Photo: Cadet Records · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Marlena Shaw
Person · female · United States · New Rochelle · born 1942 · died 2024 · recording since 1966
American female singer (1942–2024)
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Also known as Marlina Burgess · 瑪莉娜·蕭
Timeline
17 events▣ Album 14◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1940s
1960s
· Debut release
Debut release: Let's Wade in the Water / Show Time
First documented Single in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2020s
Biography
English biography635 words · 5 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1377446359
Biography
Marlina Burgess (September 22, 1939 – January 19, 2024), professionally known by her stage name Marlena Shaw, was an American 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.
Background
Marlena Shaw was born in New Rochelle, New York. She was first introduced to music by her uncle Jimmy Burgess, a jazz trumpet player. In an interview with The New York Times, she told the reporter: "He [Jimmy Burgess] introduced me to good music through records – Dizzy [Gillespie], Miles [Davis], a lot of gospel things, and Al Hibbler, who really knows how to phrase a song." In 1952, Burgess brought her on stage at the Apollo Theater in Harlem to sing with his band. Shaw's mother did not want Marlena to go on tour with her uncle at such a young age. Shaw enrolled in the New York State Teachers College in Potsdam (now known as the State University of New York at Potsdam) to study music but she later dropped out.
Career
Shaw began to make singing appearances in jazz clubs whenever she could spare the time. The most notable of these appearances was in 1963 when she worked with jazz trumpeter Howard McGhee. She was supposed to play at the Newport Jazz Festival with McGhee and his band, but left the group after getting into an argument with one of the band members. Later that year, she got an audition with Columbia label talent scout John Hammond. Shaw did not perform well during the audition because she was too nervous. Undeterred, she continued to play small clubs until 1966. Her career took off in 1966 when she landed a gig with the Playboy Club chain in Chicago. It was through this gig that 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 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
Sweet BeginningsSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Pictures and Memories4:33A2Yu‐Ma2:47A3Go Away Little Boy4:06A4The Writing's on the Wall3:31A5Walk Softly4:29B1Sweet Beginnings4:28B2Look at Me, Look at You (We're Flying)4:01B3No Deposit, No Return3:23B4Johnny3:45B5I Think I'll Tell Him3:45 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", again popular on the UK rare groove scene. She sang the theme song "Don't Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow" from the 1977 film Looking for Mr. Goodbar, that is also found on its soundtrack. She also recorded a disco era remake of "Touch Me in the Morning
Touch Me in the MorningSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksATouch Me in the Morning7:21BShaw Biz / Suddenly It's How I Like to Feel5:35", also on Columbia Records.
In 1982 Marlena recorded the Gary Taylor ballad called "Without You in My Life" from the LP Let Me in Your Life
Let Me in Your LifeSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1More Room at the Top4:42A2Never Give Up on You3:51A3Love Is Alive and Well4:40A4I Just Want This Feeling to Last4:43B1Spend Some Love3:57B2Next Time I Fall in Love3:55B3Without You in My Life4:53B4At Last6:34, that was jointly produced by Johnny Bristol and Webster Lewis on South Bay Records. This had moderate chart success in the US. 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.
Death
Shaw died on January 19, 2024, at the age of 84.
As guest
Source:
With Benny Carter
Songbook (MusicMasters, 1996)
Songbook Volume II (MusicMasters, 1997)
With others
Buddy Montgomery, Ties of Love (Landmark, 1987)
T-square, Vocal2 (or Vocal Square) (Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), 2002)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 19 | 79.7th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 35 | 91.7th |
| Studio albums | 14 | 94th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 17 | 92.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 54 | 94.2th |
| Genres | 4 | 84.7th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (35 release groups · 14 studio albums)
Albums · 14
1968 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 31:35
A1Matchmaker, Matchmaker2:58A2The Eyes of Love (Carol's Theme)2:30A3Nothing but Tears2:50A4Will I Find My Love Today3:20A5It Sure Is Groovy2:35A6I've Gotten Over You3:10B1Ahmad's Blues3:05B2A Couple of Losers2:35B3I Stayed Too Long at the Fair3:05B4Alone Together3:07B5Somewhere in the Night (Naked City Theme)2:201969 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 31:27
A1Woman of the Ghetto6:05A2Call It Stormy Monday3:05A3Where Can I Go?2:23A4I'm Satisfied2:50A5I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free)3:14B1Liberation Conversation2:05B2California Soul3:00B3Go Away, Little Boy2:46B4Looking Thru the Eyes of Love3:00B5Anyone Can Move a Mountain2:591972 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 9 tracks · 40:01
A1What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life5:09A2Somewhere3:30A3Runnin’ Out of Fools4:45A4So Far Away4:00A5I’m Gonna Find Out3:50B1Save the Children4:10B2You Must Believe in Spring4:32B3Wipe Away the Evil5:10B4Things Don’t Never Go My Way4:551973 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 38:36
1Prelude / I Know I Love Him3:112Hum This Song3:083But for Now3:484Easy Evil3:395The Laughter and the Tears3:056The Feeling’s Good3:557Wildflower4:048Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely3:419Waterfall3:4510Say a Good Word3:0411Time for Me to Go3:161975 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 39:07
A1Dialogue: You, Me and Ethel / Street Walkin' Woman6:20A2You Taught Me How to Speak in Love3:52A3Davy5:26A4Feel Like Makin' Love5:00A5The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away1:05B1You Been Away Too Long3:07B2You3:45B3Loving You Was Like a Party4:17B4A Prelude for Rose Marie1:56B5Rose Marie (Mon Cherie)4:191976 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 42:22
A1It's Better Than Walkin' Out4:20A2Brass Band3:40A3This Time I'll Be Sweeter4:57A4Think About Me4:30A5You and Me3:57B1Love Has Gone Away4:53B2Sing to Me4:00B3Take My Body4:53B4Be for Real4:59B5No Hiding Place2:131977 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 38:48
A1Pictures and Memories4:33A2Yu‐Ma2:47A3Go Away Little Boy4:06A4The Writing's on the Wall3:31A5Walk Softly4:29B1Sweet Beginnings4:28B2Look at Me, Look at You (We're Flying)4:01B3No Deposit, No Return3:23B4Johnny3:45B5I Think I'll Tell Him3:451978 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 40:21
A1More3:45A2Moonrise4:20A3Rhythm of Love3:46A4Places3:59A5I Wonder4:23B1You Bring Out the Best in Me4:40B2Dreamin’4:30B3I’m Back for More4:06B4Mamma Tried3:23B5Theme From “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (Don’t Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow)3:291979 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 36:59
A1It Was a Very Good Year / I'm a Foster Child3:07A2Love Dancin'4:31A3It Was a Very Good Year / I'm a Foster Child0:40A4I Thank You3:14A5It Was a Very Good Year / I'm a Foster Child0:40A6Touch Me in the Morning5:52B1Shaw Biz / Suddenly It's How I Like to Feel / Shaw Biz (reprise)5:35B2No One Yet5:15B3Haven't We Been in Love Before4:08B4I'll Be Your Friend3:571982 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 8 tracks · 37:15
A1More Room at the Top4:42A2Never Give Up on You3:51A3Love Is Alive and Well4:40A4I Just Want This Feeling to Last4:43B1Spend Some Love3:57B2Next Time I Fall in Love3:55B3Without You in My Life4:53B4At Last6:341988 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 8 tracks · 35:57
A1Before You Know It4:02A2I Want to Know4:23A3I’ll Remember You4:21A4This Time4:15B1Love Is in Flight3:58B2Loving You5:00B3I Must Be in Love5:43B4With You4:151996 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks · 56:51
1Out of This World4:432Whisper Not4:503Ooo‐Wee/Baby You’re the One for Me4:584Blackberry Winter4:455Close Enough for Love4:186Dangerous3:377The Nearness of You4:138Dim the Lights4:579You Make Me Feel Brand New4:4710You’re My Everything4:4711Beautiful Friendship3:0712Give Me One More Chance4:4013Keep On Trustin’3:091997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 54:58
1Your Mind Is on Vacation3:392Paint Your Pretty Picture5:163How Deep Is the Ocean5:214Where Do You Start?3:505Once Again We've Begun to Love3:286Handy Man5:307Why, Oh Why1:468Brothers4:109'Round Midnight6:0910I'm Alone Again5:0411My Old Flame3:5912Our Love Is Here to Stay6:462003 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 48:54
1Hope in a Hopeless World4:582New York State of Mind4:593For All We Know3:134Just the Two of Us4:435Everything Must Change5:376Here's to Life4:057Easy Living4:298Mercy, Mercy, Mercy3:539What a Wonderful World4:4810Sweet Georgia Brown2:5611You Don't Know What Love Is5:13
Single · 11
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Let's Wade in the Water / Show TimeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:48ALet's Wade in the Water2:58 BShow Time2:50 | 1966 | ||
| 1967 | Brother Where Are You / Waiting For Charlie To Come HomeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:05ABrother Where Are You2:27 BWaiting for Charlie to Come Home2:38 | 1967 | ||
| 1967 | Mercy, Mercy, Mercy / Go Away Little BoySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:43AMercy, Mercy, Mercy2:58 BGo Away Little Boy2:45 | February 1967 | ||
| 1973 | Last Tango In ParisSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 7:25ALast Tango in Paris3:15 BSave the Children4:10 | 1973 | ||
| 1976 | It's Better Than Walkin' Out / Be for RealSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 9:19AIt's Better Than Walkin' Out4:20 BBe for Real4:59 | 1976 | ||
| 1979 | Love Dancin’Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 13:27ALove Dancin’8:03 BNo One Yet5:24 | 1979 | ||
| 1979 | Touch Me in the MorningSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 12:56ATouch Me in the Morning7:21 BShaw Biz / Suddenly It's How I Like to Feel5:35 | 1979 | ||
| 1988 | Love Dancin' / Touch Me in the MorningSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 15:17ALove Dancin'7:56 BTouch Me in the Morning7:21 | February 1988 | ||
| 2014 | Woman of the Ghetto (Akshin Alizadeh remix)Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 10:041Woman of the Ghetto (Akshin Alizadeh remix)5:02 2Woman of the Ghetto (Akshin Alizadeh instrumental mix)5:02 | Remix | 27 September 2014 | |
| 2018 | Ghetto (KS acappella edit)Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 2:201Ghetto (KS acappella edit)2:20 | 8 July 2018 | ||
| 2020 | FaithSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 5:261Faith5:26 | 1 October 2020 |
Album · 9
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Live at MontreuxSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 7 tracks · 32:27A1The Show Has Begun3:50 A2The Song Is You2:20 A3You Are the Sunshine of My Life4:20 A4Twisted3:45 B1But for Now4:32 B2Save the Children4:20 B3Woman of the Ghetto9:20 | Live | 1974 | |
| 1987 | It Is LoveSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 11 tracks · 59:261Day In - Day Out3:15 2It Is Love4:21 3Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out / That’s Life5:09 4Unforgettable4:06 5At Last4:08 6Them There Eyes4:14 7Lover of the Simple Things4:28 8On the Street Where You Live5:31 9It Might as Well Be Spring9:31 10Go Away Little Boy9:31 11Rockin’ Chair Blues5:12 | Live | 1987 | |
| 1995 | Golden ClassicsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 18 tracks · 1:16:191Pictures & Memories4:36 2Yo - Ma / Go Away Little Boy6:51 3The Writings on the Wall3:33 4Walk Softly4:31 5Sweet Beginnings4:30 6Look at Me, Look at You (We're Flying)4:03 7No Deposit, No Return4:25 8Johnny3:48 9I Think I'll Tell Him3:47 10More3:48 11Moonrise4:22 12Rhythm of Love3:48 13Places4:05 14You Bring Out the Best in Me4:40 15Dreamin'4:26 16Im Back for More4:08 17Mamma Tried3:26 18Theme From "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (Don't Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow)3:32 | Compilation | 1995 | |
| 1999 | The Sass and Soul of Marlena Shaw: Go Away Little BoySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 1:10:401Yu-Ma / Go Away Little Boy6:51 2I Think I’ll Tell Him3:46 3Rhythm of Love3:46 4Moonrise4:21 5I Wonder4:28 6Shaw Biz / Suddenly It’s How I’d Like to Feel / Shaw Biz (reprise)5:35 7I’m Back for More4:06 8Sweet Beginnings4:29 9More3:46 10Walk Softly4:29 11No One Yet5:15 12Pictures and Memories4:33 13Love Dancin’7:56 14Touch Me in the Morning7:19 | Compilation | 6 April 1999 | |
| 2000 | Out of Different Bags / Spice of LifeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 30 tracks · 1:30:03Disc 1 1Matchmaker, Matchmaker3:00 2A Couple of Loosers2:26 3Its Sure Is Groovy2:39 4Naked City Theme3:08 5I Stayed Too Long at the Fair3:02 6Eyes of Love2:33 7Will I Find My Love Today?3:22 8Nothing but Tears2:40 9I've Gotten Over You3:13 10Somewhere in the Night2:18 11Alone Together2:50 12More3:23 13Let's Wade in the Water3:29 14Let It Be Me2:49 15Show Time2:53 Disc 21Woman of the Ghetto6:04 2Stormy Monday3:03 3Where Can I Go2:21 4I'm Satisfied2:49 5I Wish I Knew3:11 6Liberation Conversation2:05 7California Soul2:59 8Go Away Little Boy2:46 9Looking Thru the Eyes of Love2:58 10Anyone Can Move a Mountain3:02 11Mercy, Mercy, Mercy3:01 12Waiting for Charles to Come Home2:40 13The House That Jack Built3:05 14Brother Where Are You2:31 15We Could Have Been Fine3:43 | Compilation | 2000 | |
| 2000 | AnthologySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks · 1:07:571Woman of the Ghetto6:04 2California Soul3:01 3Mercy Mercy Mercy3:01 4Wade in the Water3:35 5Liberation Conversation2:04 6Loving You Was Like a Party4:17 7The Feeling's Good3:53 8So Far Away4:01 9Feel Like Making Love4:09 10Yu Ma / Go Away Little Boy6:52 11Rhythm of Love3:47 12Without You in My Life4:50 13Look at Me, Look at You (We're Flying)4:04 14Back for More4:08 15You Bring Out the Best in Me4:41 16Could It Be You5:30 | Compilation | 2000 | |
| 2003 | The Blue Note YearsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks · 1:11:461Woman of the Ghetto10:06 2Easy Evil3:40 3Love Has Gone Away (single version)3:10 4It’s Better Than Walking Out (single version)4:06 5Loving You Was Like a Party4:19 6Feel Like Making Love5:04 7Me and Mrs Jones5:14 8Save the Children4:09 9Running Out of Fools4:49 10The Show Has Begun4:04 11Twisted3:56 12Last Tango in Paris3:21 13Somewhere3:29 14Time for Me to Go3:17 15What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life5:09 16The Feeling’s Good3:53 | Compilation | 2003 | |
| 2003 | Live in TokyoSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 9 tracks · 1:01:451Ooh Wee, Baby You’re the One for Me5:33 2Don’t Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow4:39 3Feel Like Makin’ Love9:20 4What a Difference a Day Made7:05 5Rose Marie (Mon Cherie)6:00 6Until I Met You6:10 7’Round Midnight8:14 8My Foolish Heart9:23 9Loving You Was Like a Party5:21 | Live | 2 September 2003 | |
| 2018 | Go Away Little Boy: The Columbia AnthologySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 28 tracks · 2:05:39Disc 1 1The Writing’s on the Wall3:33 2No Deposit, No Return4:24 3I Think I’ll Tell Him3:47 4I’m Back for More4:07 5No One Yet5:17 6Haven’t We Been in Love Before?4:11 7Sweet Beginnings4:30 8More3:48 9Pictures and Memories4:35 10Suite Seventeen: It Was a Very Good Year / I’m a Foster Child (Medley)3:24 11Love Dancin’ (Special disco version)7:57 12I Thank You3:16 13Touch Me in the Morning (remix)7:19 Disc 21Yu-Ma / Go Away Little Boy6:52 2Shaw Biz / Suddenly It’s How I Like to Feel / Shaw Biz (reprise)5:38 3Look at Me, Look at You (We’re Flying)4:02 4Moonrise4:23 5Dreamin’4:26 6Rhythm of Love3:46 7I Wonder4:25 8You Bring Out the Best in Me4:40 9Theme From “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (Don’t Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow)3:29 10Places4:04 11Johnny3:47 12The Best Days of My Life4:07 13Walk Softly4:31 14Mamma Tried3:26 15I’ll Be Your Friend3:55 | Compilation | 20 April 2018 |
Other · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Never Give Up On YouSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 11:31ANever Give Up on You5:39 BNever Give Up on You (instrumental)5:52 | 1983 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Marlena Shaw head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 19 | 79.7th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 35 | 91.7th |
| Studio albums | 14 | 94th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 17 | 92.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 54 | 94.2th |
| Genres | 4 | 84.7th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marlena_Shaw.pngaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f94db5b3-9260-4e81-9d35-6806e50c713fdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f94db5b3-9260-4e81-9d35-6806e50c713fcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q456133genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q456133seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlena_Shawbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlena_Shaw
Why this artist is in the database
- List of disco artists
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Cadet Records · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q456133 · MusicBrainz: f94db5b3-9260-4e81-9d35-6806e50c713f
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