A Tamla Motown Hot 100

Music Music: Chat / Discussions
41

Not being an expert, I had to “look up” the difference. As far as I can gather, the UK single was the original 1967 “thin” mix whereas the US single was a new 1970 “rich” mix with extra bass and drums. Is that correct?

:confused2:

42

At 66, David Ruffin - Walk Away From Love (1975)

“Walk Away from Love” was a million-selling single, produced by Van McCoy, for David Ruffin but his only solo entry into the UK Charts, peaking at 10 in early 1976.

AFAIK, the (long) version above is from Ruffin’s album “Who I Am”.

43

I meant the video you included is not the version I know.

44

That’ll be the 1967 “thin” mix, then … :wink:

As it happens, I’ve checked my (digital) collection and I do have both - thanks for letting me know about the versions … :023:

45

Your thread is proving very informative.I’m only know the famous hits.

46

It’s informative for me, too - Tamla Motown was only a passing interest for me in the 1960’s but, nevertheless, some of these tracks bring back memories … :cool2:

47

At 65, Marvin Gaye - Hitch Hike (1962)

This song sparked a brief dance craze when audience members from American Bandstand performed the “hitch hike” dance. Marvin performed the song on the show and also did the move onstage. The single was successful enough to land Gaye his first top forty pop single in 1963 with “Hitch Hike” reaching #30 on the pop singles chart.

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48

At 64, Diana Ross - Love Hangover (1976)

Recording for Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover” was done at two in the morning with Ross passing out shots of Remy Martin. The musicians that producer Hal Davis used on the session included some of the same ones he would use on Thelma Houston’s 1977 R&B/pop chart-topping cover of “Don’t Leave Me This Way”: drummer James Gadson, bassist Henry Davis, guitarist Art Wright, and Crusaders pianist Joe Sample. Ross herself thought that she was “above” doing disco but the intervention of Motown founder Berry Gordy set the stage for Ross having her biggest hit since “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” As the song changed from ballad to uptempo, Ross became more comfortable with the material; she hummed, sang bit parts, laughed, danced around and even imitated Billie Holiday. It did the trick with “Love Hangover” going to #1 R&B and #1 pop for two weeks in spring 1976.

By the time the single reached #1, Ross had reinvented herself as a disco diva.

49

At 63, Marvin Gaye - I Want You (1976)

“I Want You” was released as a single in 1976 and introduced a change in musical styles for Marvin Gaye, who before this had been recording songs with a funk edge - now he gained a disco audience .

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The Hitch Hike
I was intrigued so here it is :

51

Ah, those dancing days:

The Hitch-Hike
While doing the hip motions of the frug, hold you right hand in a fist with thumb extended, as if you are hitch-hiking. Move your thumb to the right for three counts. Clap your hands to the right on the fourth count. Switch hands and move your thumb to the left for three counts. Clap your hands, this time to the left, on the fourth count.

The Loco-motion
This dance is unique among famous dances in the sixties in being a line dance. Dancers take instruction from the song, performing hip swings and jumps, among other steps.

The Mashed Potato
Stand with your heels together and your toes turned out, much like in ballet first position. Shift your weight to your toes and swing your heels out and back in. From there, you can start lifting your feet with the outward swings.

The Shimmy
Shake your shoulders back and forth while holding the rest of your body still. Your arms should be held to the side with elbows slightly bent.

The Swim
The key to this dance is in the arm movements. While your lower body is doing the frug or the twist, your arms are swimming and diving. For the grand finale, hold your nose and pretend to be sinking under water.

The Twist
When listening to Chubby Checker’s popular song, the only way to move is to twist your body back and forth to the beat. The key to performing the Twist properly is that you must use both your legs and your torso, often in opposite directions.

The Watusi
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Raise one arm up in front of you, then raise the other arm as the first arm drops down, and repeat. The feet generally stay in place, although you may also take small steps throughout your dancing. Some dancers choose to bob their heads or bend their knees to accompany the arm movements. This dance was popular in surfer culture, so it was prominently featured in beach-themed movies.

Also, The Boogaloo, The Bristol Stomp, The Chicken, The Drag, The Hully Gully, etc

Every day, a different dance … :lol:

52

At 62, Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke (1977)

This song is from from the 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Stevie Wonder wrote the song as a tribute to Duke Ellington, the jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist who had influenced him as a musician. Wonder had already experienced the death of two of his idols (Dinah Washington and Wes Montgomery) after attempting to collaborate with them.

After Ellington died in 1974, Wonder wanted to write a song acknowledging musicians he felt were important.

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At 61, The Supremes - Stoned Love (1970)

“Stoned Love” was a the last Billboard Pop Top Ten hit for the group, peaking at number seven, and their last Billboard number-one R&B hit as well, although the trio continued to score top ten hits in the UK into 1972. This single and “Up the Ladder to the Roof” are the only top-ten Supremes singles to feature Jean Terrell on lead vocals instead of Diana Ross, who left the group in January 1970 to pursue a solo career.

54

At 60, Diana Ross - Touch Me In The Morning (1973)

“Touch Me in the Morning” became Diana Ross’s second solo No. 1 single (and 14th over her career) on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was conceived by then-unproven songwriter and producer Michael Masser. He had been recruited by Motown CEO Berry Gordy and A&R chief Suzanne de Passe. Masser teamed up with the proven ballad lyricist Ron Miller to write it.

According to Masser, in a video documentary about Ross, she “always tried to push hard to get the vocals right for this particular song”, calling it a “draining experience” that resulted in several near-emotional breakdowns when she wasn’t up to her abilities. It was recorded in the early morning hours, as was her custom after she began raising her children. In a Barbara Walters Mother’s Day interview special, her second-oldest daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, said Diana would put them to bed and record all night, in order to wake her children and send them to school the next morning.

It marked a turning point in the career of Diana Ross, reinvigorating her singing career, coming immediately after her Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in her acting debut, Lady Sings the Blues.

55

At 59, The Miracles - Going To A Go-Go (1965)

Smokey Robinson sings lead on “Going to a Go-Go”, which he co-wrote with fellow Miracles Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, and Marv Tarplin. Moore, Rogers, Ronnie White, and Smokey Robinson’s wife Claudette Robinson provide backing vocals for the song, an up-tempo dance song inviting people of all walk of life to attend a go-go party.

Miracles Robinson and Pete Moore were the song’s producers. Miracles member and co-writer Bobby Rogers has commented that this song was inspired by the success of the “Go-Go” clubs that grew in popularity throughout the United States in the 1960s.While at first a regional phenomenon, the success of this Miracles song ignited a nationwide fad for go-go music in America.

56

At 58, Rick James - Super Freak (1981)

“Super Freak” was first released on James’ album Street Songs - “Freak” is a slang term for a very promiscuous girl, as described in the song’s lyrics, “She’s a very kinky girl / The kind you don’t take home to mother”. It features background vocals from James’ Motown labelmates The Temptations.

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James apparently was not particularly excited about the song, but reputedly wanted to have something on the album that “white folks could dance to.”

How very kind of him … :roll:

57

At 57, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - I Second That Emotion (1967)

“I Second That Emotion” was written by Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland. First charting as a hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the Tamla/Motown label in 1967. It became the Miracles highest charting popular single since “Shop Around”.

That’s more like it … :cool:

58

At 56, Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground (1973)

"‘Higher Ground’ was recorded just before Wonder was involved in a near-fatal accident in August 1973 that left him in a coma. The song lyrics address the issue of reincarnation.

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At 55, The Temptations The Way You Do The Things You Do (1964)

“The Way You Do the Things You Do” was written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers - it was the Temptations first entry on Billboard Hot 100, peaking in the Top 20 at number eleven; previously, they had only one single that had ever made it onto a Billboard chart (R&B) - 1962’s “Dream Come True” - six other singles flopped.

The recording was done two weeks after founding Temptation, Elbridge Bryant, had been fired, and Jimmy Ruffin’s younger brother David Ruffin had taken Bryant’s place. While Ruffin would sing lead on stage he would remain a background singer on the singles for most of 1964, but after Smokey Robinson heard him sing lead during the Temptations’ Motortown Revue performance, Ruffin was assigned to sing lead on what would become the Temptations’ first number-one hit, “My Girl”.

Oo-ooo … :cool2:

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At 54, David Ruffin - My Whole Life Ended (The Moment You Left) (1969)

“My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)” is the solo debut single for former Temptations lead singer David Ruffin. The song was written by Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Pam Sawyer, and James Roach, with its melody and intro based upon the classical music piece “Frühlingslied” by Felix Mendelssohn.

The song was originally intended to be sung by the Temptations when Ruffin was still the group’s front man, but when he finally agreed to a solo contract with Motown, the song was given to him.

Only one more of Ruffin’s solo singles, 1975’s Walk Away from Love, would match its success.

A bit “overdone” for me … :102: