Gladys Knight and the Pips – “If I Were Your Woman,” Pop #9, R&B #1 By Joel Francis The Daily Record Relationship fantasies were nothing new at Motown – Mary Wells’ “The One Who Really Loves You” was one of the label’s earliest singles. But Gladys Knight and the Pips’ 1971 single “If I Were [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Hitsville U.S.A.’
Gladys Knight and the Pips – “If I Were Your Woman”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Alicia Keys, Baby Love, Bettye LaVette, Bonnie Bramlett, Delaney and Bonnie, George Michael, Gladys Knight, Gloria Jones, Hitsville U.S.A., Jean Terrell, Marc Bolan, Mary Wells, MTV Unplugged, Nelson Mandella, Soft Cell, soul music, Stephanie Mills, T. Rex, Tainted Love, The Nitty Gritty, the Pips, the Supremes, Wham on November 18, 2010 | 1 Comment »
The Supremes – “Stoned Love”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Angie Stone, Berry Gordy, censorship, Chicane, Cindy Birdsong, David DePitte, Diana Ross, Ed Sullivan show, Frank Wilson, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, Jean Terrell, Journey, Justin Timberlake, Kenny Thomas, Mary Wilson, Merv Griffin show, Motown sound, The Doors, the Supremes on August 13, 2010 | 2 Comments »
The Supremes – “Stoned Love,” Pop # 7, R&B #1 By Joel Francis The Daily Record “Stoned Love” was the Supremes’ biggest hit of the post-Diana Ross era, and with good reason – it sounds like a throwback to the golden Holland-Dozier-Holland age of Motown. Motown producer Frank Wilson discovered the song when it was [...]
A Capitol Fourth
Posted in Concert review, Music history, tagged a Capitol Fourth, America, American history, American Idol, Darius Rucker, David Arlucheta, fireworks, Fourth of July, Gladys Knight, Hitsville U.S.A., Hootie and the Blowfish, Indian music, Jimmy Smits, July 4, July 4 in DC, Lincoln Memorial, patriotism, poetry slam, Reba McEntire, Washington DC, Washington Monument on July 7, 2010 | 2 Comments »
(Above: The primitive beauty of unaccompanied fireworks over the national Mall on July 4, 2010.) By Joel Francis The Daily Record WASHINGTON, DC – Soul legend Gladys Knight took the stage staring into a sea of empty seats. It was three hours before show time, and the VIPs with reserved seats wisely avoided the blistering [...]
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – “The Tears of a Clown”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Enuff Z'Nuff, Hitsville U.S.A., LaToya Jackson, Petula Clark, Phil Collins, Roxette, ska, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The English Beat, The Miracles, The Tracks of My Tears on July 5, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – “The Tears of a Clown,” Pop #1, R&B #1 By Joel Francis The Daily Record One of pop music’s most unique and amazing properties is its ability to wrap the most heartbreaking lyrics in a bubbly, effervescent melody. Think about it for a moment. While there are shades and [...]
Jackson Five – “I’ll Be There”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Berry Gordy, bubblegum pop, Diana Ross, Green Day, Hal Davis, Hitsville U.S.A., Jackson 5, Jamie Foxx, La Toya Jackson, Mariah Carey, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Michael Jackson, Ne-Yo, New Kids on the Block, the Corporation, The Temptations, Trey Lorenz on June 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Jackson Five – “I’ll Be There,” Pop #1, R&B #1 By Joel Francis The Daily Record To say that the Jackson 5’s formula was successful would be a terrific understatement. Three upbeat, bubblegum hits, all penned and produced by Berry Gordy and his faceless Corporation, all No. 1 pop and R&B smashes. Gordy’s decision to [...]
Four Tops – “Still Water (Love)”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Ashford and Simpson, folk revival, Four Tops, Frank Wilson, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, If I Were A Carpenter, Ivy Jo Hunter, Jean Terrell, Levi Stubbs, Marvin Gaye, Norman Whitfield, psychedelic soul, Smokey Robinson, Temptations, the Supremes, What's Going On on June 23, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Four Tops – “Still Water (Love),” Pop # 11, R&B #4 By Joel Francis The Daily Record The Four Tops needed this. The departure of Holland-Dozier-Holland was a devastating blow to all of Motown, but the Tops felt it especially hard. “Bernadette” made them the top Motown act in U.K., second only to the Temptations [...]
Diana Ross – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Andantes, Ashford and Simpson, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Hitsville U.S.A., Marvin Gaye, Nick Ashford, Tammi Terrell, the Supremes, The Temptations, Valerie Simpson on June 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Diana Ross – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Pop #1, R&B #1 By Joel Francis The Daily Record This was the moment. For years, Berry Gordy had been grooming Diana Ross to become a star. First he pushed the hesitant child to the forefront of the Supremes, then elevated her to top billing. Now she [...]
The Spinners – “It’s A Shame”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Harvey Fuqua, Hitsville U.S.A., Marvin Gaye, R. Kelly, Sounds of Blackness, Spinners, Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright, the Originals, Tri-Phi records on May 17, 2010 | 2 Comments »
The Spinners – “It’s A Shame,” Pop #14, R&B #4 By Joel Francis The Daily Record The Spinners had been absent from the charts for five years when “It’s A Shame” came out in June, 1970. In fact, the Detroit quintet had only two hits in their 10-year history up till that point. The group [...]
Edwin Starr – “War”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged 25 Miles, 9/11, banned songs, Bruce Springsteen, Clear Channel, corporate censorship, Dennis Edwards, Edwin Starr, Hitsville U.S.A., John Lennon, Louis Armstrong, Norman Whitfield, Paul Williams, protest music, psychedelic soul, Temptations on May 10, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Edwin Starr – “War,” Pop #1, R&B #1 By Joel Francis The Daily Record The Temptations had cut other political songs, such as “Message for a Black Man,” before they recorded the original version of “War” in 1969. Although the songs were generally well-received, they were closer to Norman Whitfield songs featuring the Temptations’ vocals [...]
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