(Above: Elvis Costello and the Imposters take the stage on a hot summer night at Crossroads KC.) Joel Francis The Kansas City Star Elvis Costello solved the age-old problem of what to do when an artist has too many great songs for one show – he brought them all onstage with him. Costello’s “Spectacular Spinning [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Smokey Robinson’
Review: Elvis Costello and the Imposters
Posted in Concert review, Kansas City Star, review, tagged Alison, Back To Rockville, Davey Faragher, Elvis Costello, Jr. Walker, Lovell Sisters, new wave, Nick Lowe, Pump It Up, punk music, Purple Rain, Shabby Doll, Shotgun, Smokey Robinson, spinning songbook tour, Steve Nieve, the Attractions, Tracks of My Tears, Uncomplicated on August 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
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 [...]
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 [...]
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), [...]
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Claudette Robinson, doo-wop, Hitsville U.S.A., I Only Have Eyes for You, Marv Tarplin, Smokey Robinson, the Flamingos, The Miracles on November 25, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry,” Pop # 8, R&B # 3 By Joel Francis “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry” ended the Miracles streak of seven consecutive Top 10 R&B hits and was the group’s fourth and final hit of 1968. At four minutes, the song was one of Motown’s longest singles [...]
Bruce Springsteen rocks the Hall (part one)
Posted in Music history, review, tagged Aerosmith, Axl Rose, B.B. King, Beach Boys, Beatles, Ben E. King, Bo Diddley, Bruce Springsteen, Carl Perkins, Creedence Clearwater Revival, E Street Band, George Harrison, Guns N Roses, Jackson Browne, Jeff Beck, John Fogerty, Max Weinberg, Mick Jagger, Paul Schaffer, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rock Hall, Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, Smokey Robinson, The Band, Thunder Road, Tina Turner on October 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
(Above: Bruce Springsteen isn’t even close to being the biggest legend onstage in this historic performance of “I Saw Her Standing There” from 1987.) By Joel Francis “Rock Hall Live,” an exquisite nine DVD box set of performances and speeches from the past 25 years of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies is [...]
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – “I Second That Emotion”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Al Cleveland, David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, Diana Ross, Grateful Dead, Hitsville U.S.A., Japan, Jerry Garcia, Marv Tarplin, Smokey Robinson, soul music, Tammy Wynette, The Miracles, the Supremes, The Temptations on September 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – “I Second That Emotion,” Pop # 4, R&B # 1 By Joel Francis Smokey Robinson was Christmas shopping with fellow Motown songwriter Al Cleveland when Cleveland let slip the malapropism “I second that emotion.” Intrigued, Robinson penned a lyric about a man disinterested in flirting, fishing for long-term love. [...]
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 [...]
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2010 Grammys: A Live Diary
Posted in Industry commentary, review, tagged Alanis Morrissette, Andrea Bocelli, Beyonce, Bjork, Black Eyed Peas, Black Star, Bon Jovi, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Byrds, Celine Dion, Dean Moriarty, Elton John, Fergie, Grammy awards, Green Day, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Keith Urban, Lady Gaga, Latin Grammys, Leon Russell, Living on a Prayer, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson, Mos Def, Pink, Public Enemy, Questlove, Rhianna, Roger McGuinn, Run this Town, S1Ws, Smokey Robinson, Stephen Colbert, Stevie Nicks, Styx, Susan Boyle, Talib Kweli, Taylor Swift, The Clash, Thomas Wolfe, Will.I.Am, Zac Brown Band on February 1, 2010 | 27 Comments »
By Joel Francis The Daily Record We at The Daily Record try to play clean in our tiny corner of the interweb. Once a year, on “music’s biggest night” the gloves come off and the snark comes out. This year, we present a live diary of the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. We’ll be doing this [...]
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