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Another hit written and produced by Ashford and Simpson from the Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell LP of the same name — “You’re All I need to get By” was one of the biggest hits of Marvin & Tammi’s career as a duo. It charted #1 on the R&B charts and remained there for 5 weeks! The song charted #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 1968 as well. This is one of my favorites by the singing duo!
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Aretha covered the Marvin & Tammi smash hit in 1971 for her “Aretha’s Greatest Hits” LP. This cover did not earn her the Grammy, as did her second cover from the same LP did (“Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” ) in 1974, but the single did chart #3 R&B and #19 Pop and remained at #19 on the British singles charts for an amazing 19 weeks!
Sometimes I wonder about the Grammy voters: personally this cover seems more Grammy worthy than “Real Thing” cover did — but that’s just my opinion.
Ashford & Simpson
One awesome song sung in two different styles! Although covered and sampled by many other artists -- these two renditions presented today are my favorites. I can’t really pick one over the other. Can you?
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Even though this song is almost 50 years old it is new to me and a great way to pay tribute to the year of Motown50 in it’s final few holiday season weeks.
It is a simply marvelous LIVE, soulful rendition of “The Christmas Song” by Marvin Gaye that I discovered on YouTube! I notice that some of the holiday tunes that I posted about last year from YouTube are now gone so please click on the link and enjoy this song while you can.
I really don’t have much more to say other than this is a great addition to my Motown holiday music collection and this is why I love YouTube.
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Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Wichita Lineman (1968)
Glen Campell, the “Rhinestone Cowboy,” was one of the greatest Country-Pop Stars of the Sixties and Seventies. He even had his own TV show – which I was a big fan of. Every Boomer reading this post remembers his million selling version of the Jimmy Webb penned classic along with the hit follow-up “Galveston” and the hit predecessor “Gentle on My Mind.” Oh and my favorite Campell tune was “By The Time I Get To Phoenix.”: then when Isaac Hayes covered the song it took on a whole other level of greatness for me.
Obviously Smokey Robinson and The Miracles knew a great song when they heard it. “Lineman” is one of some other covers that were on their 1969, #25 (Billboard Top 100) album “Time Out For Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.”A great song stands the test of time, as both songwriters Smokey Robinson and Jimmy Webb can attest too.
I think SRATM did a fine job on the cover. Now here is Glenn’s original.
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Glenn Campbell – Wichita Lineman (1968), on Capitol Records, sold over two million copies, staying at number one pop for five weeks.
I am a lineman for the county and I drive the main road
Searchin’ in the sun for another overload
I hear you singin’ in the wire, I can hear you through the whine
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line
I know I need a small vacation but it don’t look like rain
And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain
And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line
And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line
And I almost forgot to announce — November’s Motown Theme is obviously “Motown Covers Pop!” It wasn’t something they did often, but it did happen on once in a while. Sometimes they even hit it big, as you will find out later on this month!
Now I am curious to know which rendition of “Wichita Lineman” floats your boat? Please vote below.
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Brenda Holloway – Operator (1965) #36 R&B; #78 Pop
While attending a DJ convention, in 1964 Los Angeles, Berry Gordy saw and heard Brenda Holloway singing “My Guy.” He loved what he saw and heard and signed Brenda, as his first California artist, to his Tamla label.
According to the book “California Soul: Music of African Americans in the West” by Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje and Eddie S. Meadows page Page 328:
“Music Played a pivotal role in Holloway’s childhood. She always loved music, because it had an effect on her and on other people through her. She began playing violin at seven years old and later became accomplished on viola, cello, string bass, and flute. Holloway became fluent on flute and was gifted on the piano. She was also a talented composed: she could hear a melody in her mind and sit down to the piano and create an accompaniment even though she was not trained in piano.”
Brenda had a half dozen hits with Motown , one of which was “Operator,” but retired from the music industry in 1968. She felt that the material and attention Motown was giving her was below par. Sound familiar?
Miss Holloway married a minister, raised a family and later rejoined the music industry when she released her gospel album “Brand New” in 1980.
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Mable John – (I Guess There’s ) No Love – 196o
Mable was the very first female artist Berry Gordy, Jr. signed to a recording contract. The signing was in 1959 with his Tamla label, that came before the Motown label.
Mable had come to Detroit by way of her Louisiana birthplace, making a pit stop in Arkansas, and sang the blues as did her musical family. That family was made up of nine siblings that included the late great singer Little Willie John of “Fever” fame.
Gordy drifted away from the blues after a short while, moving to a crossover sound, and eventually let Mable go in 1962.
Though hitless at Tamla, Mable went on to the Stax label where she had a top ten R&B hit with “Your Good Thing (Is About to End).”
In addition to her singing singing career, Johns had a very long and productive career as musical director of Ray Charles’ Raylettes.
Trivia: Initially The Supremes would sing backup for Mabel. Of course after three single releases that didn’t hit big, Gordy used Mable as a background singer before dropping her.
Ultimately both The Supremes and Mabel John went on to success. The Supremes, of course, became legends and Ray Charles’ Raylettes did too!
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The Miracles – Much Better Off (1968)
The so-called “B” side to “Yester Love” was “Much Better Off” composed by Miracles Smokey Robinson and Warren “Pete” Moore. To me it is a sing- along love ballad that I sang along to many, many, many times as a teen. Of course at the time I had only fantasies about love and romance (never the real thing), but that never stopped a teenage girl now — did it?
If you have never heard this tune you are in for a treat. If you are a fellow boomer than let it take you back to those good old days! Be sure to sing it loud and strong now.
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The Miracles – Yester Love (1968) Peaked #31 Billboard Hot 100 (stayed on chart 8 weeks Summer 1968), #66 Cash Box Top 100 of 1968
This song, composed by Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland, is on one of the many, many 45 rpms I would purchase with my allowance every Tuesday as a pre-teen (called tween now eh?) and young teenager.
I was trying to decide what Miracles cut to post about and I guess I picked this one because I couldn’t find the disk after going through two boxes of vinyl and I really wanted to hear it. But I am gonna keep looking.
While going through the boxes I realized that I knew every song on every record — both A and B side. This was called the A side of this particular disk as I recall. But as far as I am concerned, every song on the “Special Occasion” Lp was A plus material. That was the genius of Motown in that what they considered B was always A in my book. Just as most of the great music in the vault was worthy of release!
As you probably know , The Classic Miracles were: Smokey Robinson on lead vocals; Ronnie White, Bobby Rogers, Warren “Pete” Moore and Claudette Robinson on background vocals; and Marv Tarplin on guitar. And yes the guitar is an integral part of every Miracles song: I mean come on and LISTEN to this man play! Pure genius! Genius! His licks are priceless. I had to listen to the song about ten times grooving on the guitar before I could finish up this post!
Please enjoy this great cut by this awesome group and tell a friend so that we can keep the music of Motown alive forever and ever! Amen.
Please vote below.
