“A Breath Taking Guy” Performed by The Supremes (1963)

The Supremes – Originally titled “A Breath Taking, First Sight Soul Shaking, One Night” (1963) #75 Pop

This single is from The Supremes” “Where Did Our Love Go” classic album release of 1964 which was the first significant set that brought the group national attention. Their first LP, 1962’s “Meet The Supremes,” was unknown to me and my friends when this second LP was released . Most purchased it as an after thought to complete our collections many many years later.

“WDOLG,” who’s “Expanded 40th Anniversary Edition”  was  recently released, was basically everyone’s first taste of the hit making Supremes and we loved them as a group with no stand outs!  This entire LP was a smash in my neighborhood and all of we tweens and teenagers knew every song, every lyric, every vocal inflection and we all had our favorite Supreme.  Some preferred the earthy Flo; some loved the sexy Mary; and others stood by the nasal voice Diane who always had on a wig covering one eye whenever she appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. I recall how this drove my grandmother nuts! (LOL)

I guess you knew I couldn’t close the month out of Motown Female Vocal Groups without an original  Supremes song  — so I went to my favorite, WDOLG,  and took  two days to finally decide on “A Breath Taking Guy,” composed by Smokey Robinson.  Ironically, I was torn between the two Smokey Robinson songs (which were the only two on the LP). WDOLG also had one Norman Whitfield cut and the rest were all Holland-Dozier-Holland, who as we all know, would take the girls into the hit making stratosphere!

TRIVIA: H-D-H may have taken the girls to the top of the charts, but Mrs. Smokey Robinson had a lot to do with Mr. Robinson not writing very much more than these two tunes  and producing more  for The Supremes. She was protecting her husband, and rightly so, from the clutches of the “other woman”. This tidbit comes from more than one of the many Motown autobiographies and biographies that I have read over the years. See my “Recommended Reading List” in the sidebar.

Apparently Smokey wrote and arranged for the girls as a real “girl group” and all three ladies  were singing into microphones that were turned on and the blend of the three voices was superb. All three ladies participated as a group and there were no divas on board: that is why I love this song and the album as a whole.  These were the times of innocence and the innocent beginning of what was to become DRATS.

Hope you have enjoyed this month’s presentations. There are some earlier posts here on OSML about Motown Girl Groups as well.  Just use the search function and you will find additional Supremes, Marvelettes and Vandellas music.

Musically Yours,

“Everybody’s Got The Right To Love” Performed By The Supremes (1970)

The Supremes – Everybody’s Got The Right To Love (1970) #11 R&B, #21 Pop

Before the worldwide phenom called Diana Ross & The Supremes there was an awesome Motown trio called simply The Supremes.  Florence Ballard, Diane Ross and Mary  Wilson, three young girls from the Detroit Brewster projects, made beautiful music at Motown by blending their voices in sweet harmonies.

After Diana Ross left DRATS — once again there was an awesome Motown trio called The Supremes. Diane was not replaced but supplanted by Jean Terrell. Terrell’s voice had more maturity and soul than Diane’s. Under the guidance of producer Frank Wilson, The Supremes first album release in 1970, “Right On,” was not only the best Supremes LP since WDOLG , but the best of the decade IMHO!

I vividly recall singing the songs from this LP  in high school while in the lunch room, in Home Econ class and in gym class. We all loved this LP. In the student lounge we listened to it while playing Spades. Every single song had all three girls paraticipating and their voices could be heard!  The Supremes were back to being an awesome girl group again and they proved it by charting 4 hits in 1970 to Miss Ross’ 2 solo hits that year!

All in all, with an impressive 8 hit singles, these Supremes don’t get much recognition in the Motown history books where  it always appears that the group ended when Ross left. But that is oh so not true!  These ladies were dynamite.

“EGTRTL,” composed by Lou Stallman, was the second single released from the “Right On” LP after the hit “Up The Ladder To The Roof.”

Get with it Oldies radio -and play these  70s Supremes!  There were other personnel changes in the future of the group — but Jean,Mary & Cindy were the best lineup after DRATS!

Please give them a listen and make “Right On” a part of you music collection if it isn’t already. The LP rocks! It went #4 R&B and #25 Pop.

Musically Yours,

“I Can’t Dance To That Music You’re Playing” Performed By Martha & The Vandellas (1969)

Martha & The Vandellas – I Can’t Dance ToThat Music You’re Playing (1969) #24 R&B, #42 Pop Single Release Only

This is another, IMHO, great MATV tune that you never hear on any oldies station and you won’t find on any classic MATV LPs in their discography,  because it was released ( for some unknown reason) as a single only!  Guess  there was no time to make LPs for any girl groups but DRATS in 1969 — Harumph.

But I love this uptempo Debbie Dean & Deke Richards tune from later in MATV Motown career. This song is from the era when the group had been re-named Martha Reeves & The Vandellas to conform with the company’s recent changes of  The Supremes (Diane was about to embark on her solo career  the following year in 1970) and The Miracles’ names to reflect their featured lead singers.

Do listen carefully because additional background vocals on this tune were performed by both The Andantes and Syreeta Wright. Can you hear them?

While you are listening to this cut you might also want to check out another well written and accurate biography page  on  MATV  at the History of Rock.Com Web Site.

Musically Yours,

“I’m Ready For Love” Performed By Martha & The Vandellas (1966)

Martha & The Vandellas – I’m Ready For Love  (1966) #2 R&B, #9 Pop

Ok, so now I must move on from the Marvelettes. I have been singing their tunes ever since I first posted about them last week so now I have this particular tune of  this  fab group rolling around in my head to replace them (LOL)

Once again it was  hard to just pick one (or two) but I decided on “I’m Ready For Love.” It was great for me to listen to while uploading since I had not heard it is a while. Composed byMotown’s talented team of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland, Martha belts out this one,  one of her many  soulful hits. Additional background vocals on this song were provided by another one of the Motown girl groups, The Andantes —  so you are getting a two-fer with this song.

This  is another great song that doesn’t get any radio play on oldies radio: Oldies jocks seem to think that The Vandellas only sang “Heatwave!”  But MATV have so many awesome tunes and they surely gave The Supremes a run for their money! Heck they were charting hits before the no-hit Supremes!.

The Supes were total Pop — but Miss Reeves had real soul and could really sing a song. Great voice and great song sylist IMHO.  She could sing anything Motown  threw  her.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel so I am providing you with the great entry for this soulful  Motown girl group  as it appears  on the “Rock  and Roll Hall of Fame” web site for this girl group that was inducted as Performers in 1995. This will give you a good factual summation of their career.

Martha & The Vandellas

Inductees: Martha Reeves (vocals; born July 18, 1941), Rosalyn Ashford (vocals; born September 2, 1943), Betty Kelly (vocals; born September 16, 1944), Lois Reeves (birth date unknown), Annette Sterling (vocals; birth date unknown, 1942).

From the outset, Martha Reeves’ voice possessed an earthy, direct quality that distinguished her from other female singers – such as sultry Mary Wells or demure Diana Ross – at Motown. Her voice bore the righteous fervor of gospel and the flinty edginess of rhythm & blues, which, combined with Motown’s stylized pop-soul approach, made for a compelling package. Together with her backup singers, the Vandellas, Reeves recorded a classic run of singles in the mid-Sixties, most of them composed by the songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. The Vandellas’ hit streak included what may be the definitive Motown anthem, “Dancing in the Street,” as well as such danceable blockbusters as “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave,” “Nowhere to Run” and “Jimmy Mack.”

The eldest of eleven children, Reeves began singing with the Del-Phis in 1960. She was discovered in 1961 at Detroit’s fabled Twenty Grand Club, where Motown A&R man Mickey Stevenson heard her perform – Reeves’ prize for having won a talent contest. She was invited to drop by the Motown “Hitsville” compound the next day. Initially, she did secretarial work in the A&R department and sang background vocals on records by the likes of Marvin Gaye (most audibly on “Pride and Joy” and “Hitchhike”). However, Motown founder Berry Gordy soon offered Reeves’ group a recording contract of their own. The Vandellas – named by combining Detroit’s Van Dyke Street with the first name of a favorite singer, Della Reese – were Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard (later Sterling), who’d also been in the Del-Phis. Betty Kelly replaced Sterling in 1964, and Lois Reeves (Martha’s younger sister) replaced Kelly in 1967.

The trio had their first hit with Holland-Dozier-Holland’s “Come and Get These Memories,” but it was the irresistibly upbeat “Heat Wave” that made Martha and the Vandellas one of Motown’s vanguard acts in the summer of 1963. Another summertime anthem, “Dancing in the Street” – cowritten by Mickey Stevenson, Marvin Gaye and Ivy Joe Hunter – arrived in 1964, charging to #2 in the midst of the British Invasion. Reeves’ insistent alto cut through the punchy horns, driving bass line and funky rhythms to deliver a timeless message to the youth of America: “Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street.” The song’s anthemic qualities have much to do with its call for youthful solidarity, with “music, sweet music” bringing a generation together. The song has acquired folkloric status, having been covered by the Grateful Dead, Van Halen, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, and others.

Martha and the Vandellas recorded throughout the Sixties for Motown’s Gordy label, charting 24 R&B hits, and became one of the company’s most successful touring acts. As female artists at Motown, they were outshone only by Diana Ross and the Supremes, with whom they competed for resources and attention. When the company moved west in 1971, Martha and the Vandellas parted ways with Motown. They performed a farewell concert in Detroit, and Reeves embarked on a solo career with the big-budget album Martha Reeves in 1974. Martha and the Vandellas regrouped toward the end of the Seventies, and the group received a boost when the Motown 25th anniversary TV special aired in 1983. Martha and the Vandellas continue to perform, enduring as one of the most visible reminders of Motown’s glory days.

End of Quote

TRIVIA:  Sharing the homes state of Alabama, Martha Reeves and Eddie Kendrick became and remained life long friends until his death.

Musically Yours,

“My Baby Must Be A Magician” Performed By The Marvelettes (1968)

The Marvelettes – My Baby Must Be A Magician (1968) #8 R&B, #17 Pop

I just had to do one more Marvelettes cut for you all (and for me too) — this time a funky one! As soon as you hear the words you know it is a Smokey Robinson composition because  that man could turn a phrase like no other! The lyrics are simply stunning.

And the Funk Brothers music is some of their funkiest ever! Marv Tarplin’s guitar playing on the track is awesome.

Put this all together with the Marvelous Marvelettes vocals and you have one of Motown’s funkiest pop tunes ever!  No one could ever cover this cut, and to my knowledge this is one of the few Smokey cuts that , in fact, was not covered by every other Motown artist like most of them were.

Trivia:

• This followup to “When You’re Young and In Love” has Wanda Young Rogers singing lead since Gladys Horton had left the group. (Yes I know that Gladys is in the photo I used above, but I couldn’t find one without her) Wanda’s name change was due to her marriage to, her Motown label mate,  The Miracles’ Bobby Rogers.

• Of course I know that you can tell that is the Temptations’ Melvin Franklin doing the spoken word introduction. No one else at Motown had a bass like that! Heck, probably no  one in the state of Michigan had a voice like that (LOL)

My Baby Must Be A Magician Composed By Smokey Robinson

Spoken by Melvin Franklin:
You are under my power
It is the power of love

Wanda Young Rogers sings:
Eyes that hypnotize
And all it takes is just once glance
Just one look at him
Puts me in a lover’s trance

Now listen
No rabbits in his hand
No pigeons up his sleeve
But you better believe
When I prove he can do so much
My baby must be a magician cause he’s sure got the magic touch

Oh my morale was low
Then he appeared just like a genie
His love has the power
He’s my private great Houdini

No reading decks of cards
No cords that disappear
No special gear
Like Alladin’s lamp and such
But my baby must be a magician cause he’s sure got the magic touch

Whenever I’m feeling bad
My baby simply kisses me
And then Presto, Chango, Alakazam
I’m alright again oh yes I am
Yes I am alright

No mystic crystal ball
No long black flowing cape
But I can’t escape
From his tender loving touch
Oh my baby must be a magician cause he’s sure got the magic touch
Say my baby must be a magician cause he’s sure got the magic touch

I vividly recall playing this 45 rpm over and over again and singing to it – surely driving my grandmother bonkers!  But it was then, and is now, just one of those songs that gets stuck in your mind, body and soul and is hard to let go of. Don’t you think?

Musically Yours,

“These Things Will Keep Me Loving You” Performed by The Velvelettes (1966)

The Velvelettes – These Things Will Keep Me Loving You (1966) #43 R&B

Happy month of May music lovers. May brings the bright and breezy sound of Girl Groups back to the OSML blog. This year all of the Girl Groups presented will be from the Motown family in honor of the year  of Motown50 – 2009!

So let’s get started with one of the first Motown girl groups – The Velvelettes!

This young girl group already had two hits on the Motown/VIP label — “Needle In A Haystack” in 1964 and “He Was Really Saying Something” in 1965.

“These Things Will Keep Me Loving You,” composed by Johnny Bristol, Harvey Fuqua and Sylvia Moy and released on the Motown/Soul label on October 27, 1966,  would unfortunately be Velvelettes third and final single.  The  low chart performance of the song prompted Motown to  drop any plans for an album of music by the girls.  Looking back — this seems so unfair since “The N0-Hit Supremes” were allowed to hang around Motown hitless for many years before their success came: but don’t let me get started on THAT!

Back on topic — The Velvelettes remained in college and eventually disbanded in late 1969 – the same year that member Cal Gil married then Motown employee and  future Temptation Richard Street.

The story of who the girls are how they came together as a group is most fascinating.  Rather than give you a rehash you may get the story straight from the ladies at their official Web Site here.

Trivia: Does the song have a holiday flavor to it? Listen again. The melody was from a public domain Christmas tune. LOL  But that’s OK because the instrumentation is pure Motown Funk Brothers! Right? Right On!

More Trivia. Lead singer Cal Gil was only 14 when she was brought into the group! How’s that for being young, gifted and black! at one point near the end of the group’s first tenure, Cal was the only original group member until they disbanded soon after being dropped from Motown. The group did reform in the eighties and a version is still performing today.

Musically Yours,

“A Lover’s Concerto” Performed By The Toys (1965)

The Toys – A Lover’s Concerto (1965) #4 R&B, #2 Pop

Composed by songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, “A Lover’s Concerto” was a big part of my youth. This was probably the first “Girl Group” I fell in love with. I have vivid memories of having my Barbie doll sing this song, along with Petula Clark’s “Downtown”, whenever I put on Barbie’s black strapless sequined gown for her to sing on stage at the imaginary nightclub.

I also remember that whenever my friend Laura and I would sing together pretending that we were our own “Girl Group”, this is the song we would sing. She took the melody and as the alto I provided the harmony. Oh those good old days!

This classic single went to #2 on the Billboard Pop Charts and #4 on the R&B Charts. It is such a great song and it really got robbed of the number one sport because of the Beatles and Rolling Stones British invasion here in America. The album entitled “The Toys Sing “A Lover’s Concerto” and Attack!”, released on the DynoVoice label, went to #2 on the R&B charts, but only #92 Pop (Hmm).

According to “The History of Rock Website”:

The Toys, June Montiero, Barbara Harris, and Barbara Parritt, were formed in the early Sixties in Jamaica, New York. Harris and Parritt were both born in North Carolina, but moved to New York at an early age. They met June Montiero while attending Woodrow Wilson High School in New York and formed a group. After graduation they continued to sing together. The rest of the history of the group can be found here at their site .

Of course like most little girls of the era I took piano lessons and I tried to “swing” Anna Magdalena Bach’s “Minuet in G Major” (the classical piece that the composers adapted for “A Lover’s Concerto) which was of course frowned upon by my piano teacher (LOL).

Here are some great YouTube (Don’t you just love that site?) clips of The Toys performing their hit on TV shows of the time. I do recall that they did all of the shows of the times – you know Hullaballo, Shindig, etc.

Now we all know that the Supremes knew a good thing when they heard it. They covered “A Lover’s Concerto” on their 1967 “I Hear a Symphony” Album (sort of a rip-off of The Toys don’t you think?). This is their version.

By now I guess you have figured out that the musical theme for the month of May is Girl Groups! And we have started out with two of the best!  Also check out three previous posts I have made on the talented Shirelles:

• Will You Love Me Tomorrow

• Foolish LIttle Girl and

• Soldier Boy

Please enjoy the music and thanks for stopping by.