It’s just a week to go to the big day folks, we’ve arrived at the 18th December and therefore day 18 on my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar. Seeing as yesterday was the letter Q by my calculations that must meant that today is the letter R. I have chosen a rather fun song for today. It’s “Rockin’ Robin which was a solo hit for a young Michael Jackson back in 1972.
The song was written by Leon Rene using the pseudonym of Jimmie Thomas and was originally a hit for Bobby Day in 1958. It was his only hit and it reached number two on the US Billboard charts. Jackson’s version was taken from his first solo album ‘Got To Be There‘ and also reached number two on the Billboard charts. The song went to number three in the UK.
The song has been occasionally included on a Christmas compilation album, which is a little strange to me as it was a hit in February 1972. I suppose it must be the Robin reference that makes it a Christmas related song to some people. The B Side of the single contained a cracking version of one of my favourite Supremes songs and another Holland Dozier Holland classic; “Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone“.
Regular readers of this blog know that I really do despise the X Factor and all it stands for. I chose not to watch it this year and a couple of people said to me “you have to watch it, you write a music blog” my response was “that is true, but first and foremost I am a music fan, not a Saturday primetime TV karaoke fan”
Anyway the festival for those of limited talent is over for another year and has launched a whole troupe of pop muppets on the world in the shape of Little Mix. Their first single is a truly awful cover of Damien Rice‘s “Cannonball”. But the good news is that it is not the current favourite for UK Christmas number one. That honour sits with “Wherever You Are” by the Military Wives Choir the new choir project put together by the immensely talented Gareth Malone. Whilst this is not my favourite type of music it is a really beautiful song and vocally it’s a million times better than Little Mix.
The next two favourites across the UK bookmakers are Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Damien Rice with the original version of “Cannonball”. So I think you know what to do don’t you? Go and buy the Military Wives song and if you must buy Little Mix make sure you buy Military Wives as well. Anyone who is a music fan should do whatever they can to keep the X Factor muppets from the Christmas number one spot. I hope I can count on you to do this!
Today is the 17th December which means we need to open the cardboard door marked number 17 on my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar. Wow, time really has flown since the Jackson 5 on 1st December hasn’t it?As it’s day 17 that must mean it is the letter Q. That has been quite a tough letter for the calendar. How many Motown songs do you know that begin with Q? Well there is at least one and it’s the fabulous Northern Soul stomper “Quicksand” from Martha and the Vandellas.
It is yet another classic written by the Holland Dozier Holland team. Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier produced the song which was released on the Gordy label in the US in 1963, it was actually only their third US hit. It was once again the fabulous Funk Brothers who provided the music track. The song was a follow-up to the girls previous big hit “(Love Is Like A) Heatwave”. I think it is quite reminiscent of that song too.
Martha Reeves unsurprisingly sang lead vocal and was backed by the Vandellas who at that time were Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard. The song never charted in the UK but reached number 8 in the USA. Martha turned 70 this year and she has also been quite prominent in the local politics in the home city of Motown; Detroit. She served as a Council Woman for the city from 2005 to 2009. She is the third child in a family of 11. There were two groups featuring her before she came to be a big part of Martha and the Vandellas. Those groups were the Sabre-Ettes and the Fascinations.
Now take a listen to a bonus track “(Love Is Like A) Heatwave” and then tell me whether you think it bears any similarity to “Quicksand” which follows it here.
We’re inching closer to that fine old Yuletide celebration good people of the blogosphere and I would like to help it be a really cool Yule with my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar. What do you think of it so far?…………. RUBBISH! Oh i see there are a few Morecambe and Wise fans out there. Anyway we’re now at December 16th and (rather obviously) it is day 16 of the advent calendar. It’s the letter P today and it is one of the few songs in the Motown canon that is effectively to Various Artists. the song in question is “Pops, We love You” or to give it’s full title “Pops We love You (A Tribute To Father)”
The song was written as a tribute to Motown Supremo Berry Gordy‘s father who had been his spiritual and business mentor and guide. he also did the same for many of the artists in Berry’s Motown family. Berry Gordy Jr’s Dad was named Berry Gordy Sr but was known by many very affectionately as Pops. (My dad shared a name with me, perhaps I should add the Junior bit to my name). The song was written and recorded as a special tribute in 1978 a short while after Pops died from cancer, a disease which he had fought for some time.
It was written produced by Marilyn Mcleod and Pam Sawyer and also formed the centrepiece of a ‘Pops, We love You’ album. The album bought Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye together as a duet for the first time since 1973’s ‘Diana and Marvin’ album. That song was called “I’ll Keep My Light In My Window”. Unlike that 1973 album they actually recorded the new song whilst in the studio together. They were joined on the Pops tribute song by Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder.
Berry wonders what exactly has landed on Diana's head
Marvin, Diana and Smokey recorded their parts together in Motown’s LA Studios. Stevie Wonder’s vocals were added later as he was bunkered down in another studio recording what was for me a very underrated and misunderstood soundtrack album called ‘Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants“.
Diana was very proud of her incredibly large muff
“Pops, We Love You” reached number 59 on the Billboard charts in the US and number 66 in the UK. It did make number 26 in the US R & B charts though. I used to own the 12 inch vinyl copy of the song, but now I just have a version on a Motown compilation CD. The song was also the last UK chart hit with Marvin’s name on it on the Motown label, but he did go on to score a few other hits on the Columbia label. Most notably with “Sexual Healing”. but for now I hope that you enjoy todays song “Pops, We Love You (A Tribute To Father)”
Country singer Billie Jo Spears has passed away aged 74 after losing her battle with cancer. She was one of my Mum and Dad’s favourite singers. They especially loved “Blanket On The Ground“. She first appeared as a professional on stage aged just 13, she also appeared on the famous Louisiana Hayride show aged 13. That age was obviously very productive for her as she also released her first single then. She used the name Billie Jean Moore and the song was called “Too Old For Toys, Too Young For Boys”.
I would like to pass on my condolences to her family, friends and fans. Here are a couple of songs to remember her by. Billie Jo Spears RIP.
Smokey and the Miracles really tried their best to help out in the promotion of my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar
Have you been good? Will Santa bring you lots of goodies (I mean as in presents as opposed to Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie of course)? I hope you are getting excited anyway as we’re now on day 15 of my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar, yes folks it’s December 15th and it’s the letter O. the song is from one of my favourite Motown voices, Smokey Robinson. It comes from his days with the Miracles and it is “Ooo Baby Baby”
The song was written by Smokey and Pete Moore of the Miracles. The strings were arranged by Pete Moore. As is usual with almost all Motown hits it was the supremely talented Funk Brothers who provided the backing. “Ooo Baby Baby” reached number 16 in the US chart in 1965. A cover version of the song by Linda Ronstadt hit number 7 in the US in 1979. sadly it never charted in the UK. It has been covered by many other artists in addition to Ronstadt; including Todd Rundgren, Ella Fitzgerald and Shalamar who covered it as part of their “Uptown Festival” hit from 1977. That recording was actually a medley of classic Motown hits.
Smokey’s real name is William Robinson Jnr. His Uncle Claude gave him the nickname ‘Smokey Joe’ when Smokey was a boy. Smokey initially thought of it as his cowboy name, but as he got older his Uncle explained that as young Master Robinson was quite light-skinned it was a name to remind him of his roots. He dropped the Joe part of the nickname when he was a teenager. A couple of Smokey’s children also have interesting names too. There is a son called Berry, named after Motown President Berry Gordy. Smokey was Vice President of the label from 1961 until 1988. He also has a daughter called Tamla named after a label from the Motown portfolio. Those Motown fans from the UK will be very familiar with the amalgamated name the label took in Europe where it was known as Tamla Motown.
He also gets a mention in a couple of hit songs too. Firstly there is the sublime “Genius Of Love” from Talking Heads offshoot the Tom Tom Club in 1981. Most notably though he was the main man in ABC’s 1987 hit “When Smokey Sings”
I would like to congratulate Tracey Emin on her elevation to Professor at the Royal Academy. Her title will be Professor of Drawing which to be fair sounds a bit simple doesn’t it? many people will remember her more for some her installations like ‘Unmade Bed’ but she clearly is a talented line drawer as well. Here is her line drawing to commemorate the 2012 Olympics. Fiona Rae was appointed Professor of Painting at the same time. Amazing the pair are the first female Professors at the Royal Academy since it began in 1768.
Tracy is still waiting for her Professors robes to arrive
The Royal Academy payroll system wasn't working quite the way it should!
Click here to read the full story on the BBC site. As I have said many times before, this is a music blog so let me finish by taking the opportunity to play out with a classic bubblegum hit from 1969; “Tracy” by the Cuff-Links. All vocals were provided by the former Carmine Granito who was better known as Ron Dante. He was a prolific session singer and also provided the vocals for cartoon band the Archies.
It’s December the 14th, are you getting excited about Yuletide yet? Have you been good? Does Santa know what you want for Christmas? I hope the answer is yes to all those questions. It does mean that we have arrived at day 14 on my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar. Would you like to know what is behind the flimsy cardboard shield today? I’m sure you do; well it is the letter N and the song in question is “Needle In A Haystack” by the Velvelettes.
The song was written by William Stevenson and Norman Whitfield. The song was produced by Whitfield and was the groups first big hit in 1964 when it reached number 45 in the US Chart. It was released on the VIP label which was part of the Motown family. The group consisted of Bertha Barbee McNeal and her cousin Norma Barbee, Mildred Gill Arbor and her sister Carolyn (aka Cal) and Cal’s friend Betty Kelly when they formed in 1961. Cal became the lead singer.
The follow-up single was “He Was Really Saying Something” later covered by the less talented (in my opinion at least) Bananarama in the 80s. Betty Kelly left the group later in 1964 to join Martha and the Vandellas. The Velvelettes biggest UK hit was “These Things Will Keep Me Loving You” which reached number 34 in 1971, two years after the group had disbanded.
John Henshall was the cameraman when Bowie and the Spiders recorded the clip on January 3rd 1973. It was broadcast the following day and hasn’t been seen since. Henshall had kept a copy because he had used a number of new techniques and some new equipment during the shoot. Notably the fish eye lens. Click here to read the story on the BBC.
The film will now be shown in full on BBC4 next year. Along with many other Bowie fans I am a little excited by this news. Enjoy this clip of the song taken from the 1973 US TV Special ‘The 1980 Floor Show’ while you wait for that elusive Top Of The Pops footage to air next year.
It’s December 13th and we’ve now passed the halfway mark in this years advent calendar as door flap number 13 needs to be opened. The delight behind the door today is a very rich one which is well worth cashing in! It’s the first ever Motown hit and probably one of the best songs ever that was written about money. It is the stupendous “Money (That’s What I Want)” by the incredibly talented Mr Barrett Strong.
The song was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford and reached number 2 in the US R & B charts in 1960 after it’s release in August 1959. I was less than 8 months old back then. It was originally released on the Tamla label and the Anna label in the US. Both of these were part of Berry Gordy’s Motown stable. It has been covered by many artists from the Beatles to the Flying Lizards. But in my opinion none of the covers can match the electricity and power of Strong’s version. The Beatles actually played the song at their now infamous audition for Decca Records who turned them down. The Fab Four discovered the song, which was released on the London label in the UK, in Brian Epstein’s NEMS Record Store in Liverpool. The Flying Lizards version has also sound tracked a Taco Bell advert.
Barrett Strong went on to form an incredible song writing partnership with renowned Motown Producer Norman Whitfield. The pair wrote a string of classics for the Temptations (“Can’t Get Next To You”, “Psychedelic Shack”, “Ball Of Confusion” and “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” to name but a few), Edwin Starr (the stone cold classic; “War”) and Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye (both of whom recorded stunning hit versions of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”). For me Barrett Strong is easily among the best lyricists of his generation. Sadly Norman Whitfield passed away in 2008.
In 1973 Barrett received a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for the classic slow funk story song recorded by the Temptations; “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2004. He is still going very strong (excuse the pun) and you can find some of his current music on iTunes. I would also like to thank Mr Strong for his comment on my December 3rd post about another Temptations song that he co-wrote with Norman Whitfield; “Cloud Nine” Click here to read that post.
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 