With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

Play It Again Mayhem – “Why Can’t We Be Lovers” – Holland and Dozier August 7, 2022

Filed under: Play It Again Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 11:21 am
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This is the thirteenth song in the Play It Again Mayhem series which began back in 2020. It might be the thirteenth entry, but it is lucky for one artist and for you because you get to hear another great tune. Check out the previous entries along with this new one in the Play It Again Mayhem Spotify Playlist, click here to take a listen! Once again this one goes back to the 70s, which remains my favourite era for music, 1972 in this case. In fact, 75% of the Play It Again Mayhem songs are from the 1970s so far. This is one of just a few recordings made by two-thirds of the classic Motown songwriting team of Holland Dozier Holland. The song features Lamont Dozier and, I think, both Brian and Eddie Holland. It is called “Why Can’t We Be Lovers” and was released as a single in 1972. It missed the US Billboard charts but made it to number 9 on the US R&B chart. In the UK it sadly only made it to number 29. It was issued on the writing teams Invictus label which also had big hits with Freda Payne and Chairmen Of The Board among others. It is probably one of my favourite love songs, although it is more a song of unrequited love.

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“some revolution is going to happen today I’m gonna chase the dark clouds away” a.k.a. 11 pipers piping December 23, 2012

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:01 am
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11 Pipers

Oh my God when will these bloody gifts stop arriving. I mean I love my true love to bits but where in the hell am I supposed to put 11 bloody pipers piping. I’ve never like the cat strangling sound of bagpipes anyway. Enough of my woes, I’m sure that you have worked out that it is now day 11 of my 12 days of Christmas series of posts, hence the 11 pipers piping. Will there be many pipers left after all the proposed UK defence cuts? Military personnel in the UK Armed Forces are expected to fall from 102,00 to 82,000 by 2018 and it is expected that a number of regimental bands may not survive the proposed mergers of residents.

Chairman+Of+The+Board

But on to some happier thoughts, I have picked two piper related songs for you today, albeit rather tenuous in the case of the second one. but the first song comes from one of my favourite bands from my early teenage years. It’s Chairmen Of The Board with “Pay To The Piper”. Most of the band’s biggest hits were Holland Dozier Holland compositions which may well have been recorded by the Four Tops had HDH remained at Motown rather than leaving to form the Invictus label. The song reached number 13 in the US Hot 100 and only managed a lowly number 34 in the UK in 1971. “Pay To The Piper” was the band’s fourth single. Their first single “Give Me Just A Little More Time” is their best chart performer on both sides of the Atlantic peaking at number 3 in both countries. I am amazed that the band didn’t do better from a chart perspective, they recorded some classic songs. Big kudos too for recording the excellently titled “Shaggin’ The Night Away”.

Billie_Piper

The second song for today is a little more tenuous as I mentioned earlier, it’s “Because We want To” by Billie Piper (geddit?). More people probably remember Billie more for her acting these days than for her time as a pop star. I loved her as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who, didn’t you? “Because We Want To” from 1998 was Billie’s first hit single and the first of her three UK number ones. It also made the top 10 in Ireland, Sweden and New Zealand. It was also the official song of the Women’s World Cup in 1999. That tournament was held in the USA and was won by the host nation who beat China on penalties after a nil nil draw. England sadly failed to qualify.

Billie-Piper

And finally another Billy Bonus with Laurel and Hardy dancing to Chairmen Of The Board’s “Shaggin’ The Night Away”

 

“I wait in the darkness of my lonely room, filled with sadness, filled with gloom” a.k.a five gold rings December 17, 2012

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:08 am
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It’s now day 5 of my 12 days of Christmas series and that can only mean one thing right? Well five things actually and all of those are gold rings. Yes, on the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five gold rings. Go on admit it you sang that line in your head just like it goes in the tune didn’t you? Had you bought your five gold rings in 1970 they would now be worth considerably more. In December 1970 gold was valued at £15.64 an ounce, earlier this month its value was £1,060.95 an ounce. Some interpretations of the 12 days of Christmas suggest that the gold rings are in fact goldspinks which as old name for a goldfinch. However I have based my choice of songs on the gold rings and I have two great songs for you.

Apr 311

Firstly we go to the King, kind of appropriate for Christmas don’t you think? Yes it’s Elvis Aaron Presley with “Wear My Ring (Around Your Neck)”. The song was written by Bert Carroll and Russell Moody and was released in 1958. Up to that point Elvis had achieved a string of ten consecutive number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, but this song stalled at number two. It made it to number three in the UK. Did you know that Elvis’ father Vernon’s middle name was Elvis or that his mother Gladys’ middle name was Love? You didn’t? Well you do now. It has been said that Elvis once entered an Elvis lookalike contest and only came third. However whilst this is a great story that is probably all it is. It was an item printed in the Weekly World News which is about as reliable in the truth department as the National Enquirer or perhaps the Sunday Sport in the UK.

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Freda+Payne

The second of this posts songs is the soul classic “Band Of Gold” by Freda Payne. It was a million seller in 1970 where it reached number one in the UK but only number three in the US. It was also her biggest hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It was released on the Invictus label which had been set up by the Holland Dozier Holland team after they left Motown. “Band Of Gold” was written by Edythe Wayne and Ron Dunbar but it was produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. The lead guitar on the song comes from Ray Parker Jr and two former Motown backing vocalists provided vocal backing for Freda. Those backing vocalists were Joyce Vincent Wilson and Telma Hopkins, both later went on to join Tony Orland as part of Tony Orlando and Dawn. Did you know that Freda’s sister Scherrie was a member of the post Diana Ross Supremes for a while? When I began as a mobile DJ back in the 70s some of the advice I received from an old sage of a DJ was to never play this song at a wedding reception as it is all about break up. That’s true but hell it’s a great dance track isn’t it. So I must confess to the world that I have indeed played the song at wedding receptions.

fredapayneinpinkgown

Two Goldfinches, the whereabouts of the other three are currently unknown!

Two Goldfinches, the whereabouts of the other three are currently unknown!

 

“They started going steady and bless my soul he out-bopped the buzzard and the oriole” December 18, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:04 am
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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“.

 

“It’s not safe loving you this way but from your arms I can’t stay” December 17, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:05 am
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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.

 

“I’m no longer just another face in a crowd” December 9, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:05 am
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Here we are at day 9 and therefore December 9th of my Christmas Advent Calendar. Today marks the second appearance of the fabulous Four Tops in my ABC Of Motown themed calendar for 2011. The song is “I’m In A Different World” and was written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and R Dean Taylor. Holland Dozier Holland had written most of the Four Tops biggest hits. This was the last Four Tops song that any of the HDH team had anything to do with.

It was recorded in 1968 shortly before Holland Dozier Holland left Motown over a dispute about royalties. They went on to form the Invictus label and had many hits with artists such as Freda Payne and Chairmen Of The Board. It only made number 51 in the US and just 27 in the UK charts.

The Four Tops were allegedly scheduled to board the Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988. However they had a late recording session the night before and overslept. The flight was later brought down by a terrorist bomb over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. Strangely enough John Lydon and his wife Norah were also meant to be on that flight. They were delayed because Norah took a long while to pack.

 

“I just want to stop and thank you baby” December 8, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:02 am
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It’s December 8th and we’re at the letter H in this years ABC of Motown Christmas Advent calendar. Todays song is another Holland Dozier Holland classic, it’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” from the supremely talented and sadly departed silky voiced Motown crooner Mr Marvin Gaye. As with the majority of Motown hits the music was provided by the Funk Brothers. Backing vocals were provided by the lesser known Andantes who appeared on more Motown hits than anyone except the Funk Brothers. Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps were the ladies who made up the Andantes.

The song reached number 6 in the Billboard charts in the US and sadly only made number 49 in the UK when it came out in 1964. It has been covered by many people, perhaps most famously by James Taylor in 1975. That version reached number 5 in the US and included Carly Simon on backing vocals and David Sanborn on saxophone. Sanborn also provided sax on David Bowie’s “Young Americans” album in the same year.

 

“Red light, green light, speeding through the dark night” December 7, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 10:35 pm
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We’re up to the letter G in my ABC of Motown Christmas Advent Calendar, which means that today is December 7th. Todays song is from the, in my opinion, very much underrated Richard Dean Taylor. He is better known. He is a Canadian and was born in Toronto in 1939, which makes him 72, just like yesterday’s featured artist Jimmy Ruffin.

Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, R. Dean Taylor, Don Gooch

Taylor signed with Motown in 1964 as a songwriter. His first single was scheduled to be”My Ladybug (Stay Away From That Beatle)” which was deemed unworthy of release. His biggest success as a writer or cowriter at the label was with songs such as “I’ll Turn To Stone” by the Four Tops and “I’m Livin’ In Shame” from Diana Ross and the Supremes. One of his biggest hits was actually one that he didn’t have a hand in writing. It was “There’s A Ghost In My House” which was written by the classic Tamla Motown writing team of Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier aka Holland Dozier Holland.

Strangely enough todays song in the advent calendar is “Gotta See Jane” which Taylor wrote with Brian Holland. It reached number 17 in the UK charts in 1968. It has been covered by both the Fall and Golden Earring (enjoy those versions below). The song was released on Motown’s Rare Earth subsidiary in the USA.

 

“All men need someone to worship and adore” December 2, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:03 am
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It’s December 2nd and time to open the next little compartment of my ABC of Motown Christmas Advent Calendar. At the risk of sounding a little Sesame Street today is the letter B. To match that I have chosen a song from my favourite Motown group of all time; the Four Tops. The song is “Bernadette”. It was one of the many classics written by the writing team of Lamont Dozier, Brian and Eddie Holland (a.k.a Holland Dozier Holland). Inevitably it was the Motown house band the Funk Brothers that played on the track.

The song has an excellent false ending which has a short silence before the emotive vocals of Levi Stubbs kick the song back into action. It reached number 4 in the US charts in 1967 and number 8 in the UK. Sadly the Four Tops are no more with Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir being the only surviving member.

 

“You can call me up and have a date any old time” February 1, 2011

Filed under: News,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 10:17 pm
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I know I’m a little late with this post but last week saw the death of Gladys Horton. She died on 26th January aged just 65 after suffering a stroke last year. She was the lead singer of the Marvelettes and was just 15 when she recorded “Please Mr Postman” with the group. Sadly they were never as successful as that other Motown girl group in the UK, I mean the Supremes. But Gladys had a very strong and distinctive voice. Gladys was orphaned aged only one year old and was brought up in foster care in Detroit.

The group was originally called the Marvels until Berry Gordy advised that they change it to the Marvelettes. The group was also the first Motown act to be offered what went on to become on of Holland, Dozier, Holland‘s biggest hits. The girls turned it down, the song was “Where Did Our Love Go” which was recorded by the Supremes and the rest as they say is history. The group may always be best known for “Please Mr Postman” (famously covered by the Beatles in 1963 and the Carpenters in 1975) but they also recorded some classic Motown songs, some of which you can enjoy below. My particular favourite is “Beechwood 45789“. Who knows how things had turned out if the Marvelettes had recorded that Supremes song? Farewell and RIP Gladys Horton.

 

 
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