With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

“The best things in life are free but you can keep ’em for the birds and bees” December 13, 2011

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uqCocIh3_o

 

“Walk around with a smile upon my face, in my mind you have taken up permanent space” December 12, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 6:47 am
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It’s time to rip off the flimsy cardboard door representing the 12th December on this years ABC of Motown Advent Calendar. We’re halfway there folks, it’s getting serious! So serious in fact that todays song is Jermaine Jackson’s hit “Let’s Get Serious”. Let’s wish him a happy belated birthday as he turned 57 yesterday.

The song reached number 9 in the US and number 8 in the UK in 1980. It was an US R & B number one. It was his highest charting Motown solo single in the UK. Although “Do What You Do” reached number 6 in the UK in 1984, but that was on the Arista label. “Let’s Get Serious” was written by Stevie Wonder and Lee Garrett. Stevie produced the song and his vocals also feature quite heavily on the song.

Jermaine’s first marriage took place in 1973 to Hazel Gordy the daughter of Motown supreme berry Gordy. This would seem to be the reason he remained at Motown when his brothers moved on. He eventually divorced in 1988. He converted to Islam the following year after a trip to Bahrain. He is also a big fan of the LA Dodgers baseball team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQKmzBKVp7Y

 

“In old Temptations’ rain, I’m duckin’” December 11, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 7:10 am
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Hasn’t time flown? We’re already at 11th December and we’ve arrived at the letter K in my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar for 2011. We need to truck on for just a little while before Christmas so to help with that journey how about the marvellous “Keep On Truckin’” from the magnificent Mr Eddie Kendricks. The song was an US number one and a UK number 18 in 1973.

Eddie spent a several years with the Temptations and finally left in part because he was allegedly unhappy with the late 60s psychedelic direction the group was taking. The last Temptations hit single that he appeared on was the sublime “Just My Imagination”. It is also alleged that another 1971 hit for the Temptations “Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)” was directed at Kendricks and another former Temptation; David Ruffin.

“Keep On Truckin'” was written by Leonard Caston, Jr, Anita Poree and Frank Wilson. (You may recall that Frank was featured in this Advent Calendar on December 4th. Had he lived he would have been 72 in six days. But sadly he succumbed to lung cancer aged just 52 in 1992.

 

“You see you’re my heart, you’re soul you’re my stone inspiration” December 10, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 7:10 am
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It’s December 10th and that Saint Nick dude is getting closer and appropriately enough todays song on the ABC of Motown Advent Calendar is about being close. It is one of my favourite songs from the Commodores and it’s called “Just To Be Close To You”. I only saw the Commodores live on one occasion and that was back in November 1973 at my first ever gig where they were supporting the Jackson 5.

When released in 1976 the song reached number 7 in the US Billboard chart but was a number 1 in the US R & B Chart. Sadly it could only limp to number 62 in the UK chart. Like many of the bands hits it was written by Lionel Richie. The band was originally called the Mystics and decided that they needed a new name. William King a founder member who is still with the band decided to open the dictionary at a random page and point a finger at a random word on that page. Obviously that word was commodore. King is quoted as saying ‘We lucked out, we almost became the commodes’

Whilst the band left Motown in 1986 Lionel Richie stayed and went on to even greater success, although personally I have always preferred the more rough and funky sound of the earlier Commodores material. The band is still around and continue to play live.

 

“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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iglYttY02DE

 

“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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH0Q2lBK9-U

 

“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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdTl7kp1Da0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQlUeu8fEd8

 

“As you board the train, you feel the pain That starts as you depart, yeah” December 6, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 6:47 pm
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Can you believe that it’s now less than 20 days until the big bearded weirdy in red arrives? Yes it’s December 6th and time to rip off todays flimsy cardboard flap on my Advent Calendar which regular readers know has an ABC of Motown theme in 2011. Today is celebrating the letter F in the Motown lexicon and it’s a Jimmy Ruffin classic “Farewell Is A Lonely Sound” which reached the UK top 10 in 1970. Like many of his contemporaries he is the son of a minister. He is also the older brother of the sadly departed David Ruffin, formerly a member of the classic Temptations line-up. Neither of them are related to reggae singer Bruce Ruffin. This was a popular misconception in the 1970s; well certainly to me and my teenage friends!

Jimmy and David began their careers by singing gospel songs in church. Jimmy had a stint in the US Army and when he returned home in 1964 he was asked to audition for a place in the Temptations. Which he may well have got had his brother not auditioned as well. David sadly died aged just 50 in 1991 after an alleged accidental cocaine overdose.

Jimmy is now 72 and his 10-year-old granddaughter may well be on the verge of a successful career as a singer too. Aiyana-Lee Anderson recorded a song “As One” earlier this year to raise money for victims of the Japanese earthquake. Aiyana-Lee has been given the chance to record an album in LA as a result of the on-line success of “As One”. She lives with her moth in North London (Kingsbury) and attends the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcDjxSP4Uh8

 

“I’ll Hold you close in my arms I can’t resist your charms” December 5, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:02 am
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It’s December 5th folks, that’s now less than three weeks until the bearded weirdo in red arrives. That also means that it is now Day 5 of my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar and we’re up to the letter E. I have chosen a very popular song that actually is not really one of my own favourites. It’s “Endless Love” which was written by Lionel Richie who recorded it as a duet with Diana Ross. It was used as the theme tune to the Brooke Shields film of the same name.

It has been covered by many people, most notably, again as a duet, by Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross. The original was an US and Australian number one and reached number 7 in the UK. The Vandross Carey version only reached the chart summit in New Zealand. It reached numbers 2 and 3 respectively in the US and UK charts. Billboard once named the song as the greatest duet ever, I certainly don’t agree with that. What about Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” or Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure”? (OK technically the latter isn’t really a duet unless you count it just as a Bowie Mercury duet)

So tell me dear readers what do you think is the greatest duet of all time?

 

“Here I am on bended knees I lay my heart down at your feet” December 4, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 7:50 am
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Day 4 of this years advent calendar is upon us and we’re up to D in the ABC of Motown. Todays song is perhaps a little less known than some of the others. It is “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” by Frank Wilson. The song became a rare sought after disc on the Northern Soul circuit in the UK. It was originally set to be released in 1965 on Motown’s Soul label in the US. But Wilson decided he would rather be a producer than a singer and supposedly Berry Gordy didn’t rate the vocal very highly.

Only 250 copies were pressed and rumour has it that no more than five of those have survived, including one that is apparently in Berry Gordy’s collection. An original copy sold for more than £25,000 in 2009. Motown reissued the song in 1979 following the interest emanating from Northern Soul clubs. It was reissued again in 2004 after it had been used to (sadly in my opinion) soundtrack a KFC TV advert. Tomorrow is Frank Wilson’s 71st birthday.