BARRETT STRONG (1941 - 2023)

One of the first artists to achieve a hit record for Motown, Barrett Strong passed away on January 28th at the age of eighty-one. He later went on to become a prolific writer for the music label, co-writing with Norman Whitfield some classic songs like "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "I Wish it Would Rain" and "Just My Imagination".

After signing with Tamla Records, Strong helped bring attention to the fledgling label with his recording of "Money (That's What I Want)" which reached number two on the r&b chart in 1960 and selling over one million copies. The song was so popular that other artists covered it including The Beatles in 1963 and The Rolling Stones in 1964. Strong claimed to have co-written "Money" with Janie Bradford and Motown founder, Berry Gordy and his name was originally on the copyright. But his name was later removed due to Gordy saying that the addition of Strong as a songwriter was a clerical error. Strong later tried to pursue this legally but his case was weakened due to how long it took him to have his name reinstated as a writer.

Strong had moved into songwriting after his recording career cooled down, working with producer Whitfield on songs largely for the Temptations which included "Cloud Nine", "Psychedelic Shack", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" as well as songs for the Undisputed Truth ("Smiling Faces Sometimes") and Edwin Starr ("War").

When Gordy decided to pack-up Motown to Los Angeles in 1972, Strong remained in Detroit, leaving the label and resuming his music career. He signed with several different labels and would record four solo albums throughout the rest of his career. Here is Strong's first big hit and a few of the popular hit songs he wrote for some of the great artists on Motown:

TAKE TWO: LIONEL RITCHIE

I recognized the steady, Caribbean beat of "All Night Long" almost immediately, hearing it either on the SiriusXM '80's channel or pulsing in the background of some store, and then realized that this Lionel Ritchie hit was almost forty years old. As the song played on, I also knew that this would certainly become a chart-topper today, despite the hip-hop and throbbing EDM that dominates much of the pop music scene at the moment. In fact, much of Ritchie's musical output would still be embraced by people if they were released today. The reason I believe is that the songs Lionel Ritchie created are classically structured and emotionally driven, allowing them to remain timeless by avoiding the over-produced spectacle and trendy concepts which is the norm in pop music right now.

After briefly considering to become a priest, Ritchie continued on a musical path while attending the Tuskegee Institute. He had joined several bands before connecting with a group of musicians that would become Commodores in 1968. They eventually were signed to Motown Records and found immediate success with the title track off their 1974 debut album, "Machine Gun", a funky instrumental that reached the top-ten on the r&b chart and number twenty-two on the pop chart. Commodores continued with funk music for a while before shifting more towards soul, leading to their first number one r&b hit in 1976 with "Just to Be Close to You", a love ballad that Ritchie wrote and performed lead vocals.

While the band continued to score with the funky dance tracks, "Brick House" and "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", it was the alluring love songs that Ritchie wrote which included "Sweet Love", "Easy", "Sail On", "Still" and "Three Times a Lady" that took Commodores to the next level, crossing over to the top of the pop charts. And these popular songs made Ritchie a very sought-after songwriter. After having written the number one hit for country artist, Kenny Rogers with "Lady" in 1980 and the chart-topping love ballad, "Endless Love" (for the film of the same name) which he traded vocals with Diana Ross the following year, Ritchie decided it was time to move on from Commodores. 

Ritchie released his self-titled debut solo album in 1982. There were three smash singles, "You Are", "My Love" and the US number one hit, "Truly" which helped continue him on course as an incredible hit-maker and major pop artist. Ritchie's follow-up album, "Can't Slow Down" certainly lived up to it's title. The album featured five top-ten hits (including two, "All Night Long" and the ballad, "Hello" reaching the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart), sold over twenty million copies worldwide and went on to win the 1983 Grammy for Album of the Year.

Ritchie continued writing for other projects as well with 1985 being a banner year for him. He helped take Ross back to the pop charts by writing and producing "Missing You", a loving tribute to Marvin Gaye, which also went to number one on the r&b chart; writing and performing "Say You, Say Me" for the movie, "White Nights" which went to number one on the US pop chart and won Ritchie an Oscar for Best Original Song and teaming up with Michael Jackson to create the charity single, "We Are The World" that assembled an all-star cast of popular musicians of the day to perform, selling over twenty million copies with the proceeds going towards providing food and relief to starving people in Africa.

His 1986 album, "Dancing on the Ceiling" was well received with five popular singles but did not achieve the same level of commercial success like his previous solo albums. Following a tour to promote the album, Ritchie decided to retreat from the music business for a little while. But it would be ten years before he would return with a new studio album, "Louder Than Words".  During his time away, soul music had evolved into groove-driven, urban contemporary and Ritchie's 1996 collection was an attempt to update his easy-listening r&b sound, working with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Babyface and David Foster.  Yet the album failed to generate much attention.

Ritchie has continued to work since then, releasing several albums (including "Tuskegee", a well-received collection from 2012 with Ritchie teaming up with several country music artists to perform together many of his popular songs) and touring across the globe. The now seventy-three year old artist can be seen currently as one of the judges on the revival of the television singing competition show, "American Idol", appearing since 2018. And he will be inducted later this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Some may consider the soulful balladry of Lionel Ritchie a bit old-fashioned. But his songs have made an indelible impact in music, continuing to influence and be enjoyed by each new generation. I have selected two of my favorite songs from Mr. Ritchie and while they may not be his best known, these songs do display his amazing skill of combining pop, classic soul with a touch of country to create his unique sound.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After the global critical and commercial success of her dazzling, post-disco collection, "What's Your Pleasure?" from 2020 (which certainly helped us get through the pandemic), Jessie Ware is back with some new music. The British artist has just dropped "Free Yourself", another uplifting dance track with Ware teaming up with renowned electro-pop producer and DJ, Stuart Price (Madonna; Kylie Minogue; The Killers; Dua Lipa) for the first time. The music video for "Free Yourself" is set with Ware being a spiritual leader telling her queer congregation to open up and let their freak flag fly wild and proud. This appears to be the first single from Ware's upcoming fifth studio album although no details have been released. She will be in North America this fall on tour, opening up for Harry Styles on some dates and headlining her own concerts. Be sure to check this amazing artist out if you can.



Here are a few new songs with music videos that deliver the perfect summer vibe:

Built around Rick James' 1981 classic, "Super Freak", Nicki Minaj has released another single with "Super Freaky Girl", a slick, playful track that feels reminiscent of her sound from the early days of her career. This is the fourth song that Minaj has dropped this year (following "Do We Have a Problem?", "Bussin" and "We Go Up") yet there is still no word on when her fifth studio album will be released or if any of these songs will actually appear on this record. Two things we do know is that Minaj will be this year's recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28th which she will appear with a live performance. Minaj will also be a part of a six-part HBO Max docu-series about her life very soon although no exact date has been confirmed.

And finally to honor the memory of Lamont Dozier, one third of the songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, who passed away on August 8th at the age of eighty-one. Dozier, along with brothers Brian and Eddie Holland, was responsible for helping to shape the Motown sound by writing many of the songs for the soul music label that crossed over to become worldwide pop hits. The Detroit born and raised artist had begun his career as a performer yet didn't find much success. By 1962, he teamed up with The Hollands who also hadn't had much luck as singers to write for the local-based recording company. Their first top-ten pop hits were for Martha & The Vandellas with "Come and Get These Memories", "Heatwave", and "Quicksand". But it wasn't until 1964 when the team got their first number one song with "Where Did Our Love Go?" for a struggling girl group on Motown, The Supremes. Holland–Dozier–Holland would go on to write and produce nine more number one songs for the trio as well as for other artists on the label like Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, the Miracles and The Isley Brothers, eventually amassing twenty-five number one songs during their career.

After the songwriting team left Motown in 1968 over a dispute about profit-sharing and royalties, they founded Invictus and Hot Wax Records which produced hits for acts like Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairmen of the Board, and 100 Proof Aged in Soul. Dozier left the Holland brothers in 1973 to work on his own projects, releasing several solo albums as a performer with his most popular charting song being "Trying to Hold on to My Woman" in 1974. He continued to work as a songwriter, returning to the pop charts in 1984 by writing "Invisible", the hit song for British singer, Alison Moyet. He also co-wrote several songs with the British soul group, Simply Red. Dozier teamed up with Phil Collins to write "Two Hearts" for the soundtrack for the 1988 movie, "Buster" (which starred Collins) that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. And Holland–Dozier–Holland were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Here is a very small sample of the music co-created by Lamont Dozier:

MARY WILSON (1944 - 2021)

Mary Wilson, an original member of The Supremes, the Motown act that became one of the most successful female singing groups of all time, passed away unexpectedly on February 8th. The singer, who remained with the group until 1977 yet would continue as a promoter of their legacy, died in her sleep at the age of seventy-six from unknown causes.

Wilson co-founded the singing group as a teenager with friends from the Brewster-Douglass housing project in Detroit, Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown. They called themselves The Primettes and relentlessly urged Motown founder, Berry Gordy to sign them to his record label. He finally agreed in 1961 and their name was changed to "The Supremes". McGlown would leave the group the following year, becoming a trio, and struggled for a few years to achieve a successful single before their breakthrough, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" in 1963, peaking at number 23 on the pop chart.

But it would be the following year when The Supremes would have their first number one hit, "Where Did Our Love Go" which began a string of chart-topping successes which includes "Baby Love", "Stop! In The Name of Love", "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On". The Supremes (who would go on to have twelve number one US singles), became international sensations who brought glamour and style to pop music. But Gordy's focus on Ross as lead singer, with the other two made essentially her back-up singers, created some serious tension within the group with Ballard eventually leaving the now-named, Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1967 (replaced by Cindy Birdsong) and Ross moving on for a solo career three years later.

Wilson maintained her place in the group (with Jean Terrell replacing Ross) and The Supremes would have a few more hits with "Up the Ladder to the Roof", "Stoned Love" and "Nathan Jones" but their glory days were behind them. 

After The Supremes ended, Wilson briefly stayed with Motown, recording one self-titled solo album in 1979 before being dropped from the label. She would go on to appear in stage musicals, was a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars" in 2019 and made regular appearances performing in Las Vegas casinos. Wilson wrote about her experiences as a member of one of the most successful pop music acts of all-time with two best selling memoirs; "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" in 1986 and "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together" four years later.

Here are a few highlights from the legendary career of Mary Wilson including her singing lead with The Supremes on a 1965 cover of "Our Day Will Come":

NUMBER ONE FLASHBACK

The number one during this week back in 1970 was "War" by Edwin Starr. This soulful protest song held this spot for three weeks in the US and had struck a chord with the American public due to the growing opposition to the war in Vietnam.

While this would become Starr's signature song, "War" was not originally recorded by this Motown artist. The Temptations had first recorded a version, written by the label's staff writers, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, for their 1970 album, "Psychedelic Shack". The title track had been the only single released (which made it to number seven on the US pop chart and number two on the soul chart) and many fans had requested "War" to be released as well. However, Motown did not want one of their top-tier artists associated with a potentially controversial song and the group was also apprehensive to the idea of this song as a single. Whitfield, who had produced the track, decided that another artist should re-record the song.

Whitfield approached Starr (born Charles Edwin Hatcher), a less prominent performer with the label who had one significant hit, "Twenty-Five Miles" (which reached number six on the pop chart in 1968) and then decided to go with a bigger, more explosive production than the Temptations' version. Starr's take was an immediate hit and would be one of the first protest songs to find major pop success with Billboard ranking it at number five of the songs of 1970.

While Starr would not enjoy another big hit, he would continue to record and perform. Starr moved to England in 1973 and later had a couple of disco hits, "(Eye To Eye) Contact" in 1978 and "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio" in 1979 with both reaching the top-ten in Britain. Starr would long be admired in England's Northern soul circuit before he passed away there in 2003 at the age of sixty-one. Have a listen to the still timely song of "War" by Edwin Starr:

I had never previously heard the Temptations' version of "War" and so as a bonus, here is that group's take of this classic song:

TAKE TWO: ASHFORD & SIMPSON

It's hard to say what Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson are really best known for. The duo first started their careers separately as songwriters before coming together and eventually joining the Motown staff to help create such classics as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "California Soul", "You're All I Need To Get By","Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". But Ashford & Simpson also wanted to perform their own music and began a recording career. They would achieve some success as performers with one of their biggest hits was "Solid" in 1984.

Ashford was born in Fairfield, SC and Simpson in the Bronx, NY. Their paths would cross in Harlem at a church in 1964 with them later deciding to team up to write songs and perform. While they didn't have much initial luck as a singing act, some of the songs they wrote with former Ikette,  Jo "Joshie" Armstead became popular. One of this team's biggest songs was for Ray Charles with "Let's Go Get Stoned" which went to number one on the U.S. R&B chart in 1966. That year, Ashford and Simpson were invited to join Motown as writers and producers, leaving their mark with several charting hits for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and Diana Ross.

Ashford & Simpson still wanted to become known as performers. Simpson recorded two solo albums with Motown who failed to give them much of a promotional push. The couple decided it was finally time to leave the label after they had recorded an album singing their versions of the many songs they wrote for Motown yet the company refused to release it.

After getting married in 1974, Ashford & Simpson signed with Warner Bros. Records as recording artists. The duo found modest success with their albums and charted on the r&b chart with the singles, "Send It","Don't Cost You Nothing", "It Seems to Hang On", "Is It Still Good to Ya", "Found a Cure" and a collaboration with Quincy Jones on his album, "Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!" with the single, "Stuff Like That" which reached number one in 1978.

They signed with Capitol Records in 1982 and it was during this period where the couple would achieve their greatest success. "Solid", which could perfectly describe the couple's relationship, would become an incredible hit, crossing over to the US pop chart and reaching the top-five in several countries. In 2009, Ashford & Simpson would do a fun rewrite of the song to honor President Barack Obama, calling it "Solid (As Barack)". The couple would continue to write and produce for other artists including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Roberta Flack, Stephanie Mills, Teddy Pendergrass and Chaka Khan's 1978 classic, "I'm Every Woman".

In 2011, Nickolas Ashford passed away from complications of throat cancer at the age of seventy. He is survived by Simpson, now seventy-two, and their two daughters, Nicole and Asia. In honor of this legendary musical duo, here are two of my favorite songs from Ashford & Simpson:

THE 61ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, Lorde was the only female nominated for Album Of The Year and the only spot she was offered on the show was being a part of the Tom Petty tribute (which she respectfully turned down). Now with The 2019 Grammy Awards, there were five female artists receiving a place in the Best Album category. And the fifteen-time Grammy winner, Alicia Keys was selected as the host of the telecast which is the first time a woman has done that in fourteen years. With this year's Grammys, women dominated the evening by delivering some of the most electrifying performances of the night while also receiving a fair share of the trophies handed out including the top prize of Album Of The Year.

Ms Keys proved to be a perfect host, bringing a positive energy and laid-back style to the event. She brought some excitement almost immediately when she brought out an impressive roster of powerful women to the stage; Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and the very missed, former First Lady, Michelle Obama who all shared the importance of music in their lives. Keys later in the program displayed why she won all those Grammys as she impressively played two pianos at the same time (which she acknowledged was in the style of jazz pianist, Hazel Scott) and performed a melody of her favorite old tunes (a tribute to birthday girl, Lauryn Hill) and new (Ella Mai's Grammy-winning hit, "Boo'd Up").

This year had a particularly strong line-up of musical performances that kicked off with Camilla Cabello celebrating Latin music in a lively production number of her hit, "Havana" with some help from Ricky Martin and J Balvin, which they ended the performance with his song, "Mi Gente". A tribute to Dolly Parton, who was this year's MusiCares honoree, was a respectable affair to the beloved country artist starting with Kacey Musgraves and Katy Perry doing a shaky version of "Here You Come Again". Parton, who seemed to take over this retrospective medley at this point, sang with Miley Cyrus for a cover of "Jolene"  before they were joined by Maren Morris for a beautiful rendition of "After The Gold Rush". Little Big Town came out to join Parton on a new song from the "Dumplin" soundtrack, "Red Shoes" before everyone took the stage to close with Dolly's biggest hit, "9 To 5".

Unlike Ms Parton, Diana Ross didn't need anyone's help to pay tribute to her career. With her proudly announcing she's celebrating her seventy-fifth birthday next month, the still quite stunning singer had the usually jaded industry crowd mesmerized as she did lively versions of "The Best Years of My Life" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". Sure, she was a little pitchy but she still displayed why she has remained a musical legend.

Other highlights include Janelle Monáe tearing it up with a futuristic fembot staging of her songs, "Make Me Feel", "Django Jane" and "Pynk"; H.E.R. taking advantage of her first major television appearance and delivered a solid performance with "Hard Place"; Dua Lipa and St. Vincent bringing a sensual Sapphic vibe to a mash-up of their songs "One Kiss" and "Masseduction" while briefly shouting out Aretha in the middle and we had Andra Day, Yolanda Adams and Fantasia together to sing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" which I think was one of the best tributes for the Queen of Soul to date.

Cardi B had a very good night for her first time at the Grammys. She dazzled during a performance of "Money" in a Busby Berkeley styled production (with a few stripper moves added) before she was left almost uncharacteristically speechless after winning Best Rap Album which she became the first woman to take that prize.

My absolutely favorite moment of the night was when the sister act, Chloe X Halle did a perfectly harmonized version of Donny Hathaway (who was honored this year with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award) and Roberta Flack's "Where is The Love?" before presenting an award. It was stunning and way too short.

And that leads me to what I thought was the worst moment which was Jennifer Lopez doing a musical tribute for the 60th anniversary of Motown Records. I could have thought of many different ways to honor one of the first black-owned record labels that brought soul music to a worldwide audience and helped create respected African-American pop superstars but JLo and her high-flying, Vegas showgirl routine would not have been one of them. And no, the brief appearance by Motown legend, Smokey Robinson in the middle did not help.

While it was inspiring and long overdue in honoring so much female musical talent, I'm just hoping this is not some short-lived event for the Grammys. During her acceptance speech for Best New Artist, Dua Lipa reminded the audience of the words by the now-outgoing President of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow implying that female artists needed to "step up" in order to win the award that stirred a backlash last year. It may seem like this might be an overreaction to that uproar but it is important to recognize that in order to have diversity and inclusion, a conscious effort has to be made to ensure that can happen.

Here is a partial list of winners of the 2019 Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "Golden Hour" - Kacey Musgraves
Record of the Year: "This Is America" - Childish Gambino
Song of the Year: "This Is America" - Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
Best New Artist: Dua Lipa
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Sweetener" — Ariana Grande
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)" — Lady Gaga
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Shallow" — Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "My Way" — Willie Nelson
Best Rock Album: "From the Fires" — Greta Van Fleet
Best Rock Performance: "When Bad Does Good" — Chris Cornell
Best Rock Song: "Masseduction" — Jack Antonoff and Annie Clark, songwriters (St. Vincent)
Best Alternative Music Album: "Colors" — Beck
Best Rap Album: "Invasion of Privacy" — Cardi B
Best Rap Song: "God’s Plan" — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels and Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
Best Rap Performance: "King’s Dead" — Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake and "Bubblin" — Anderson .Paak (tie)
Best Rap/Sung Performance: "This Is America" — Childish Gambino
Best R&B Album: "H.E.R." — H.E.R.
Best R&B Song: "Boo’d Up" — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai and Dijon Mcfarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
Best R&B Performance: "Best Part" — H.E.R. featuring Daniel Caesar
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand" — Leon Bridges and "How Deep Is Your Love" — PJ Morton featuring Yebba (tie)
Best Urban Contemporary Album: "Everything Is Love" — The Carters
Best Dance/Electronic Album: "Woman Worldwide" — Justice
Best Dance Recording: "Electricity" — Silk City and Dua Lipa featuring Diplo and Mark Ronson
Best Country Album: "Golden Hour" — Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Song: "Space Cowboy" — Luke Laird, Shane Mcanally and Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
Best Country Solo Performance: "Butterflies" — Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "Tequila" — Dan + Shay
Best Bluegrass Album: "The Travelin’ Mccourys" — The Travelin’ Mccourys
Best Jazz Vocal Album: "The Window" — Cécile Mclorin Salvant
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Emanon" — The Wayne Shorter Quartet
Best Latin Pop Album: "Sincera" — Claudia Brant
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: "Aztlán" — Zoé
Best Reggae Album: "44/876" — Sting and Shaggy
Best Americana Album: "By the Way, I Forgive You" — Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Performance: "The Joke" — Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Song: "The Joke" — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
Best Folk Album: "All Ashore" — Punch Brothers
Best Gospel Album: "Hiding Place" — Tori Kelly
Best Gospel Performance/Song: "Never Alone" — Kirk Franklin and Victoria Kelly, songwriters (Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin)
Best Roots Gospel Album: "Unexpected" — Jason Crabb
Best World Music Album: "Freedom" — Soweto Gospel Choir
Best Comedy Album: "Equanimity & the Bird Revelation" — Dave Chappelle
Best Musical Theater Album: "The Band’s Visit" — Etai Benson, Adam Kantor, Katrina Lenk and Ari’el Stachel, principal soloists; Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek, producers; David Yazbek, composer and lyricist
Best Song Written for Visual Media: "Shallow" — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "The Greatest Showman" — Alex Lacamoire, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Greg Wells, compilation producers (Various Artists)
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Black Panther" — Ludwig Göransson, (composer)
Best Music Film: "Quincy" — Alan Hicks and Rashida Jones, (video directors); Paula Dupré Pesmen, (video producer)
Best Music Video: "This Is America" — Childish Gambino
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling): "Faith - A Journey for All" — Jimmy Carter
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical): Pharrell Williams

MY TUNE OF THE DAY

Today's tune comes from Stevie Wonder who has reliably given us wonderful music throughout the years. "If You Really Love Me" is such an amazing song with it's unusual arrangement and vibrant vocals. America agreed as this single reached number eight on the pop chart and number four on the r&b chart.

This song came off of Wonder's 1970 album "Where I'm Coming From" which was written by the then twenty-year old singer and his new bride, Syreeta Wright, a songwriter, singer and former secretary at Motown. The album was released with much resistance from Berry Gordy who liked to have complete control over the content of his label's artists. However, Wonder wanted to be able to creatively express himself without interference to explore different musical ideas and write about social issues.

This caused some serious tension between Wonder and Motown. When he turned twenty-one, his recording contract had a clause which allowed Wonder to void it upon becoming legally an adult and refused to resign with the label. During this standoff, Wonder worked on his music independently before finally signing a new contract with Motown in 1972 which allowed him complete creative control and a higher royalty rate.

After all the drama, the singer's most successful and popular period began, leading to the albums, "Innervisions", "Fulfillingness' First Finale" (with each winning Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards) and "Talking Book" (which features the classic songs, "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" and "Superstition").

"If You Really Love Me" - Stevie Wonder (1971) mp3

NUMBER ONE FLASHBACK

"I Hear a Symphony" became The Supremes' sixth number one song, hitting that spot this week back in 1965. After their previous single, "Nothing But Heartaches" failed to reach the top-ten on the pop chart (reaching only number eleven), Motown chief, Berry Gordy decreed that one of the company's biggest and most popular acts (featuring Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard) would only release number one hits. That put the pressure on the trio's production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland to come up with the right songs for The Supremes to make that happen. They decided to slightly alter the winning formula that had worked so well for the group, making the musical structure of "I Hear a Symphony" a little more complex. This worked as this song went straight to the top, holding this position for two weeks.

Although the next two singles, "My World Is Empty Without You" and "Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart" failed to reach number one (only making it to number five and number nine respectively), the Supremes' next four singles, "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" and "The Happening" each became chart toppers. The Supremes would go on to have a total of twelve number one hits, making them one of the most successful singing groups in pop history.

JIMMY RUFFIN (1936 - 2014)

Jimmy Ruffin, the legendary soul vocalist on the Motown label, passed away today at the age of seventy-eight. The older brother of David Ruffin (who died in 1991), the lead singer of The Temptations, is best known for the top-ten hit, "What Becomes of The Brokenhearted" in 1966 but he achieved other hits including "I've Passed This Way Before" and "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got".

Born in Collinsville, Mississippi, Jimmy began his musical career as a young child with his brother in the gospel group, The Dixie Nightingales. Ruffin joined Motown as a session singer in 1961 but left after being drafted in the army. He later returned to the label and was offered a position in the Temptations but after hearing his brother, David, Berry Gordy hired him instead. Ruffin stayed with Motown as a solo performer but didn't have much success until "Brokenhearted" charted. His last hit single was the disco tune, "Hold On (To My Love)" (co-written by the late Robin Gibb) in 1980 peaking at number ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" - Jimmy Ruffin (1966)

MY TUNE OF THE DAY

Today's tune comes courtesy of my Ipod after the sultry version of "Reach Out I'll Be There" by Diana Ross popped up on shuffle. I hadn't heard it in a while and decided to share.

After successfully remaking the Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell classic, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in 1970 (and became her first number one single as a solo artist), Miss Ross later took on another popular Motown song and completely reworked it. Originally a number one smash for The Four Tops in 1966, the uptempo "Reach Out" is almost unrecognizable now as a sexy ballad. Although this wasn't much of a hit when released as a single but I really love this take of the song. If you have never heard this, I think you're in for a treat:

"Reach Out I'll Be There" - Diana Ross (1971)

FOCUS ON: DIANA ROSS

There is probably no singer who had such a major impact on me than Diana Ross. I think she's the perfect pop vocalist who is also a stunningly beautiful, glamorous goddess. Perhaps that might sound a little overboard but it's honestly how I felt ever since the very first time I heard and saw this dynamic entertainer. She is the true definition of an all-around performer who has found great success with everything she has attempted, whether first becoming a member of one of the biggest all-female singing groups of all-time to becoming one of the most successful female solo artists of all-time to earning an Oscar nomination for her first film role to performing a free concert in Central Park with the proceeds going to build a children's playground in New York City. Although Miss Ross has earned a reputation (fairly or not) for being a bit of a "diva" but that certainly does not diminish her great talent. But the real reason for her success is that you can sense her pure joy in sharing her gifts to the world and you can't help to be moved and transformed by the power of  Diana Ross.

Diana Ross was born on March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents, Ernestine and Fred actually named her "Diane" but a typo on her birth certificate has her listed as "Diana" but she went by Diane at home and school. In her early teens, Diana"s first love was fashion design and she studied at Cass Tech which was a four year prep-school. However, she soon became distracted by music as her school friend, Mary Wilson invited her to join a female singing group, The Primettes. Milton Jenkins, the manager of the male vocal group, The Primes wanted to put together a type of "sister act" with Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown filling out the quartet.

After The Primettes won a singing contest, the next step was a recording contract and they wanted to sign with the new local music company, Motown. Diana called her neighbor, William "Smokey" Robinson who was writing songs for the label, to help get the group an audition with Berry Gordy, the head of Motown. Although Gordy liked what he heard, he felt the teens were too young and wanted them to come back after they finished high school. Betty McGlown dropped out of the group and was replaced by Barbara Martin but the girls were determined to impress Gordy as they would hang out at the studios everyday after school. Eventually, The Primettes performed background vocals for several acts before Gordy finally agreed to sign the group in 1961 but he insisted they change their name. They were given a list of suggestions with Florence deciding on "The Supremes" although Diana thought it sounded a bit too masculine.

By 1962, Barbara Martin decided to leave group with The Supremes now remaining a trio.They released eight singles with none of them reaching anywhere near the top forty before The Supremes had a minor breakthrough with "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" which made it to number twenty-three on the pop chart.

"Where Did Our Love Go" was written by the in-house team of Holland-Dozier-Holland and originally given to The Marvelettes but they passed on it. The Supremes actually didn't like it much better but recorded it anyway as the team had written their previous charting song. It was a good thing they did as it became the group's first number one song in 1964. Their next four singles, "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In The Name of Love" and "Back In My Arms Again" all went to number one and were also written by Holland-Dozier-Holland.

By 1965, The Supremes were a major international female r&b act that brought glamour and polish to pop music. Many other hit songs followed but.previously each member in the group would share lead singing but after their success, Gordy decided that Ross would now be the official lead singer for The Supremes which left the other two less than thrilled, most especially Ballard. She began to drink excessively, gained weight, missed performances and her relationship with Ross deteriorated. Gordy decided to change the name of the group to "Diana Ross & The Supremes" in 1967 which enraged Ballard even further. Soon, Gordy had had enough and fired Florence Ballard later that year and replaced her with Cindy Birdsong, a singer with Patti LaBelle and The Bluebells. Ballard attempted to start a solo career for several years but died in 1976 at the age of thirty-two of heart disease.

Diana Ross & The Supremes continued on but Gordy had plans for Ross to become a solo artist. After the single, "Someday We'll Be Together" became this line-up's twelfth and final number one hit in 1969 and one last concert in Las Vegas, Diana Ross left The Supremes in 1970. Jean Terrell would replace her as lead vocalist of The Supremes.

Ms Ross released her self-titled debut album later in 1970 that featured the now classic "Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)" and the smash remake of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"  that went to number one on the pop and r&b charts. More hits followed including "Remember Me", "Touch me In The Morning", "Love Hangover" and "The Boss".

In 1972, Ross starred in her first film role as jazz vocalist, Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings The Blues". The film was a box-office smash and her performance won her a Golden Globe Award and she was nominated for an Academy Award. She followed this up with "Mahogany" in 1975. The film about a fashion designer who becomes a successful model was another hit and featured the theme song, "Do You Know Where You're Going To" which went to number one on the pop chart and was nominated for an Oscar. Her next part was as Dorothy in the musical, "The Wiz", an African-American version of "The Wizard of Oz" in 1978. Ross was woefully miscast and the film became a costly failure with this putting an unfortunate end to her movie career.

Tension between Ross and Gordy had grown considerably, most especially during the filming of "Mahogany", so after her 1980 album, "Diana" (which was produced by Chic's, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards and became her biggest solo recording success) and "Endless Love" (her world-wide number one hit duet with Lionel Ritchie for the film of the same name), Ross left Motown to go to RCA Records for a twenty million dollar record deal in 1981.

While at the label, Ross had several successful recordings such as her cover of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", "Swept Away", "Eaten Alive" and "Missing You" but it did not come close to matching her glory days at Motown. In 1988, Ross decided not to renew her contract with RCA and after making amends with Berry Gordy, re-signed with Motown Records although he had recently sold the company. She recorded four albums on the label but sales were disappointing and she left the label in 1999.

In 2006, Ross had two albums released on EMI; the first was the jazz album, "Blue" which was recorded around 1971-72 and was supposed to follow-up her successful "Lady Sings The Blues" soundtrack record but Gordy decided to shelve the project. The next was "I Love You", her first studio album in seven years and her last to date. It features a collection of love song covers including Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" (co-written by Ross's late brother, Arthur).

Diana Ross was inducted in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The Supremes in 1988, was the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor in 2007, won a long overdue Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award (her only Grammy ever!) earlier this year and has sold well over one hundred million records during her career.

Ms Ross has been married twice. She wed Robert Silberstein, a music executive in 1971 and they had three children, Rhonda, Tracey and Chudney although it was publicly revealed recently that Rhonda was actually the daughter of Berry Gordy. Silberstein and Ross divorced in 1977. She met Arne Naess, Jr., a Norwegian businessman on a trip to the Bahamas in 1985. They married the following year and had two sons, Ross and Evan. The couple separated in 2000 and Naess died in a skiing accident in 2004.


These are just a few of my favorite Diana Ross tunes:

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Diana Ross (1970)

"The Boss" - Diana Ross (1979)

"I'm Coming Out" - Diana Ross (1980)

"Swept Away" - Diana Ross (1984)

"Missing You" - Diana Ross (1984)

Here is some early footage of The Supremes performing live "Back In My Arms Again":


This is Miss Ross performing her hit, "Love Hangover" live on The Midnight Special back in '76:



This is a great music video for the 1985 song, "Chain Reaction" (written by The Bee Gees) that revived the classic "Supremes" sound. She looks amazingly just like she does in The Supremes video above and it even seems like Miss Ross is wearing the same wig:

FOCUS ON: MARVIN GAYE

I was very surprised to learn that one of the greatest soul vocalists of our time, Marvin Gaye had originally wanted to be a pop singer in the vein of Nat "King" Cole.  Now, I don't doubt that he would have been brilliant but it would have been such a tragic loss. R&B was where his powerful talent was best served. The strikingly handsome Gaye brought his unique sense of style, class and sensuality to music that was exhilarating and impassioned. Marvin Gaye was an exceptionally gifted musician and entertainer that we lost much too soon

He was born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. in 1939 in the Washington D.C. area. He was the eldest child of four born to Marvin Gay Sr., a minister at the House Of God, a Hebrew-Pentecostal sect and Alberta Gay, a schoolteacher. Marvin's father was very strict, physically abusive and did not allow his children to listen to anything but gospel music.

This didn't stop Marvin Jr.'s love of music and he began playing drums and piano as a young child. By the time he reached high school, Marvin would run off regularly so he could attend r&b and doo-wop concerts. During this time, Marvin also joined several singing groups in the D.C. area. Finally fed up with his father's rules, Marvin enlisted in the U.S. Air Force with the hope of becoming a pilot. However, this was not a great environment for him either as he was tired of dealing with authority figures and Gaye wound up faking mental illness to get discharged.

In 1958, Marvin and his childhood friend, Reese Palmer formed their own vocal group, The Marquees with Chester Simmons and James Knowland. After being discovered by Bo Diddley, The Marquees were signed to Okeh Records. Their single was not a great success but it did capture the attention of Harvey Fuqua, the founder and co-lead vocalist of The Moonglows. They were a top act with several hit singles but broke-up due to friction between Fuqua and the other members of the group. Fuqua brought in The Marquees to become "The New Moonglows" and recorded several singles including "Mama Loocie" which featured the first lead vocal by Marvin Gaye. By 1960, Fuqua decided to disband The New Moonglows but kept Gaye by his side. Fuqua had begun a relationship with Gwen Gordy, a sister of Berry who had founded Motown Records. The couple soon married and formed two record labels, Harvey Records and Tri-Phi Records with Gaye being signed to this label.

There have been several stories on how Berry Gordy actually met Marvin Gaye but however it happened, it's clear that he saw the potential in Gaye and wanted him at Motown. Gordy eventually absorbed Fuqua's record companies and Gaye was assigned to Motown's Tamla label. Marvin Gaye immediately clashed with his new label over material as Motown wanted him to record the music that made them famous while Gaye wanted to do jazz and standards. During this time, he added and "e" to the end of his last name as he claimed it looked more professional but he later revealed that it was actually a way to quell rumors about his sexuality and to further distance himself from his father.

Gaye released two singles, "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" and "Mr. Sandman" in 1961 before his debut solo album, "The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye". The collection was made up of mostly jazz with a couple of r&b songs but the album failed to generate any interest in the new artist. Despite this setback, Gaye kept busy playing drums on many of the recordings for other Motown artists as well as co-writing some songs including the hits,  "Beechwood 4-5789" and "Dancing In The Streets".

Inspired by an argument with his then girlfriend, Anna Gordy (another sister of Berry) who he would later wed, Marvin wrote the song, "A Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and it became his first hit reaching number eight on the r&b chart and forty-six on the pop in 1963. The follow-up, "Hitch-Hike" was also a success and Gaye was on his way to becoming a major artist at Motown. He had a long string of hits including "Pride & Joy", "Can I Get a Witness", "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and his first number one song, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". However, Gaye struggled with his fame as he still wanted a career more like Frank Sinatra or Nat "King" Cole and he had difficulty performing in front of an audience as he suffered from bouts of stage fright.

Marvin Gaye would be teamed up to record with several female vocalists on the label such as Mary Wells, Kim Weston and Diana Ross but it was with Tammi Terrell where he had the greatest success and felt she was the perfect musical partner. The duo had many top hits together including "Your Precious Love", "You're All I Need To Get By" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" but the partnership came to a tragic end when Terrell, who had been complaining of headaches for weeks, collapsed  in to Gaye's arms during a concert in 1967. She was later diagnosed with a brain tumor and died in 1970. Marvin never fully recovered from the loss and sank in to a deep depression with him canceling performances.

Marvin managed to later come out of the darkness to co-write the song, "What's Going On" which was inspired by the Vietnam War and the police brutality against the anti-war protesters. The problem was that Berry Gordy had no interest in releasing such a controversial song on Motown and felt it would harm Gaye's image. The song was eventually released in 1971 with little fanfare but it became a huge hit anyway with it topping the r&b chart for five weeks. An album was put together that dealt with the themes of drug abuse, poverty and pollution with "What's Going On" becoming one of the first concept albums in soul music and crossed over to rock fans. What the album also gave Gaye was creative control of his music which most artists at Motown did not have. He took advantage of his newly earned power and recorded a jazz album, an instrumental album and the soundtrack for the film, "Trouble Man" before recording the album, "Let's Get it On" in 1973. This album included some unused tracks from the "What's Going On" sessions with the title track, which started off as a religious song but evolved in to a song about sex, that went to number one on the pop and r&b charts.

The subsequent years found many difficulties in Marvin Gaye's life as he saw his fifteen year marriage to Anna Gordy end which was followed by a bitter divorce, his facing jail time for his failure to pay back taxes and alimony payments and an emerging drug problem but he still managed to create some memorable music such as the hits, "I Want You" and "Got To Give it Up, Pt. 1". After Motown released "In Our Lifetime" in 1981, Gaye claimed the album was unfinished and was remixed without his permission. He refused to ever record on the label again and signed with Columbia Records with "Midnight Love" being the first album released in 1982. The first single, "Sexual Healing" became a world-wide smash, bringing Gaye back to the top of the charts and won him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

After touring to support the album, Marvin went to live with his parents to try and escape some of the pressures of the business. However, his behaviour had become more erratic due to his continued drug use and depression. On April 1, 1984, after Marvin tried to intervene an argument between his parents, Marvin Sr. fatally shot his son to death. Marvin Sr.was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter with the charges of first-degree murder dropped after it was revealed that Marvin had beaten his father prior to the shooting.

Marvin Gaye was married twice; First, to Anna Gordy, who was eighteen years older when they married in 1964. The marriage ended due to Gaye's affair with Janis Hunter, the seventeen year-old daughter of jazz artist, Slim Gaillard. They married in 1976 and had two children, Frankie and Nona but the couple split by 1979. Gaye also had a son, Marvin Pentz Gaye III by Denise Gordy, the niece of Anna who secretly had a child for the couple in 1965.

Here are some classic tracks by Marvin Gaye:

"I'll Be Doggone" - Marvin Gaye (1965)

"Ain't That Peculiar" - Marvin Gaye (1965)

"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye (1968)

"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" - Marvin Gaye (1971)

"Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" - Marvin Gaye (1971)

This is an early live performance by Marvin of "Can I Get A Witness" from the film, "The T.A.M.I. Show":



A cute promo clip of Marvin and Tammi performing the classic "Ain't No Mountain High Enough":

 

Here is Marvin performing his comeback song, "Sexual Healing" live at the 1983 Grammy Awards:

FOCUS ON: STEVIE WONDER

Stevie Wonder is certainly one of the most influential musical artists in history who not only revolutionized the sound of soul but altered people's perception of what could be done to music in general. He is daring, bold and fearless, who is willing to try almost anything and throw in any idea that inspires or moves him which is what makes his music so special and unique.

While preparing to write this, I was listening to his music and I was amazed by the wide range and the beautifully, complex textures to his songs. Stevie Wonder's brilliance as a song writer and musician can be quite shocking considering that he has never been able to actually see the world around him but he has the ability to vividly and accurately capture everything.. He is truly a living legend and an important part of our musical history.

He was born Stevland Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950. He was six weeks premature and because the blood vessels at the back of his eyes had not yet reached the front, his retinas became detached and Stevie was left blind.

When Stevie was four, his parents separated and his mother moved him and his five siblings to Detroit. She went back to her maiden name and changed Stevie's surname to "Morris". Stevie learned to play a variety of instruments including the piano, bass and harmonica.and performed in his church's choir.

He was discovered by Gerald White, the brother of The Miracles singer, Ronnie, who first saw Stevie perform at a friend's house. Gerald later brought Ronnie to see Stevie, then Ronnie brought the eleven year old to Motown to audition for Berry Gordy. He was signed to the Tamla label in 1961 and Clarence Paul, one of Stevie's first producers, is the one who came up with his new stage name, "Wonder" and he became professionally known as "Little Stevie Wonder".

Little Stevie recorded two albums in 1962 with little success but at thirteen, he had his first hit single, "Fingertips (Pt. 2)" which was taken from a live recording. The song went to number one on the pop and r&b charts in 1963 and a new star was born. He later appeared, as himself, in the films, "Muscle Beach Party" and the sequel, "Bikini Beach in 1964.

As he matured, Stevie decided to drop the "Little" from his name and continued to have several hit songs including "Uptight (Every thing's Alright)", "I Was Made To Love Her" and "For Once In My Life". During this time, he developed as a song writer in which he wrote not only for himself but for other Motown artists.

By the time he was twenty-one, Stevie was so frustrated by his lack of artistic control at Motown that he allowed his recording contract to expire in 1971. He recorded two independently produced albums as well as wrote and produced for other artists to use as a bargaining tool during contract negotiations with the label. This ploy worked and Motown gave Wonder full creative control, rights to his songs and a higher royalty rate.

Motown released the first of Stevie's self produced albums, "Music Of My Mind" in 1972. It was different from the typical Motown album as Wonder played all the instruments and it dealt with social and political issues with the songs connected together thematically. Later in the year, "Talking Book" was released which featured the smash hits, "Superstition" and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" with both songs topping the pop charts. The album won Stevie his first three Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop, Best Male R&B and Best R&B Song.

In 1973, Wonder released "Intervisions" which had two top ten hits, "Higher Ground" and "Living For The City" and the album won him three more Grammys including Album Of The Year.  Later that year, Stevie was in a near fatal car accident that left him in a coma for four days. He recovered and was able to triumphantly return to the stage to perform during a comeback concert at Madison Square Garden in March of 1974.

"Songs In The Key Of Life", released in 1976, was an ambitious and accomplished work that would become Wonder's best-selling and most critically acclaimed album of his career. It was a two-LP collection with a four song bonus EP that features his classic songs, "I Wish", "Sir Duke" and "Isn't She Lovely" which was written about the birth of his daughter, Aisha. The record would go on to sell over ten million copies in the U.S. alone and won four Grammy Awards including his third award for Album Of The Year.

After taking some time off, he returned in 1979 with a mostly instrumental soundtrack album for the film, "The Secret Life Of Plants" and writing and producing a hit song for Jermaine Jackson, "Let's Get Serious" before releasing "Hotter Than July" in 1980. The album, inspired by his love of reggae music and meeting Bob Marley, became a huge hit with the singles, "Master Blaster (Jammin)", "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It", "Lately" and "Happy Birthday" (which was written in honor of Martin Luther King and used to encourage the passage of a national holiday in his honor) helping the album become a million seller.

During this period, Stevie Wonder contributed vocals to two big charity singles, "We Are The World" (1985) and "That's What Friends Are For" (1986), made guest appearances on recordings for a wide variety of different artists such as The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, The Eurythmics, and Paul McCartney, either singing, playing the harmonica or both and he won an Academy Award for the number one song on the pop and r&b charts, "I Just Called To Say I Love You" from the film, "The Woman In Red" in 1985.

In the 1990's, Stevie continued to work but at a much slower pace as he released only one studio album, "Conversation Piece" (1995) during the decade but recorded material for the soundtrack of two Spike Lee films, "Jungle Fever" and "Bamboozled" and continued to make occasional guest appearances on the music for other artists. "A Time To Love" was released in 2005 and has been the last studio album for Mr. Wonder to date but he continues to make live performances around the world.

Stevie Wonder has had thirty top-ten U.S. hits with ten reaching number one, twenty number one r&b hit songs, won twenty-two Grammy Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award,  was inducted in to The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and has sold over one hundred million records.

Stevie Wonder married fellow Motown artist, Syreeta Wright in 1970. She co-wrote many songs with him on his albums and he worked on her first two solo recordings but the marriage ended in 1972. He has been married to Kai Milla Morris, a designer, since 2001 and they have two sons, Kailand and Mandla. He has a total of seven children from previous relationships.

Here is a sample of some of Mr. Wonder's greatest hits from throughout his career:

"For Once In My Life" - Stevie Wonder (1968)

"My Cherie Amour" - Stevie Wonder (1969)

"Signed, Sealed, Deliered (I'm Yours)" - Stevie Wonder (1970)

"If You Really Love Me" - Stevie Wonder (1971)

"Living For The City" - Stevie Wonder (1973)

"You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" - Stevie Wonder (1973)

"Don't You Worry 'bout A Thing" - Stevie Wonder (1974)

"All I Do" - Stevie Wonder (1980)

This is early footage of Stevie performing "Uptight (Everything's Alright):


This is the music video for "Part-Time Lover" that features Luther Vandross on background: