In the winter of 1970, thanks to the work-study program at Antioch College, I managed to get myself a job as an assistant music teacher at a small Detroit private school. I've forgotten the name where I worked. It was awhile back! I found a place to live with students from Wayne State University. Every day I'd get up, walk to Woodward Avenue, take the bus downtown (where I'd freeze), then transfer to school. The only thing that's important here is "Woodward Avenue". On that street is Mecca. The Sound of Young America. Hitsville, USA. Motown Records.
Before there was My Guy, before there was Come See About Me or Baby Love, there was a rawer sound that came out of that building on Woodward Avenue. Compare the smooth sound of later records with this screamer by Barrett Strong, remade so well by the Beatles. I believe he wrote this one, although Berry Gordy has a co-credit. You know how those producers love to get a writing credit! Strong went on to become a producer himself. All of those nutty Temptations records of the later years like Ball of Confusion, Papa Was a Rolling Stone...that was Strong along with Norman Whitfield. Anyway, here's this classic tune, the first Motown hit!
We know Mary Wells for You Beat Me to the Punch and other soft, smooth records but she was a belter! Here's a tune she wrote and sang. She was 18 at the time. I wish she'd done more like this. Gordy decided she needed to record songs written by William Robinson and you can almost imagine Smokey singing some of her big hits that followed this one. Funny enough, Bye Bye Baby is my favorite of hers.
And speaking of Smokey, here's the classic Shop Around, a record that is in my top 25 of all-time. I love it because it's melodic, clever, explosive and rhytmic without having loud drums. This is also early Motown, from 1961.
Now here's something you don't hear every day! From 1961, it's the Supremes, with Flo Ballard on lead vocal!, doing Buttered Popcorn. It didn't do all that well and was the last single to feature anyone other than Diana Ross, which is a shame because if you have a group then it should be a group, if you know what I mean. And Flo could sing just fine.
I think this Marv Johnson song is from 1960, another very early Motown record. Johnson had a brief career, with 3 pretty big hits, before going into record promotion. Like Mary Wells, he died way too young. Mary Wells was 49, Johnson 54.
Moving a little ahead, here's Brenda Holloway from 1964, with a beautiful heart-tugger. She was 18 when she recorded this gem. The Beatles liked it so much they got her to open for them at Shea Stadium. It's definitely the highlight of her career, topping the great job she did singing backup on Joe Cocker's version of With A Little Help From My Friends. I've got a version of this song by the Spencer Davis Group that's terrific too, with Stevie Winwood being exceptionally bluesy, but the original is still the greatest!
Here's something I didn't know! Marvin Gaye sang for awhile with Harvey Fuqua in the Moonglows! Yes, the group that did The Ten Commandments of Love, although that had been recorded before Gaye joined. This next song is from 1963, a rocker that's fun to play. This great singer was also a drummer and played on the record that follows this. I prefer this rocking stuff to the crooning of his later career.
The third tune of this batch from my personal top 25 of all-time. It was co-written by Marvin Gaye. One of the things I like is its unusual structure, with the verse "you can have this dance with me..." happening only the one time in the beginning. Total pop but not formulaic at all. The Marvelettes biggest hit was Please Mr. Postman but this one grabs me even more. From 1962! Beechwood 4-5789.
The last one in this set is an oddity. First of all, it's the "newest" recording here, from 1966. Secondly, it's the only song here done by a white singer. I've heard that Berry Gordy was so enthralled by Dusty Springfield that he wanted to record a blonde soul singer and Chris Clark fit the bill. It's a great song and funny enough, I've personally been higher on the Billboard charts than she was with this and hers is, of course, much much better than anything I've done.
So that's it for this Tuesday. We've made it from 1956 to the early '60s. You can guess what's next!
