If I Were Your Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9jiMY-oM44
Midnight Train to Georgia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v78-ftcqpNw
Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FT5QF4JZUA
Gladys Knight & the Pips were an R&B/soul musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1967) and "Midnight Train to Georgia" (1973). The longest-lived incarnation of the act featured Gladys Knight on lead vocals, with The Pips, who included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and their cousins Edward Patten and William Guest, as backup singers.
(Wikipedia)
7/31/2008
7/29/2008
Marvin Gaye
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
w/Tammi Terrell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz-UvQYAmbg
What's Going On/What's Happening Brother
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KC7uhMY9s
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDckI2P_DPA
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9BA6fFGMjI
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (A cappella)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87FjkqtK67o
Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an iconic two-time Grammy-winning American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained international fame as an artist on the Motown record label in the 1960s and 1970s. Marvin began his career at Motown in 1961. He quickly became Motown's top solo male artist and scored numerous hits during the 1960s, among them "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and several hit duets with Tammi Terrell, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need to Get By", before moving on to his own form of musical self-expression. Gaye is notable for fighting the hit-making, but creatively restrictive, Motown record-making process, in which performers and songwriters and record producers were generally kept in separate camps.[1]
With his successful 1971 album What's Going On and subsequent releases including Trouble Man (1972) and Let's Get It On (1973), Gaye, who was a part-time songwriter for Motown artists during his early years with the label, proved that he could write and/or produce his own albums without having to rely on the Motown system. He is also known for his environmentalism, perhaps most evident in his song "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)".
During the 1970s, Gaye would release several other notable albums, including Let's Get It On and I Want You, and had hits with singles such as "Let's Get It On", "Got to Give It Up", and, in the early 1980s, "Sexual Healing". Before his death, Gaye won two Grammy Awards: one for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and one for Best Instrumental Recording for the single, Sexual Healing on February 23, 1983 on the Grammy Awards 25th Anniversary. By the time of his death in 1984 at the hands of his clergyman father, Gaye had become one of the most influential artists of the soul music area. In 1996, Gaye was awarded (posthumously) with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on its 38th Anniversary ceremony.
Gaye's career has been described as one that "spanned the entire history of rhythm and blues from fifties doo-wop to eighties contemporary soul."[2] Critics have also stated that Gaye's musical output "signified the development of black music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal and sexual politics thereafter.
(Wikipedia)
w/Tammi Terrell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz-UvQYAmbg
What's Going On/What's Happening Brother
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KC7uhMY9s
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDckI2P_DPA
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9BA6fFGMjI
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (A cappella)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87FjkqtK67o
Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an iconic two-time Grammy-winning American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained international fame as an artist on the Motown record label in the 1960s and 1970s. Marvin began his career at Motown in 1961. He quickly became Motown's top solo male artist and scored numerous hits during the 1960s, among them "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and several hit duets with Tammi Terrell, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need to Get By", before moving on to his own form of musical self-expression. Gaye is notable for fighting the hit-making, but creatively restrictive, Motown record-making process, in which performers and songwriters and record producers were generally kept in separate camps.[1]
With his successful 1971 album What's Going On and subsequent releases including Trouble Man (1972) and Let's Get It On (1973), Gaye, who was a part-time songwriter for Motown artists during his early years with the label, proved that he could write and/or produce his own albums without having to rely on the Motown system. He is also known for his environmentalism, perhaps most evident in his song "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)".
During the 1970s, Gaye would release several other notable albums, including Let's Get It On and I Want You, and had hits with singles such as "Let's Get It On", "Got to Give It Up", and, in the early 1980s, "Sexual Healing". Before his death, Gaye won two Grammy Awards: one for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and one for Best Instrumental Recording for the single, Sexual Healing on February 23, 1983 on the Grammy Awards 25th Anniversary. By the time of his death in 1984 at the hands of his clergyman father, Gaye had become one of the most influential artists of the soul music area. In 1996, Gaye was awarded (posthumously) with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on its 38th Anniversary ceremony.
Gaye's career has been described as one that "spanned the entire history of rhythm and blues from fifties doo-wop to eighties contemporary soul."[2] Critics have also stated that Gaye's musical output "signified the development of black music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal and sexual politics thereafter.
(Wikipedia)
Pop
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_music
Pop music is music charted by the number or sales, plays, etc., that the work receives. It is not a particular genre or style of music, but simply that which is the most popular for the tracked period of time[citation needed]. Most commercial music of any genre is composed with deliberate intent to appeal to the majority of its contemporaries, but, unless extremely popular in its own genre, it must appeal to a wider audience to appear on the pop charts.
In opposition to music that may require education or formation to fully appreciate, a defining characteristic of pop music is that anyone is able to enjoy it. Artistic concepts such as musical form and aesthetics are not a concern in the writing of pop songs, the primary objectives being audience enjoyment and commercial success.
Although pop music is produced with a desire to sell records and do well in the charts, it does not necessitate wide acclaim or commercial success: there are bad or failed pop songs.
Initially the term was an abbreviation of, and synonymous with, popular music, but evolved around the 1950s to describe a specific musical category.
Pop music is music charted by the number or sales, plays, etc., that the work receives. It is not a particular genre or style of music, but simply that which is the most popular for the tracked period of time[citation needed]. Most commercial music of any genre is composed with deliberate intent to appeal to the majority of its contemporaries, but, unless extremely popular in its own genre, it must appeal to a wider audience to appear on the pop charts.
In opposition to music that may require education or formation to fully appreciate, a defining characteristic of pop music is that anyone is able to enjoy it. Artistic concepts such as musical form and aesthetics are not a concern in the writing of pop songs, the primary objectives being audience enjoyment and commercial success.
Although pop music is produced with a desire to sell records and do well in the charts, it does not necessitate wide acclaim or commercial success: there are bad or failed pop songs.
Initially the term was an abbreviation of, and synonymous with, popular music, but evolved around the 1950s to describe a specific musical category.
Soul
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_%28genre%29
Soul music is a music genre that combines rhythm and blues and gospel music, originating in the United States . According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." The performance is very emotional, and the melody is decorated with improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and plastic body moves, are an important feature. Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound.
The Soul Music Map
http://www.history-of-rock.com/soul_music.htm
Soul music is a music genre that combines rhythm and blues and gospel music, originating in the United States . According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." The performance is very emotional, and the melody is decorated with improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and plastic body moves, are an important feature. Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound.
The Soul Music Map
http://www.history-of-rock.com/soul_music.htm
Rhythm & Blues/R&B
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_%26_Blues
Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences, first performed by African American artists. It is now[citation needed] performed worldwide by people of many cultures and ethnic groups.
Writer/producer Robert Palmer defined "rhythm & blues as a catchall term referring to any music that was made by and for black Americans."
Lawrence Cohn, author of Nothing but the Blues, writes that rhythm and blues was an umbrella term invented for industry convenience. According to him, the term embraced all black music except classical music and religious music, unless a gospel song sold enough to break into the charts.
In 1948, the term rhythm and blues was coined as a musical marketing term in the United States by Jerry Wexler of Billboard magazine. It replaced the term race music, which originally came from within the black community, but was deemed offensive in the postwar world.
(Wikipedia)
Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences, first performed by African American artists. It is now[citation needed] performed worldwide by people of many cultures and ethnic groups.
Writer/producer Robert Palmer defined "rhythm & blues as a catchall term referring to any music that was made by and for black Americans."
Lawrence Cohn, author of Nothing but the Blues, writes that rhythm and blues was an umbrella term invented for industry convenience. According to him, the term embraced all black music except classical music and religious music, unless a gospel song sold enough to break into the charts.
In 1948, the term rhythm and blues was coined as a musical marketing term in the United States by Jerry Wexler of Billboard magazine. It replaced the term race music, which originally came from within the black community, but was deemed offensive in the postwar world.
(Wikipedia)
7/28/2008
The Supremes
Baby Love
http://youtube.com/watch?v=23UkIkwy5ZM
Come See About Me
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SKE2r_CZW5g
You Can't Hurry Love
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DDCMbXtv9WM
Reflections
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jsufcpanMx4
The Supremes were an American female singing group, and the most successful vocal group of the 1960s, second only to The Beatles.[1] Active from 1959 until 1977, The Supremes performed, at various times, doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes and disco. The Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown Records' signature acts, and charted twelve American number-one hits between 1964 and 1969.[1] Many of their singles were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. The mid-1960s crossover success of The Supremes paved the way for future black soul and R&B acts to gain mainstream audiences.
The Supremes formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1959 and began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit,[2] were the sister act to The Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who would go on to form The Temptations).[2] In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes. Martin left in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard and Wilson carried on as a trio.
In the mid-1960s, The Supremes achieved success with Ross as lead singer. Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1967 and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left for a successful solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of The Supremes changed frequently before the group disbanded after 18 years, in 1977.
The Supremes recorded the single "Where Did Our Love Go" in the spring of 1964.[14] The song was originally intended by Holland-Dozier-Holland for The Marvelettes, who rejected it.[14] Although The Supremes disliked the song, the producers coerced them into recording it.[14] In August 1964, while traveling as part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour, "Where Did Our Love Go" reached number one on the US pop charts, much to the surprise and delight of the group.[16] It was also their first song to appear on the UK pop charts, where it reached number three.
"Where Did Our Love Go" was followed by four more US number-one hits: "Baby Love"—also a number-one hit in the United Kingdom—"Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again".[17] "Baby Love" was nominated for the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was awarded the 1966 Grammy for Best Pop single.[18] Between late 1966 and early 1967, the Supremes charted four more number-one hits in a row: "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone", and "The Happening".
Instead of plain appearances and basic dance routines, The Supremes' on-stage appearance featured high-fashion gowns and wigs, detailed makeup, and graceful choreography created by Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins. Gordy wanted the Supremes, like all of his performers, to be equally appealing to black and white audiences,[19] and he also sought to erase the image of black performers as being unrefined or lacking class.
The Supremes were international stars by 1965. They toured the globe, becoming almost as popular abroad as they were in America.[20][21] Almost immediately after their first number-one hits, they recorded songs for motion picture soundtracks, appeared in the 1965 film Beach Ball, and endorsed dozens of products, even at one point having their own brand of bread.
By the end of 1966, their number-one hits included "I Hear a Symphony", "You Can't Hurry Love", and "You Keep Me Hangin' On";[22] and their 1966 album The Supremes A' Go-Go became the first album by an all-female group to reach number one on the US album chart.
The Supremes were among the first black musical acts to become a complete and sustained crossover success. The black rock and roll musicians of the 1950s saw many of their hit tunes covered by white musicians, with the covers achieving more fame and sales success than the originals. Partially because of Diana Ross’ pop-friendly voice, The Supremes became extremely popular with international mainstream audiences. The group broke down many racial barriers, becoming one of the first black musical acts to appear regularly on television programs.Most notably, The Ed Sullivan Show between December 1964 and December 1969 featured The Supremes fourteen times. The group's crossover success helped pave the way for the mainstream success of label mates such as The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5.
Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in early 1968 after a dispute with the label over royalties and profit sharing,[31] and the quality of Motown's output (and Diana Ross & the Supremes' records in particular) began to falter. From the release of "Reflections" in 1967 to the release of "The Weight" in 1969, only six out of the eleven released singles reached the Top 20, and only one of those, 1968's "Love Child", made it to number one.
The changes within the group and their decreasing sales were signs of changes within the music industry. The gospel-based soul of female performers like Aretha Franklin had eclipsed the Supremes' pop-based sound, which had by now evolved to include more middle-of-the-road material. In a cultural climate now influenced more than ever by countercultural movements such as the Black Panther Party, the Supremes found themselves attacked for not being "black enough", and lost ground in the black music market.
By 1969, Motown had begun plans for a Diana Ross solo career.Ross began to make her first solo recordings, with "Someday We'll Be Together" planned to be her first solo single. Gordy instead had the song released as the final Diana Ross & The Supremes single, despite the fact neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Birdsong sang on the record. In November 1969, Ross' solo career was publicly announced. The following month, "Someday We'll Be Together" hit number one on the American pop charts, becoming not only the Supremes' twelfth and final number-one hit, but also the final number-one hit of the 1960s.
Diana Ross & The Supremes gave their final performance together on January 14, 1970 at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. After the stupendous Frontier Hotel performance, Ross officially began her career as a solo performer.
On Sunday June 12, 1977, the Supremes performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theater in London and disbanded.
Although The Supremes were twice nominated for a Grammy Award – for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording ("Baby Love", 1965) and Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance ("Stop! In the Name of Love", 1966)–they never won an award in competition.[43] Three of their songs – "Where Did Our Love Go" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (both 1999) and "Stop! In the Name of Love" (2001) – have been named to the Grammy Hall of Fame.[44] The group' songs "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love" are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[45] They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and entered into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the group at number 97 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[46] The Supremes are notable for the influences they have had on the black girl groups who have succeeded them in popular music. Among these acts are groups such as The Three Degrees, The Emotions, The Pointer Sisters, En Vogue, TLC, Destiny's Child and Cleopatra.
(Wikipedia)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=23UkIkwy5ZM
Come See About Me
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SKE2r_CZW5g
You Can't Hurry Love
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DDCMbXtv9WM
Reflections
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jsufcpanMx4
The Supremes were an American female singing group, and the most successful vocal group of the 1960s, second only to The Beatles.[1] Active from 1959 until 1977, The Supremes performed, at various times, doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes and disco. The Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown Records' signature acts, and charted twelve American number-one hits between 1964 and 1969.[1] Many of their singles were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. The mid-1960s crossover success of The Supremes paved the way for future black soul and R&B acts to gain mainstream audiences.
The Supremes formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1959 and began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit,[2] were the sister act to The Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who would go on to form The Temptations).[2] In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes. Martin left in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard and Wilson carried on as a trio.
In the mid-1960s, The Supremes achieved success with Ross as lead singer. Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1967 and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left for a successful solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of The Supremes changed frequently before the group disbanded after 18 years, in 1977.
The Supremes recorded the single "Where Did Our Love Go" in the spring of 1964.[14] The song was originally intended by Holland-Dozier-Holland for The Marvelettes, who rejected it.[14] Although The Supremes disliked the song, the producers coerced them into recording it.[14] In August 1964, while traveling as part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour, "Where Did Our Love Go" reached number one on the US pop charts, much to the surprise and delight of the group.[16] It was also their first song to appear on the UK pop charts, where it reached number three.
"Where Did Our Love Go" was followed by four more US number-one hits: "Baby Love"—also a number-one hit in the United Kingdom—"Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again".[17] "Baby Love" was nominated for the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was awarded the 1966 Grammy for Best Pop single.[18] Between late 1966 and early 1967, the Supremes charted four more number-one hits in a row: "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone", and "The Happening".
Instead of plain appearances and basic dance routines, The Supremes' on-stage appearance featured high-fashion gowns and wigs, detailed makeup, and graceful choreography created by Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins. Gordy wanted the Supremes, like all of his performers, to be equally appealing to black and white audiences,[19] and he also sought to erase the image of black performers as being unrefined or lacking class.
The Supremes were international stars by 1965. They toured the globe, becoming almost as popular abroad as they were in America.[20][21] Almost immediately after their first number-one hits, they recorded songs for motion picture soundtracks, appeared in the 1965 film Beach Ball, and endorsed dozens of products, even at one point having their own brand of bread.
By the end of 1966, their number-one hits included "I Hear a Symphony", "You Can't Hurry Love", and "You Keep Me Hangin' On";[22] and their 1966 album The Supremes A' Go-Go became the first album by an all-female group to reach number one on the US album chart.
The Supremes were among the first black musical acts to become a complete and sustained crossover success. The black rock and roll musicians of the 1950s saw many of their hit tunes covered by white musicians, with the covers achieving more fame and sales success than the originals. Partially because of Diana Ross’ pop-friendly voice, The Supremes became extremely popular with international mainstream audiences. The group broke down many racial barriers, becoming one of the first black musical acts to appear regularly on television programs.Most notably, The Ed Sullivan Show between December 1964 and December 1969 featured The Supremes fourteen times. The group's crossover success helped pave the way for the mainstream success of label mates such as The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5.
Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in early 1968 after a dispute with the label over royalties and profit sharing,[31] and the quality of Motown's output (and Diana Ross & the Supremes' records in particular) began to falter. From the release of "Reflections" in 1967 to the release of "The Weight" in 1969, only six out of the eleven released singles reached the Top 20, and only one of those, 1968's "Love Child", made it to number one.
The changes within the group and their decreasing sales were signs of changes within the music industry. The gospel-based soul of female performers like Aretha Franklin had eclipsed the Supremes' pop-based sound, which had by now evolved to include more middle-of-the-road material. In a cultural climate now influenced more than ever by countercultural movements such as the Black Panther Party, the Supremes found themselves attacked for not being "black enough", and lost ground in the black music market.
By 1969, Motown had begun plans for a Diana Ross solo career.Ross began to make her first solo recordings, with "Someday We'll Be Together" planned to be her first solo single. Gordy instead had the song released as the final Diana Ross & The Supremes single, despite the fact neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Birdsong sang on the record. In November 1969, Ross' solo career was publicly announced. The following month, "Someday We'll Be Together" hit number one on the American pop charts, becoming not only the Supremes' twelfth and final number-one hit, but also the final number-one hit of the 1960s.
Diana Ross & The Supremes gave their final performance together on January 14, 1970 at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. After the stupendous Frontier Hotel performance, Ross officially began her career as a solo performer.
On Sunday June 12, 1977, the Supremes performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theater in London and disbanded.
Although The Supremes were twice nominated for a Grammy Award – for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording ("Baby Love", 1965) and Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance ("Stop! In the Name of Love", 1966)–they never won an award in competition.[43] Three of their songs – "Where Did Our Love Go" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (both 1999) and "Stop! In the Name of Love" (2001) – have been named to the Grammy Hall of Fame.[44] The group' songs "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love" are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[45] They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and entered into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the group at number 97 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[46] The Supremes are notable for the influences they have had on the black girl groups who have succeeded them in popular music. Among these acts are groups such as The Three Degrees, The Emotions, The Pointer Sisters, En Vogue, TLC, Destiny's Child and Cleopatra.
(Wikipedia)
7/26/2008
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone::The Temptations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwUS9yjFYy8&feature=related
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971.
Later in 1972, Whitfield, who also produced the song, took "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and remade it as a twelve-minute record for The Temptations, which was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy Awards in 1973.
Friction arose during the recording of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" for a number of reasons. The Temptations didn't like the fact that Whitfield's instrumentation had been getting more emphasis than their vocals on their songs at the time, and that they had to press Whitfield to get him to produce ballads for the group. In addition, Dennis Edwards was angered by the song's first verse: "It was the 3rd of September/That day I'll always remember/'cause that was the day/that my daddy died". Edwards' father had died on that date, and although the song wasn't originally written for the Temptations, Edwards was convinced that Whitfield assigning him the line was intentional. Although Whitfield denied the accusation, he used it to his advantage: he made Edwards record the disputed line over and over again until Whitfield finally got the angered, bitter grumble he desired out of the usually fiery-toned Edwards (it was, however, one of the reasons Whitfield was eventually fired as the group's producer).
The Temptations' version of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" set a precedent for extra-length "cinematic soul" song mixes, and future songs like Donna Summer's fourteen-minute "Love to Love You Baby"expanded upon the concept in the mid-1970s.
(Wikipedia)
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971.
Later in 1972, Whitfield, who also produced the song, took "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and remade it as a twelve-minute record for The Temptations, which was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy Awards in 1973.
Friction arose during the recording of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" for a number of reasons. The Temptations didn't like the fact that Whitfield's instrumentation had been getting more emphasis than their vocals on their songs at the time, and that they had to press Whitfield to get him to produce ballads for the group. In addition, Dennis Edwards was angered by the song's first verse: "It was the 3rd of September/That day I'll always remember/'cause that was the day/that my daddy died". Edwards' father had died on that date, and although the song wasn't originally written for the Temptations, Edwards was convinced that Whitfield assigning him the line was intentional. Although Whitfield denied the accusation, he used it to his advantage: he made Edwards record the disputed line over and over again until Whitfield finally got the angered, bitter grumble he desired out of the usually fiery-toned Edwards (it was, however, one of the reasons Whitfield was eventually fired as the group's producer).
The Temptations' version of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" set a precedent for extra-length "cinematic soul" song mixes, and future songs like Donna Summer's fourteen-minute "Love to Love You Baby"expanded upon the concept in the mid-1970s.
(Wikipedia)
7/25/2008
My Girl::The Temptations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwmgYEUr8
The Temptations are a Grammy-winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.
Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960, the Temptations have always featured at least five African American male vocalists/dancers. The group, known for its recognizable choreography, distinct harmonies, and onstage suits, has been said to be as influential to soul as the Beatles are to rock.[1] Having sold an estimated 22 million albums by 1982,[2] The Temptations are one of the most successful groups in music history[3] and were the definitive male vocal group of the 1960s.[4] In addition, they have the second-longest tenure on Motown (behind Stevie Wonder), as they were with the label for a total of 40 years.
Like its sister female group, the Supremes, the Temptations' lineup has changed frequently over the years.
Over the course of their career, the Temptations have released four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and 14 Billboard R&B number-one singles. Their material has earned them three Grammy Awards, while two more awards were conferred upon the songwriters and producers who crafted their 1972 hit "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".
In January 1964, Smokey Robinson and Miracles bandmate Bobby Rogers co-wrote and produced "The Way You Do the Things You Do" with Eddie Kendricks on lead. The single became the Temptations' first Top 20 hit that April. While traveling as part of Motown's Motortown Revue later that year Robinson and another fellow Miracle, Ronnie White, wrote a song for the emotive Ruffin to sing lead on, which the group recorded in the fall of 1964. Released as a single on December 24, 1964, "My Girl", became the Temptations' first number-one pop hit in March 1965, and is their signature song to this day.
The group would alter their style several times over the years following their first Motown hit, adapting to the popular styles of the day while retaining their signature visual and vocal styles. The earliest Temptations recordings reflect the influence of producers Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, featuring a blend of black rhythm and blues and white pop music that came to be later identified as the "Motown Sound". Backed by Motown's stalwart studio band, the Funk Brothers, pre-1966 Temptations recordings were built around songs (usually ballads like "My Girl") with simple, direct lyrics supported by an R&B rhythm section with orchestral strings and horns added for pop appeal.
(Wikipedia)
The Temptations are a Grammy-winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.
Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960, the Temptations have always featured at least five African American male vocalists/dancers. The group, known for its recognizable choreography, distinct harmonies, and onstage suits, has been said to be as influential to soul as the Beatles are to rock.[1] Having sold an estimated 22 million albums by 1982,[2] The Temptations are one of the most successful groups in music history[3] and were the definitive male vocal group of the 1960s.[4] In addition, they have the second-longest tenure on Motown (behind Stevie Wonder), as they were with the label for a total of 40 years.
Like its sister female group, the Supremes, the Temptations' lineup has changed frequently over the years.
Over the course of their career, the Temptations have released four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and 14 Billboard R&B number-one singles. Their material has earned them three Grammy Awards, while two more awards were conferred upon the songwriters and producers who crafted their 1972 hit "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".
In January 1964, Smokey Robinson and Miracles bandmate Bobby Rogers co-wrote and produced "The Way You Do the Things You Do" with Eddie Kendricks on lead. The single became the Temptations' first Top 20 hit that April. While traveling as part of Motown's Motortown Revue later that year Robinson and another fellow Miracle, Ronnie White, wrote a song for the emotive Ruffin to sing lead on, which the group recorded in the fall of 1964. Released as a single on December 24, 1964, "My Girl", became the Temptations' first number-one pop hit in March 1965, and is their signature song to this day.
The group would alter their style several times over the years following their first Motown hit, adapting to the popular styles of the day while retaining their signature visual and vocal styles. The earliest Temptations recordings reflect the influence of producers Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, featuring a blend of black rhythm and blues and white pop music that came to be later identified as the "Motown Sound". Backed by Motown's stalwart studio band, the Funk Brothers, pre-1966 Temptations recordings were built around songs (usually ballads like "My Girl") with simple, direct lyrics supported by an R&B rhythm section with orchestral strings and horns added for pop appeal.
(Wikipedia)
Dionne Warwick
Don't Make Me Over
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMpG_cn-DRI
Anyone Who Had A Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkyBMRulHK4&feature=related
Reach Out for Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rctr1cNw_fY
Alfie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ybi8zUkAQo
(Theme From) Valley of the Dolls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ySssbggm20
Promises,Promises
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf9x71lDsXY&feature=related
This Girl's in Love With You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYA0fdNSOOw&feature=related
I'l Never Fall in Love Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTV6QnPMMp8
Make It Easy On Yourself
(live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BecM1OtxVLI
Then Came You
w/The Spinners
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eXjRYlZvOlQ&feature=PlayList&p=59A2079B63475269&index=7
I Just Wanna Be Your Everything
(live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoGmNQ95lOw&feature=related
Love Power
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UYOEt3i67c
Dionne Warwick (born Marie Dionne Warrick on December 12, 1940), is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, actress, activist, United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, former United States Ambassador of Health, and humanitarian. She is best known for her partnership with songwriters and producers Burt Bacharach and Hal David. According to Billboard magazine, Dionne Warwick is second only to Aretha Franklin as the female vocalist with the most Billboard Hot 100 chart hits during the rock era (1955-1999). Warwick charted a total of 56 hits in the Billboard Hot 100.
While performing background on The Drifters' recording of "Mexican Divorce", Warwick's voice and star presence were noticed by the song's composer Burt Bacharach, a Brill Building songwriter who was writing songs with many other songwriters including Hal David. According to a July 14, 1967, article on Warwick from Time magazine, Bacharach stated, "She has a tremendous strong side and a delicacy when singing softly—like miniature ships in bottles." Musically, she was "no play-safe girl. What emotion I could get away with!" And what complexity, compared with the usual run of pop songs. During the session, Bacharach asked Warwick if she would be interested in recording demonstration recordings of his compositions to be used to pitch the tunes to record labels. One such demo, "It's Love That Really Counts"—destined to be recorded by fellow Scepter act The Shirelles—caught the attention of Scepter Records President Florence Greenberg. Greenberg, according to "Current Biography" 1969 Yearbook, told Bacharach "forget the song, get the girl!" Warwick was signed to Bacharach and David's production company, according to Warwick, which in turn was signed to Scepter Records in 1962 by Greenberg. The partnership would provide Bacharach with the freedom to produce Warwick without the control of recording company executives and company A&R men.
Warwick was named the Bestselling Female Vocalist in the Cash Box Magazine Poll in 1964, with six chart hits in that year.[citation needed] Cash Box also named her the Top Female Vocalist in 1969, 1970 and 1971. In the 1967 Cash Box Poll, she was second only to Petula Clark, and in 1968's poll second only to Aretha Franklin. Playboy Magazine's influential Music Poll of 1970 named her the Top Female Vocalist[citation needed]. In 1969, Harvard's Hasty Pudding Society named her Woman of the Year.
The mid 1960s to early 1970s became an even more successful time period for Warwick, who saw a string of Gold selling albums and Top 20 and Top 10 hit singles.
In a 1983 concert appearance televised on PBS, Warwick states she was the 43rd person to record "Alfie", at Bacharach's insistence, who felt Dionne could make it a big hit. Warwick, at first, balked at recording the tune and asked Bacharach "How many more versions of Alfie do you need?" to which Bacharach replied "Just one more, yours." Bacharach took Warwick into the studio with his new arrangement and cut the tune the way he wanted it to be, which she nailed in one take. Warwick's version peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on both the R&B Chart and the AC Charts.[citation needed] Warwick performed the song at the Academy Awards in 1967. Today, "Alfie" is considered a signature song for Warwick.
Later that same year, Warwick earned her first RIAA Gold Single for US sales of over one million units for the single "I Say a Little Prayer" (from her album The Windows of the World). When disc jockeys across the nation began to play the track from the album in the fall of 1967 and demanded its release as a single, Florence Greenberg, President of Scepter Records, complied and "I Say a Little Prayer" became Warwick's biggest US hit to that point, reaching #4 on the US and Canadian Charts and # 8 on the R & B Charts. Aretha Franklin would cover the tune a year later and hit US #10. The tune was also the first RIAA certified USA million seller for Bacharach-David.
Her follow-up to "I Say a Little Prayer" was unusual in several respects. It was not written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it was the "B" side of her "I Say a Little Prayer" single, and it was a song that she almost didn't record. While the film version of Valley of the Dolls was being made, actress Barbara Parkins suggested that Warwick be considered to sing the film's theme song, written by songwriting team Andre and Dory Previn. The song was to be recorded by Judy Garland, who was fired from the film. Warwick performed the song, and when the film became a success in the early weeks of 1968, disc jockeys flipped the single and made the single one of the biggest double-sided hits of the rock era and another million seller. At the time, RIAA rules allowed only one side of a double-sided hit single to be certified as Gold, but Scepter awarded Warwick an "in-house award" to recognize "(Theme From) Valley of the Dolls" as a million selling tune.
By the end of 1971, Dionne Warwick had sold an estimated thirty-five million singles and albums internationally in less than nine years and more than 16 million singles in the USA alone. Exact figures of Warwick's sales are unknown, and probably underestimated, due to Scepter Records lax accounting policies and the company policy of not submitting recordings for RIAA audit. Dionne Warwick became the first Scepter artist to request RIAA audits of her recordings in 1967 with the release of "I Say A Little Prayer".
In 1971, Dionne Warwick left the family atmosphere of Scepter Records for Warner Bros. Records for what was at the time the most lucrative recording contract ever given a female vocalist according to Variety.
In 1975, Bacharach/David sued Scepter Records for an accurate accounting of royalties due the team from Warwick and labelmate B. J. Thomas recordings and was awarded almost $600,000 and the rights to all Bacharach/David recordings on the Scepter label. The label, with the defection of Warwick to Warner Bros. Records, filed bankruptcy in 1975 and was sold to Springboard International Records in 1976.
In 1972, Burt Bacharach and Hal David scored and wrote the tunes for the motion picture Lost Horizon. The film was panned by the critics, and in the fallout from the film, the songwriting duo decided to terminate their working relationship. The breakup left Dionne devoid of their services as her producers and songwriters. Dionne was contractually obligated to fulfill her contract with Warners without Bacharach and David and she would team with a variety of producers during her tenure with the label.
Faced with the prospect of being sued by Warner Bros. Records due to the breakup of Bacharach/David and their failure to honor their contract with Dionne, she filed a $5.5 million lawsuit against her former partners for breach of contract. The suit was settled out of court in 1979 for $5 million including the rights to all Warwick recordings produced by Bacharach and David.
Without the guidance and songwriting that Bacharach/David had provided, Warwick's career slowed in the 1970s. There were no big hits until 1974's "Then Came You", recorded as a duet with the Spinners and produced by Thom Bell. Bell later noted, "Dionne made a face when we finished [the song]. She didn't like it much, but I knew we had something. So we ripped a dollar in two, signed each half and exchanged them. I told her, 'If it doesn't go number one, I'll send you my half.' When it took off, Dionne sent hers back. There was an apology on it." It was her first US #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. (Wikipedia)
As legend has it, Warwick originally thought "Make It Easy On Yourself" would be her debut as a solo artist and was angry when she learned Bacharach and David were giving the song to Jerry Butler. An upset Warwick balked, "don't make me over, man", which is street slang for "don't lie to me". The duo decided to make Warwick's epithet into a song for Warwick which she recorded at Bell Sound in Manhattan in August 1962.
Released in November 1962, the recording of "Don't Make Me Over" was issued with a misspelling of the artist's name: Warwick, rather than Warrick. The singer decided to keep the misspelling and would be forever after known as Dionne Warwick. (YouTube)
Dionne's Promises Promises was a big international hit released in October 1968 prior to the December opening of the Neil Simon/Burt Bacharach/Hal David Broadway smash Promises, Promises in December 1968.
It turned out to be the show's most difficult number to sing as its rapid fire melody left many singers short of breath. To Dionne, the tune was a piece of cake. It was her recording of the tune that proved the ideal vocal guide for the show's male lead, the late, great Jerry Orbach (a heck of a Broadway singer, he also portrayed Det. Lennie Briscoe on TV's Law and Order). Orbach attended Dionne's recording session at A&R Studios in Manhattan in September 1968 and reportedly asked Dionne, "How the hell do you sing this?" He took an acetate of Dionne's session to help him navigate the tune. (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMpG_cn-DRI
Anyone Who Had A Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkyBMRulHK4&feature=related
Reach Out for Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rctr1cNw_fY
Alfie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ybi8zUkAQo
(Theme From) Valley of the Dolls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ySssbggm20
Promises,Promises
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf9x71lDsXY&feature=related
This Girl's in Love With You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYA0fdNSOOw&feature=related
I'l Never Fall in Love Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTV6QnPMMp8
Make It Easy On Yourself
(live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BecM1OtxVLI
Then Came You
w/The Spinners
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eXjRYlZvOlQ&feature=PlayList&p=59A2079B63475269&index=7
I Just Wanna Be Your Everything
(live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoGmNQ95lOw&feature=related
Love Power
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UYOEt3i67c
Dionne Warwick (born Marie Dionne Warrick on December 12, 1940), is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, actress, activist, United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, former United States Ambassador of Health, and humanitarian. She is best known for her partnership with songwriters and producers Burt Bacharach and Hal David. According to Billboard magazine, Dionne Warwick is second only to Aretha Franklin as the female vocalist with the most Billboard Hot 100 chart hits during the rock era (1955-1999). Warwick charted a total of 56 hits in the Billboard Hot 100.
While performing background on The Drifters' recording of "Mexican Divorce", Warwick's voice and star presence were noticed by the song's composer Burt Bacharach, a Brill Building songwriter who was writing songs with many other songwriters including Hal David. According to a July 14, 1967, article on Warwick from Time magazine, Bacharach stated, "She has a tremendous strong side and a delicacy when singing softly—like miniature ships in bottles." Musically, she was "no play-safe girl. What emotion I could get away with!" And what complexity, compared with the usual run of pop songs. During the session, Bacharach asked Warwick if she would be interested in recording demonstration recordings of his compositions to be used to pitch the tunes to record labels. One such demo, "It's Love That Really Counts"—destined to be recorded by fellow Scepter act The Shirelles—caught the attention of Scepter Records President Florence Greenberg. Greenberg, according to "Current Biography" 1969 Yearbook, told Bacharach "forget the song, get the girl!" Warwick was signed to Bacharach and David's production company, according to Warwick, which in turn was signed to Scepter Records in 1962 by Greenberg. The partnership would provide Bacharach with the freedom to produce Warwick without the control of recording company executives and company A&R men.
Warwick was named the Bestselling Female Vocalist in the Cash Box Magazine Poll in 1964, with six chart hits in that year.[citation needed] Cash Box also named her the Top Female Vocalist in 1969, 1970 and 1971. In the 1967 Cash Box Poll, she was second only to Petula Clark, and in 1968's poll second only to Aretha Franklin. Playboy Magazine's influential Music Poll of 1970 named her the Top Female Vocalist[citation needed]. In 1969, Harvard's Hasty Pudding Society named her Woman of the Year.
The mid 1960s to early 1970s became an even more successful time period for Warwick, who saw a string of Gold selling albums and Top 20 and Top 10 hit singles.
In a 1983 concert appearance televised on PBS, Warwick states she was the 43rd person to record "Alfie", at Bacharach's insistence, who felt Dionne could make it a big hit. Warwick, at first, balked at recording the tune and asked Bacharach "How many more versions of Alfie do you need?" to which Bacharach replied "Just one more, yours." Bacharach took Warwick into the studio with his new arrangement and cut the tune the way he wanted it to be, which she nailed in one take. Warwick's version peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on both the R&B Chart and the AC Charts.[citation needed] Warwick performed the song at the Academy Awards in 1967. Today, "Alfie" is considered a signature song for Warwick.
Later that same year, Warwick earned her first RIAA Gold Single for US sales of over one million units for the single "I Say a Little Prayer" (from her album The Windows of the World). When disc jockeys across the nation began to play the track from the album in the fall of 1967 and demanded its release as a single, Florence Greenberg, President of Scepter Records, complied and "I Say a Little Prayer" became Warwick's biggest US hit to that point, reaching #4 on the US and Canadian Charts and # 8 on the R & B Charts. Aretha Franklin would cover the tune a year later and hit US #10. The tune was also the first RIAA certified USA million seller for Bacharach-David.
Her follow-up to "I Say a Little Prayer" was unusual in several respects. It was not written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it was the "B" side of her "I Say a Little Prayer" single, and it was a song that she almost didn't record. While the film version of Valley of the Dolls was being made, actress Barbara Parkins suggested that Warwick be considered to sing the film's theme song, written by songwriting team Andre and Dory Previn. The song was to be recorded by Judy Garland, who was fired from the film. Warwick performed the song, and when the film became a success in the early weeks of 1968, disc jockeys flipped the single and made the single one of the biggest double-sided hits of the rock era and another million seller. At the time, RIAA rules allowed only one side of a double-sided hit single to be certified as Gold, but Scepter awarded Warwick an "in-house award" to recognize "(Theme From) Valley of the Dolls" as a million selling tune.
By the end of 1971, Dionne Warwick had sold an estimated thirty-five million singles and albums internationally in less than nine years and more than 16 million singles in the USA alone. Exact figures of Warwick's sales are unknown, and probably underestimated, due to Scepter Records lax accounting policies and the company policy of not submitting recordings for RIAA audit. Dionne Warwick became the first Scepter artist to request RIAA audits of her recordings in 1967 with the release of "I Say A Little Prayer".
In 1971, Dionne Warwick left the family atmosphere of Scepter Records for Warner Bros. Records for what was at the time the most lucrative recording contract ever given a female vocalist according to Variety.
In 1975, Bacharach/David sued Scepter Records for an accurate accounting of royalties due the team from Warwick and labelmate B. J. Thomas recordings and was awarded almost $600,000 and the rights to all Bacharach/David recordings on the Scepter label. The label, with the defection of Warwick to Warner Bros. Records, filed bankruptcy in 1975 and was sold to Springboard International Records in 1976.
In 1972, Burt Bacharach and Hal David scored and wrote the tunes for the motion picture Lost Horizon. The film was panned by the critics, and in the fallout from the film, the songwriting duo decided to terminate their working relationship. The breakup left Dionne devoid of their services as her producers and songwriters. Dionne was contractually obligated to fulfill her contract with Warners without Bacharach and David and she would team with a variety of producers during her tenure with the label.
Faced with the prospect of being sued by Warner Bros. Records due to the breakup of Bacharach/David and their failure to honor their contract with Dionne, she filed a $5.5 million lawsuit against her former partners for breach of contract. The suit was settled out of court in 1979 for $5 million including the rights to all Warwick recordings produced by Bacharach and David.
Without the guidance and songwriting that Bacharach/David had provided, Warwick's career slowed in the 1970s. There were no big hits until 1974's "Then Came You", recorded as a duet with the Spinners and produced by Thom Bell. Bell later noted, "Dionne made a face when we finished [the song]. She didn't like it much, but I knew we had something. So we ripped a dollar in two, signed each half and exchanged them. I told her, 'If it doesn't go number one, I'll send you my half.' When it took off, Dionne sent hers back. There was an apology on it." It was her first US #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. (Wikipedia)
As legend has it, Warwick originally thought "Make It Easy On Yourself" would be her debut as a solo artist and was angry when she learned Bacharach and David were giving the song to Jerry Butler. An upset Warwick balked, "don't make me over, man", which is street slang for "don't lie to me". The duo decided to make Warwick's epithet into a song for Warwick which she recorded at Bell Sound in Manhattan in August 1962.
Released in November 1962, the recording of "Don't Make Me Over" was issued with a misspelling of the artist's name: Warwick, rather than Warrick. The singer decided to keep the misspelling and would be forever after known as Dionne Warwick. (YouTube)
Dionne's Promises Promises was a big international hit released in October 1968 prior to the December opening of the Neil Simon/Burt Bacharach/Hal David Broadway smash Promises, Promises in December 1968.
It turned out to be the show's most difficult number to sing as its rapid fire melody left many singers short of breath. To Dionne, the tune was a piece of cake. It was her recording of the tune that proved the ideal vocal guide for the show's male lead, the late, great Jerry Orbach (a heck of a Broadway singer, he also portrayed Det. Lennie Briscoe on TV's Law and Order). Orbach attended Dionne's recording session at A&R Studios in Manhattan in September 1968 and reportedly asked Dionne, "How the hell do you sing this?" He took an acetate of Dionne's session to help him navigate the tune. (YouTube)
7/24/2008
A Change is Gonna Come::Sam Cooke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbYxJ-qOzdw&feature=PlayList&p=47656930AA348429&index=20
Sam Cooke (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was a popular and influential American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Musicians and critics today recognize him as one of the founders of soul music, and as one of the most important singers in soul music history.[1] He has been called "the king of soul" by many, and while some may dispute this title, Sam Cooke's legacy is an extensive one and his impact on soul music is undeniable. He had 29 Top 40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1965. He is therefore seen by many as "the creator" of the genre. Major hits like "You Send Me", "Chain Gang", "Wonderful World" and "Bring It on Home to Me" are some of his most popular songs.
Cooke was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career.[1] He founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. He also took an active part in the Civil Rights Movement,[1] using his musical ability to bridge gaps between black and white audiences.
Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He added an "e" onto the end of his name because he thought it added a touch of class.
Like most R&B artists of his time, Cooke focused on singles; in all he had 29 top 40 hits on the pop charts, and more on the R&B charts.
He was known for having written many of the most popular songs of all time in the genre, but is often not given credit for many of them by the general public.
Cooke died at the age of 33 on December 11, 1964, in Los Angeles, California. He was shot to death by Bertha Franklin, manager of the Hacienda Motel in South Los Angeles, who claimed that he had threatened her, and that she killed him in self-defense. The shooting was ultimately ruled to be a justifiable homicide, though many believe that crucial details did not come out in court, or were buried afterward.
In her autobiography, Rage To Survive, singer Etta James claimed that she viewed Cooke's body in the funeral home and that the injuries she observed were well beyond what could be explained by the official account of Franklin alone having fought with Cooke. James described Cooke as having been so badly beaten that his head was nearly separated from his shoulders, his hands were broken and crushed, and his nose was mangled.
(Wikipedia)
Sam Cooke (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was a popular and influential American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Musicians and critics today recognize him as one of the founders of soul music, and as one of the most important singers in soul music history.[1] He has been called "the king of soul" by many, and while some may dispute this title, Sam Cooke's legacy is an extensive one and his impact on soul music is undeniable. He had 29 Top 40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1965. He is therefore seen by many as "the creator" of the genre. Major hits like "You Send Me", "Chain Gang", "Wonderful World" and "Bring It on Home to Me" are some of his most popular songs.
Cooke was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career.[1] He founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. He also took an active part in the Civil Rights Movement,[1] using his musical ability to bridge gaps between black and white audiences.
Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He added an "e" onto the end of his name because he thought it added a touch of class.
Like most R&B artists of his time, Cooke focused on singles; in all he had 29 top 40 hits on the pop charts, and more on the R&B charts.
He was known for having written many of the most popular songs of all time in the genre, but is often not given credit for many of them by the general public.
Cooke died at the age of 33 on December 11, 1964, in Los Angeles, California. He was shot to death by Bertha Franklin, manager of the Hacienda Motel in South Los Angeles, who claimed that he had threatened her, and that she killed him in self-defense. The shooting was ultimately ruled to be a justifiable homicide, though many believe that crucial details did not come out in court, or were buried afterward.
In her autobiography, Rage To Survive, singer Etta James claimed that she viewed Cooke's body in the funeral home and that the injuries she observed were well beyond what could be explained by the official account of Franklin alone having fought with Cooke. James described Cooke as having been so badly beaten that his head was nearly separated from his shoulders, his hands were broken and crushed, and his nose was mangled.
(Wikipedia)
7/23/2008
I've Been Loving You Too Long::Otis Redding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGlKJDEI1Nk
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American deep soul singer. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where he was inducted in 1989), Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying."
Redding wrote many of his own songs, which was unusual for the time. Soul singer Jerry Butler co-wrote one of his hits, "I've Been Loving You Too Long".
In 1967 Redding played at the Monterey Pop Festival, which helped him to break into the white pop music scene.
Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of his backup band, The Bar-Kays, were killed when his chartered plane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1967.
(Wikipedia)
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American deep soul singer. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where he was inducted in 1989), Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying."
Redding wrote many of his own songs, which was unusual for the time. Soul singer Jerry Butler co-wrote one of his hits, "I've Been Loving You Too Long".
In 1967 Redding played at the Monterey Pop Festival, which helped him to break into the white pop music scene.
Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of his backup band, The Bar-Kays, were killed when his chartered plane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1967.
(Wikipedia)
7/22/2008
Home::Diana Ross
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8rY9zOd0f-k&feature=PlayList&p=59A2079B63475269&index=0
Broadway musical The Wiz opened in 1975,is based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum & exclusively features African American actors.
It ran for four years and over 1600 performances, and won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Motown Productions acquired the film rights to The Wiz in 1977. Motown singer and actress Diana Ross asked Motown CEO Berry Gordy to cast her as Dorothy but Gordy declined, feeling the thirty-three year old Ross was far too old for the part. However, Ross contacted Rob Cohen of Universal Pictures, who offered to have Universal finance the film if Ross were to play Dorothy, at which point Gordy acquiesed.
The $22 million production was poorly received by critics and grossed only $12 million during its original theatrical release. Its commercial failure helped to bring to an end the stream of all-black films that had begun with the "blaxploitation film" era of the 1970s.
In later years, due to its recurrent broadcasts on television, The Wiz has become something of a cult classic among African-American audiences.
(Wikipedia)
Broadway musical The Wiz opened in 1975,is based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum & exclusively features African American actors.
It ran for four years and over 1600 performances, and won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Motown Productions acquired the film rights to The Wiz in 1977. Motown singer and actress Diana Ross asked Motown CEO Berry Gordy to cast her as Dorothy but Gordy declined, feeling the thirty-three year old Ross was far too old for the part. However, Ross contacted Rob Cohen of Universal Pictures, who offered to have Universal finance the film if Ross were to play Dorothy, at which point Gordy acquiesed.
The $22 million production was poorly received by critics and grossed only $12 million during its original theatrical release. Its commercial failure helped to bring to an end the stream of all-black films that had begun with the "blaxploitation film" era of the 1970s.
In later years, due to its recurrent broadcasts on television, The Wiz has become something of a cult classic among African-American audiences.
(Wikipedia)
7/21/2008
And I'm Telling You::Jennifer Holliday
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kC_u_q-iND0
Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. Dreamgirls won six Tony Awards in 1982, and closed on August 11, 1985 after four years and 1,522 performances.
The cast recording won two Grammy awards, Best Musical Album and Best Vocal Performance for Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going".
(Wikipedia)
Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. Dreamgirls won six Tony Awards in 1982, and closed on August 11, 1985 after four years and 1,522 performances.
The cast recording won two Grammy awards, Best Musical Album and Best Vocal Performance for Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going".
(Wikipedia)
7/20/2008
Proud Mary::Ike & Tina Turner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54XRNQ2C2x0
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo played among its repertoire, rock & roll, soul, girl group pop, blues and funk. They are known for their wild and entertaining dance shows and especially for their scintillating cover of Creedance Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary",which was the duo's greatest commercial success peaking at number 4 in March 1971 & for which they won a Grammy. They are also known more infamously for Ike's physical abuse of Tina, which has sometimes overshadowed the group's legacy.
Befriending the Rolling Stones, lead singer Mick Jagger eventually learned how to dance from Tina and her Ikettes and, in turn, The Ike & Tina Turner Revue opened for the Stones on their 1966 and 1969 US tours gaining international acclaim.
(Wikipedia)
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo played among its repertoire, rock & roll, soul, girl group pop, blues and funk. They are known for their wild and entertaining dance shows and especially for their scintillating cover of Creedance Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary",which was the duo's greatest commercial success peaking at number 4 in March 1971 & for which they won a Grammy. They are also known more infamously for Ike's physical abuse of Tina, which has sometimes overshadowed the group's legacy.
Befriending the Rolling Stones, lead singer Mick Jagger eventually learned how to dance from Tina and her Ikettes and, in turn, The Ike & Tina Turner Revue opened for the Stones on their 1966 and 1969 US tours gaining international acclaim.
(Wikipedia)
7/19/2008
Amazing Grace::Aretha Franklin
youtube.com/watch?v=4jrgqjiQXNA&feature=PlayList&p=6B5DCCF5AAC7B75E&index=1
Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is known to her fans as "The Queen of Soul"[citation needed] and is also affectionately called "Sister Ree". She is renowned for her soul recordings but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera.[1] She is widely acclaimed for her passionate, soulful vocal style, which is aided by a massive and powerful vocal range. (Wikipedia)
Amazing Grace is a 1972 album by R&B/gospel legend Aretha Franklin.
Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Landau wrote that the album was " a great Aretha Franklin album...She plays havoc with the traditional styles but she sings like never before on record. The liberation and abandon she has always implied in her greatest moments are now fully and consistently achieved." Landau went on to hail her rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" as "one of the best things she has ever recorded...Aretha's voice rings out like a clarion call to righteousness, as she hits miraculous note after miraculous note..." (Wikipedia)
Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is known to her fans as "The Queen of Soul"[citation needed] and is also affectionately called "Sister Ree". She is renowned for her soul recordings but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera.[1] She is widely acclaimed for her passionate, soulful vocal style, which is aided by a massive and powerful vocal range. (Wikipedia)
Amazing Grace is a 1972 album by R&B/gospel legend Aretha Franklin.
Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Landau wrote that the album was " a great Aretha Franklin album...She plays havoc with the traditional styles but she sings like never before on record. The liberation and abandon she has always implied in her greatest moments are now fully and consistently achieved." Landau went on to hail her rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" as "one of the best things she has ever recorded...Aretha's voice rings out like a clarion call to righteousness, as she hits miraculous note after miraculous note..." (Wikipedia)
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