Marvin Gaye’s Landmark Studio Album Pt.2

Van De Pitte conducted a
 recording session

Picture of Van De Pitte conducting a recording with the late Bob Babbitt playing guitar at the session.

He was an American music arranger and bass player. He was staff member of Motown Records  during the 1960s and early 1970s, and is best known for his work at Motown Records especially his tremendous contribution to the “What’s Going On” as the main arranger. During the 1970s, Van De Pitte also did arrangements for the number one on the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart week-ending 14^th November 1970 (1 week) performed and produced by Dean Taylor which was called “Indiana Wants Me.” Another classic track was “If I Were Your Woman” performed by  Gladys Knight & the Pips that also made it to number one week-ending 23^rd January 1971.

 

Diana Ross & The Supremes Pt.1

Diana Ross and the Supremes

“Record-breaking Success in the Guinness Book of Records”

  

The group's first number one album
on the UK Official Pop Albums Chart

Did you know that Diana Ross and the Supremes are the only Motown Records recording act to have three number one compilation and greatest hits albums on the Official UK Pop Albums Chart? They were also the first act to have a number one single for the label in the UK with “Baby Love”, week-ending 19^th November 1964 (2 weeks). The single achieved similar success by reaching the number one positions on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, week-ending 31^st October 1964 (4 weeks) and on the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart, week-ending 14^th November 1964 (2 weeks).The group’s first “Greatest Hits” compilation album peaked at number one, week-ending ^11th February 1968 (3 weeks) on the UK Official Pop Albums Chart and again on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, week-ending 28^th October 1967 (5 weeks). 

The group's  second UK compilation album at
 number one in the UK Official
Pop Albums Chart

The group’s second greatest hits package or compilation album “Diana Ross and the Supremes Join The Temptations” reached the number one position on the Official UK Pop Albums Chart week-ending 9^th February 1969 (4 weeks). The album made it to number one on the Billboard R&B and Soul Albums Chart week-ending 21^st December 1968 (4 weeks).

The group's second compilation became tremendous success in collaboration with The Temptations 

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Norman Whitfield Musical Legacy Lives On Pt.3

Rose Royce first successful studio album
produced by Norman Whitfield

Whitfield's record company achieved 
several gold and platinum 
records with Rose Royce while they were signed to his label, in the process generating millions in gross earnings between the USA and the UK in which  he produced the "In Full Bloom" (1977) and "Strikes Again" (1978). The first album studio features the legendary Jack Ashford former member of The Funk Brothers and Paul Riser conducting strings arrangements.  Former Motown studio musicians Melvin "Wah Wah" Watson, Cornelius Grant with legendary Gene Page on

Rose Royce second most successful studio
album also produced Norman Whitfield

 strings arrangements (also famous  for working with the late Barry white). are featured on the second studio album. The single "Love Don't Live Anymore" from the second studio album managed to achieve gold certification in the UK for over half-a-million copies on the 1st October 1978 and peaked at number two on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart week-ending 16th September 1978 (1week) .The album "In Full Bloom"also  peaked at number one on the Billboard Soul and R&B Albums Chart week-ending 1st October 1977 (3 non-consecutive weeks). Further success was achieved by the band's greatest hit album "Rose Royce Greatest Hits" which obtained platinum certification in the UK from BPI and topped the Official UK Pop Albums Chart week-ending 1st March 1980 (2 weeks). 

The band's UK certified platinum album

 A single sampled version of “Car Wash” was released in 2004 from the soundtrack album entitled “Shark Tale” The version was number 4 on the official UK Pop Chart in 2004 and achieved gold certification according to the BPI (British Phonograph Industry) for 100,000 copies sold in the UK. The soundtrack was also certified gold in Australia with 35,000 copies and New Zealand with 7,500 copies. In 2011,  The X Finalists re-recorded "Wish Upon A Star." The song debuted at number one week-ending 10th December 2011 (1 week) on the Official UK Pop Singles Chart and also Scottish Singles Chart the same week. The single sold in excess of 98,000 plus copies in its first week. The single also received a silver disc for units sold in excess of quarter- a-million copies in the UK, which was awarded on 1st February 1978 by  BPI. 

The royalties he has earned over the last ten years averaged approximately half a million dollars per year. This gives you an idea of the income potential and how the music industry benefited from Norman’s creative ability by generating vast earnings across the globe through advertisements, films soundtracks and new recordings.  This legendary and formidable brand shows every sign of impacting generations to come. The late Norman Whitfield is one of the top ten best record producers of the old school. Long live the Norman Whitfield sound.

                              
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Norman Whitfield Musical Legacy Lives On Pt.1

The mastermind Norman Whitfield

Norman Whitfield was born on 12^th May1940 in Harlem, New York and passed away on 16^th September 2008 in Los Angeles at the age of 68. He founded Whitfield Records in Los Angeles after his departure from Motown Records. He was known as the father of the “Psychedelic Funk” sound. Longer songs, heavy bass line, distorted guitars, multi-tracked drums and inventive vocal arrangements became the trademarks of Norman’s production outputs, mainly with The Temptations.

The Grammy Award studio project and
first for Motown Records and
Norman Whitfield

He developed the sound with the help of the Motown studio band “The Funk Brothers”, with the assistance of the legendary Paul Riser as conductor and strings and horns arranger. His innovative music production concentrated more on instrumentation and put less focus on vocals, which was a major departure from the Motown signature sound, the “Sound of Young America”, that made production and song-writing team Holland, Dozier and Holland famous.

Prior to Norman Whitfield’s departure from Motown Records, he produced and co-wrote with Barrett Strong the majority of The Temptations’ recording projects during the first ten years of the label’s operation into the early 1970s, with such songs as “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)”, “Ball Confusion”, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “I Can’t Get Next to You”. All these singles achieved platinum certification in America for selling over two million plus copies each. "Cloud Nine" won Motown Records its first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Vocal Group Performance of 1969. The Temptations’ recording projects produced by Norman featured the funky psychedelic sound which eventually created a large body of gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications that still continue in the UK and America into the 21^st Century, making The Temptations the most certified black male vocal group in music history. He also produced the last major single at the old Studio A recording studio before it was turned into  museum.The single was "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" which received platinum award by RIAA for over two million copies sold in America and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 2nd December 1972 (1 week).

The gold certified album "All Directions"
that features "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"

This demonstrates the excellent production ability of Whitfield and the sound engineer at the time, the legendary Russ Terrana (a white man who was responsible for the sound engineering and mixing of over 89 number one records for Motown Records from the mid 1960s to early 1970s) and the brilliance of The Funk Brothers studio band. The musical compositions of Norman and Barrett reflected the social unrest and violent disturbances that took place across America’s inner cities after the death of Martin Luther King and also America’s involvement in the Vietnam War during the late 1960s. Musically they were totally in tune with the current events of that time.     


                                         



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The Philadelphia Signature Sound in 1986

Did you that over thirty years ago in the month August 1986 two Female artists who dominated the American Billboard R&B Singles Chart for the entire month of August with singles produced and recorded in the city of Philadelphia, at different recording studios. These two female recording solo artists were Shirley Jones and Jean Carne.

Both artists shared the number one position for two weeks each, beginning with Jean Carne taking a run at the top of the Billboard Soul and R&B Singles Chart week-ending 

The album recorded by Jean Carne
featuring the classic hit single "Closer Than Closer"

2^nd August 1986 (2 weeks) with “Closer than Closer” Omni 99531. Which was produced by the late Grover Washington, Jr. Also Jean was once signed to Philadelphia International Records during the 1970s to the early 1980s.

The album by recorded by Shirley Jones  featuring the number one  "Do You Get Enough Love" Shirley Jones achieved the top position on 16th August 1986. Co-Produced by Kenny Gamble and Bunny Sigler. The single “Do You Get enough Love” on Philadelphia International Records 50034, was the second single for Philadelphia International Records to have achieved one during the 1980s, with Patti LaBelle’s single been the first in 1984 for “If Only You Knew”, Philadelphia International Records 04248, 28th January 1984 (4 weeks). The single was extracted “I’m In Love Again” album, been the last gold certified album to be distributed CBS Records for label for PIR (Philadelphia International Records) before expiration of distribution deal with label and CBS Records around 1985.

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The Year Was 1968: Significant Events in Motown’s History

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
were Motown Record's 
most successful duo.

1968 was the year that Marvin Gaye cracked the winning formula with Tammi Terrell, with the creative assistance of Ashford and Simpson, who became both their song writers and music producers for their next two number one singles on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart, starting with the single released on March 28^th 1968 “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” which achieved the number one position week-ending 8^th June 1968 (1 week) and also peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. The next number one song followed in late summer with “You’re All I Need to Get By”, at the top week-ending 31^st August 1968 (5 weeks). These two songs performed extremely well in the UK and in other European music markets, selling hundreds of thousands of copies across Europe. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell became the most successful duo in the history of the label during this period.

Ashford and Simpson.
The song writing and
 music production team behind
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell success.

The performances of Gaye and Terrell were of top quality, delivered with class and sophistication. Their voices flowed smoothly like milk and honey, graced with beauty and poetic yet filled with sexual passion from start to finish, unmatched by anyone at the time. They became a trade-mark brand for Motown and were certainly perfect for each other in terms of the blend of voices and harmonisation, making the most of the beautiful melodies developed by Ashford and Simpson. 

The original roots and feelings of the majority of these songs written by Ashford and Simpson were developed by Valerie Simpson playing the piano, as they worked chord structures for each song. Each track was underpinned by soulful, gospel-tinged musical themes, which were strongly influenced by the composers’ experiences back in the city of New York, where they performed in the Baptist church choir. This experience impacted their musical intelligence and approach to composing and producing songs and helped them create brilliant songs, with the skilful support of The Funk Brothers under the leadership of Earl Van Dyke. 

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