Marvin Gaye’s Landmark Studio Album Pt.1

A defining moment for Marvin Gaye and the Motown origination.

Marvin Gaye's landmark album

This was first time in the history of Motown that The Funk Brothers and the other musicians who were members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra were given full credit on the album notes, including the sound engineer. The album was a defining moment in Motown’s history, a landmark album, a Jazz-oriented recording project that allowed The Funk Brothers to shine as trained Jazz musicians, mixed with the best classically-trained musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of Gordon Staples.

What's Going On was the first album on which Motown Records' main studio band, the group of session musicians known as the Funk Brothers, received an official credit.

The first Marvin Gaye album credited as being produced by the artist himself, “What's Going On” is a unified concept album consisting of nine songs, most of which lead into the next. It has also been categorized as a song cycle; the album ends on a reprise of the album's opening theme. The album is told from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing only hatred, suffering, and injustice. Gaye's introspective lyrics discuss themes of drug abuse, poverty, and the Vietnam War. He has also been credited with criticizing global warming before the public outcry against it had become prominent. It (the studio album) has become masterpiece of tremendous impact and influence across generations and it content is still relevant today with the social and political situations occurring in America and around the world. The recording project pushed Marvin Gaye to icon status internationally and made him a house whole name in the same breath as the late Otis Redding and Jimmy Hendricks.

According to Van DePitte: “Marvin wanted somebody other than the normal drummers who worked at Motown. Chet was coming from a little different place. He was a white guy, and he had done a great deal of studying in the classical vein. He was also one of the best jazz drummers I ever worked with. When this guy locked into a groove, you couldn’t shift him.”

Golden World Studios in Detroit, Studio B, was used to record the strings and horns section, led by concert master Gordon Staples, whilst the rhythm section was recorded at Motown’s old Studio A on West Grand Boulevard. Marvin Gaye’s creative instincts were certainly validated by the middle of 1971 when “What’s Going On” was racing up the charts, becoming a best-seller for Motown.

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

 
   




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

              

  

                                      

Diana Ross & The Supremes Pt.3

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

Miss Ross has managed to achieve the number one position on the Official UK Pop Albums and Singles Charts from the 1960s into the 1990s for a duration of 18 weeks in total!

Both herself and the Supremes were inducted  into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988  and were recognized with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Blvd. As lead singer of the Supremes and as a solo artist, Ross has earned 18 number one singles (12 as lead singer of the Supremes and 6 as a solo artist) on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in America.

Gold selling album in America
produced by Ashford and Simpson.

In 1979 she collaborated once again with her long-time friends Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, whom she had worked with since her silver-certified studio album “Surrender” in the early 1970s. Ashford and Simpson co-wrote and co-produced “The Boss”, an RIAA gold-certified studio album, in 1979. The title single “The Boss” became a number one hit on the Billboard Dance Singles Chart, week-ending 25^th August 1979 (2 weeks).

Gold certification in the UK
awarded by BPI

The legacy still lives on with another greatest hits package “40 Golden Motown Greats Diana Ross & The Supremes” receiving a gold disc in the UK from the BPI on the 22^nd July 2013 for over 100,000 copies sold.

   GG

 The striking success of these compilations is an indication of the depth and variety of the songs recorded by Diana Ross and The Supremes over many years. The albums are part of many people’s record collections and continue to receive air-play to this day. It is not difficult to see why. The Soul Queen of Motown will always be part of pop music’s royalty.

                                    

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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 Year Was 1965: A Significant Events In Motown's History Pt.4

Marvin Gaye

While the main production teams were enjoying spectacular success, other producers at the label were coming up with hits such as “Ain’t That Peculiar” released on Tamla Records and performed by Marvin Gaye, produced and co-written by Smokey Robinson. The song peaked at number one week-ending 27^th November 1965 (1 week) on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart. The development of the song benefited from the expert help of several creative masterminds, including Willie Shorter who was doing the majority of the rhythm charts for Smokey Robinson and his song-writing team, working in conjunction with Robinson’s key creative partner Marv Tarplin during that period, with Paul Riser taking care of string arrangements. Tarplin’s brilliant guitar skills were vitally important to the overall success of the song.  He and Robinson collaborated on songs such as “I’ll Be Doggone” and “The Tracks Of My Tears.”

By the end of 1965 Motown Records had dominated the number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for a total of eight weeks during the year with three different acts. Motown Records also controlled the number one position on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles for a total of twenty-five weeks
. 
While Marvin Gaye was enjoying great success with Smokey Robinson, he also recorded his first major duet with Kim Weston, called “It Takes Two”. The album from which the single was taken, also entitled “It Takes Two”, was co-produced by William “Mickey” Stevenson and Harvey Fuqua. The hit song was co-written by female song-writer Sylvia Moy and William “Mickey” Stevenson. The song charted the following year in May 1966 and reached number four on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart, peaking at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. This was soon to be followed by his successful duets with the late Tammi Terrell, starting in 1966.

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The Year Was 1965: Significant Events in Motown’s History Pt.1

"My Girl" was the group first  number one
on the Billboard 100 Singles Chart  in 1965.

In 1965 Motown Records had five number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Four of those singles were produced by Holland-Dozer and Holland. The Temptations’ “My Girl” on the Gordy label1965 would become another successful year for Motown with the Temptations’ “My Girl” starting the year in style almost a year after Mary Well’s “My Guy” had reached number one. The song “My Girl” was produced by Smokey Robinson and co-written by his long-term song writing partner Ronald White. The song features the powerful vocals of the late David Ruffin on lead. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 6^th March 1965 (1 week). The classic hit track also went to number one on the re-activated Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart week-ending 6^th January 1965 (6 weeks). The single also achieved the number two position on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart in 1965.

A live performance of
Jr. Walker and  the All Stars in concert.

Jr. Walker and the All Stars had the first number one of their career called "Shotgun" immediately after dethroning the Temptations on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart week-ending 11^th March 1965 (4 weeks). This was first time that Lawrence Horn received credit for his involvement in producing an act on the label. Berry Gordy Jr. co-produced the track. The session musicians on the track were James Jamerson Jr. on bass, with two guitarists Joe Messina and Eddie Willis, and finally Benny Benjamin on drums gave the track that special touch that sent it to the top of the charts.

In the month of May Smokey Robinson produced his magic formula again with Marvin Gaye, as the latter stepped out of his studio drumming role and turned to singing as the label’s leading up-and-coming male vocalist. Robinson also found time to compose the song “I’ll Be Doggone” with guitarist Marv Tarplin and Pete Moore, founding members of The Miracles, whilst on tour. Marvin Gaye was an emerging genius who co-wrote his first three hit records, “Stubborn Kind of Fellow”, “Hitch Hike” and “Pride and Joy”. He was one of the first artists at Motown to do so. Gaye became brilliant at interpreting other song-writers’ material, improvising and improving on the original song and making it his own in the process. “I’ll Be Doggone” was certainly one of those songs. It topped the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart week-ending 22^nd May 1965 (1 week). Each member of The Funk Brothers added their own momentum and richness to the song’s groove helping to send the song to the top! 

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Significant Achievements in the Detroit Sound Pt.3

Motown Records first compilation
gold certified album in the UK. 

In addition Motown had tremendous success with two more compilation albums starting in 1969 and also 1970 following their previous success on the UK Official Pop Albums Chart in 1968 with new titles starting with “Motown Chartbusters Volume 3” at number one week-ending 25^th October 1969 (1 week). The compilation album was on the chart for a total of 93 weeks! The album obtained gold certification for the label according to BPI for 100,000 copies sold in the UK. This was followed in 1970 with “Motown Chartbuster Volume 4” that peaked at number one week-ending 24^th October 1970 (1 week).

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
first UK Pop number one hit.

The next monster single to return to the top was originally recorded in Detroit in Studio A in 1966 entitled “The Tears of a Clown” performed by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. It was released in 1967 on the studio album “Make It Happen.” It re-released in the United Kingdom as single during September 1970 and raced up the UK Official Pop Singles Chart to peak at number one week-ending 12^th September 1970 (1 week) It became a major trans-Atlantic hit since Marvin Gaye’s classic hit “I Heard Through The Grapevine” reaching top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 12^th December 1970 (2 weeks); Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles Chart week-ending 5^th December 1970 (3 weeks) at number one; Cash Box Pop Singles Chart week-ending 12^th December 1970 (1 week). The single potential was discovered by a staff member at EMI Records UK operation by the name of Karen Spreadbury who John Reid a manager at EMI Records UK operations responsible for marketing Motown Tamla recording projects, took her advice and released the single in the UK and within two weeks it was number one on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart.

Freda Payne only Pop
number one hit in the UK and
Trans-Atlantic million seller.

At the same time that “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What World Is Today)” was in the Top Five on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles week-ending 11^th July 1970, they was another single produced in Detroit and performed by Freda Payne entitled “Band of Gold” at number five. The song eventually peaked at number three week-ending 25^th July 1970 (1 week). The song became the first Trans-Atlantic hit to go to number one on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart for the then newly established Invictus Records label founded by Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1968 in Detroit after the they departure form Motown. The single peaked at number one week-ending 19^th September 1970 (6 weeks). The instrumentation on the track were provided by members of The Funk Brothers: Bob Babbitt (bass), Dennis Coffey, Eddie Willis, Ray Monette and Ray Parker, Jr. (guitars), Johnny Griffith (keyboards), Uriel Jones (drums), Jack Ashford (percussion) with backing vocals by Scherrie Payne, Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent Wilson and Pamela Vincent.

Another single came out of Invictus Records during the same period which was gold certified single in America called “Give Me Just A Little More Time” performed by the Chairmen Of The Board. The track peaked at number eight on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles Chart in 1970; Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart at number three; UK Official Pop Singles Chart at number three the same year.  Both these first two gold certified singles obtained by the label were recorded at the Holland Sound Studios, Inc by Chief engineer Lawrence Horn and mastered by Bob Dennis.




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