six years later, she was still waiting for her luck to change. Fortunately, her career had twenty more years to go!
