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 [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Norman Whitfield’
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 »
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 [...]
The Temptations – “Ball Of Confusion”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Anthrax, Bob Dylan, Cloud Nine, Dennis Edwards, Duran Duran, Fugees, Hitsville U.S.A., Lauryn Hill, Marvin Williams, Neville Brothers, Norman Whitfield, Private Dancer, psychedelic soul, Sister Act, Subterranean Homesick Blues, Temptations, Tesla, Tina Turner, Undisputed Truth, Whoopie Goldberg, Widespread Panic on March 8, 2010 | 5 Comments »
The Temptations – “Ball Of Confusion,” Pop # 3, R&B # 2 By Joel Francis The Daily Record Clocking in at over four minutes, “Ball of Confusion” was an epic by Motown standards. The arrangement and themes, however, were very much in line with the top-shelf, psychedelic social commentary songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield had [...]
Rare Earth – “Get Ready”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged acid rock, Ash, Berry Gordy, Black Eyed Peas, Bobby Rogers, Eddie Kendricks, Fergie, Get Ready, Gil Bridges, Hitsville U.S.A., Norman Whitfield, Pete Moore, Pete Rivera, psychedelic rock, Rare Earth, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, the Proclaimers, the Supremes, The Temptations, Will.I.Am on February 15, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Rare Earth – “Get Ready,” Pop # 4, R&B # 20 By Joel Francis The Daily Record Motown’s signing of Rare Earth in 1968 was the sign of a label attempting to spread its wings. Although Rare Earth wasn’t the first all-white rock group signed by to Motown (that would be the Messengers in 1967), [...]
Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Berry Gordy, Buddy Miles, California Raisins, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Gladys Knight, Hitsville U.S.A., Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Norman Whitfield, Temptations on November 11, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Pop # 1, R&B # 1 By Joel Francis Producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield had finally triumphed. His fourth attempt at recording “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” had finally made it past Berry Gordy’s Quality Control meetings and triumphed at the top of the charts. [...]
Gladys Knight and the Pips – “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Aretha Franklin, Berry Gordy, Daydream Believer, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Isley Brothers, Jerry Wexler, King Curtis, Marvin Gaye, Monkees, Norman Whitfield, psychedelic soul, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, the Pips, the Supremes on September 9, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Gladys Knight and the Pips – “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Pop # 2, R&B # 1 By Joel Francis Unlike nearly every other soul singer at the time, Gladys Knight didn’t want to go to Motown. She was (rightly) worried she and her group, the Pips, would end up playing second fiddle to [...]
Follow The Daily Record
About this site
Hire Joel Francis
SubscribeArchives
Tags:
