From the category archives:

Motown Covers Pop

“It’s Your Thing” Performed By The Isley Brothers (1969)

February 25, 2010 · 4 comments

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There are  more 1969 Grammy Awards left  to discuss then there is month left in February  :-) .

I had a hard time deciding which award winning song to close the month out with, but finally decided on one of my favorite dance tunes of the Sixties -sung by one of my favorite tenors of all time — The Isley Brothers “It’s Your Thing”  which won the 1969 Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance By a Group or Duo.

The brothers had been around as a gospel quartet ever since the fifties.  The group was made up of brother Ronald Isley, O’Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley and Vernon Isley. When Vernon passed  after a bicycle accident in 1955,  Ronald became the new lead singer.

From the RCA label with their soulful sounds (“the classics “Shout” and “Twist & Shout”),  to their own label T-Neck, to Motown’s Tamla label, and finally back to T-neck the brothers had their hard-knocks on the road to  Grammy Gold.

Like many others in the Motown stable, The Isley Brothers were tired of the neglect they received at Motown while Gordy concentrated on making The Supremes, The Temptations and Diane Ross the superstars of the label.

They were released from their contract and almost immediately the brothers co-wrote “It’s Your Thing” and released it on their own T-Neck label.  The funky “IYT” topped the R&B charts at #1 and the Billboard Top 100 at #2 , then went on the win the first Grammy Award for any former Motown artist.

Everyone covered the song including many Motown artists.  I am especially partial to The Temptations’ psychedelic cover: the vocals harmonies are awesome! The J5 version is pretty great too IMHO. Check them out right now and let me know what you think.

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The Temptations 1960 cover version

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This is the original vocal from the J5 cover but it is a current extended Remix that I have been listening to a lot lately. Hope you enjoy it.

Trivia. This is the first song on which the then 17 yr old, baby brother,  Ernie Isley,  played bass on a song. Of course brother Ernie would go on to become an integral part of the third generation Isley Brothers renamed  Isley Brothers 3 +3 — one of the most successful self contained family funk units of the seventies.

The Isley Brothers first charted in 1959 with “Shout -- Part 1″ ( #47 billboard top 100)

The Isley Brothers next appearance on the music charts was in 1962 with  “Shout -- Part 1″ (#94 Billboard top 100)

Musically Yours,

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Filed under: Grammy Gold, Guy Groups, It's Your Thing, Motown, Motown Covers Pop, Pop/R&B, Pop/Soul, R&B/Motown, R&B/Soul, Ronald Isley/ O'Kelly Isley Jr/ Rudolph Isley, Sixties, T-Neck, The Isley Brothers, The Jackson Five, The Temptations

“Blowin’ In The Wind” Performed by Stevie Wonder (1966) and Bob Dylan (1963)

November 5, 2009 · 0 comments

Stevie Wonder - Uptight

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Stevie Wonder & Clarence Paul -- Blowin’ In The Wind (1966) #1 R&B; #9 Pop

The teenager Stevie Wonder began producing and composing songs with his album releases in 1966. The first release “Up-Tight” included this cover of the great Bob Dylan classic “Blowin’ In The Wind.” The Up-Tight LP charted #2 R&B and #33 on the Billboard Top 200 lists in 1966.

The anectote goes that Clarence Paul had introduced the socially aware Wonder to this folk song and that he liked it so  much that he performed it in his concerts. Stevie forgot the lyrics to the second verse during a performance and Paul coached him along. From that day forward Steveland always sang the song with Paul as a duet and it is Paul’s voice you hear on the single that was made after fans insisted it be put on wax after two years of performing it on stage.

To this day I can recall the Tuesday after school that I bought the 45 rpm and played it on the relatively new record player that grandmother had purchased for the living room. I loved Stevie’s spin on the song and actually listened to it and understood the meaning. You gotta admit that Dylan’s voice wasn’t a crowd-pleaser — so being a youngster I never really stopped to listen to what Dylan had written about until Stevie’s rockin’ re-make. Then I understood every word and I took Paul’s harmony parts when I sang it aloud ion the sofa in front of the stereo. ;-)

Covered by folk artists, rock artists, country artists, pop artists and soul artists alike, the song even inspired Sam Cooke to write another classic of the rock era on the same subject matter, “A Change Is Gonna Come.”  Cooke loved “Blowin’” so very much and said he should have written that song! He covered it in concert and on wax.

the freewheelin bob dylan

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Bob Dylan -- Blowin’ In The Wind (1963)

Bob Dylan wrote this classic masterpiece and first performed in 1962. It finally appeared on a Dylan album in 1963 titled “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, that establish this man as an iconic songwriter. The LP peaked at #22 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.

This song has been written about ad-finitum so you can probably Google it until your heart is content --  so there is not much more I can say other than giving you a link to the lyrics and letting you listen and enjoy!

For as long as it lasts on YouTube here is a piece of history -- Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary and Stevie Wonder performing “Blowin’ In The Wind!”

And this YouTube gem is an awesome clip from the “Glen Campell Goodtime Show” that I mentioned in my previous post. Stevie Wonder guests  in this episode and he and Glen duet on “Blowin’ In The Wind.”

Musically yours,

sondanyr2

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Filed under: Blowin' In The Wind, Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan - Composer, Capitol Records, Motown, Motown Covers Pop, Pop/Folk, R&B/Motown, Sixties, Stevie Wonder and Clarence Paul

“Wichita Lineman” Performed by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1969) & Glenn Campbell (1968)

November 2, 2009 · 0 comments

Time Out For SRATM

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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.

Glen Campbell Witchita Lineman

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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.

“Wichita Lineman” – Composed by Jimmy Webb.

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

”Time Out for Smokey Robinson And The Miracles” is still available as a 2-for import combined with the 1970 follow-up LP “Four In Blue” #3 R&B & #78 Billboard Top 200.

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.

Musically yours,

sondanyr2

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Filed under: Capitol Records, Country Pop, Glenn Campbell, Jimmy Webb, Motown Covers Pop, Motown/Tamla, R&B/Motown, Sixties, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Wichita Lineman

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (1966 – 1969)

November 24, 2008

[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4157186_rc3qp/09.%20Dee%20Dee%20Warwick%20-%20I%5C%27m%20Gonna%20Make%20You%20Love%20Me.mp3] Dee Dee Warwick – I’m Gonna Make You Love Me (Charted 1966 #88 Pop & 1967 #13 R&B) The glorious love song “IGMYLM” was first released in 1966 as a single and also appeared on Dee Dee Warwick’s first of three Mercury albums, “I Want To Be With You,” released in 1967. Miss [...]

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"California Soul" (1968 & 1969)

November 20, 2008

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] The 5th Dimension – California Soul (1969 Charted #49 R&B & #25 Pop) Recorded in 1968 for their “Stone Soul Picnic” album on Buddah records, “California Soul” was the third hit single released from the LP after “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Sweet Blindness”. This classic set charted #10 [...]

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"These Eyes" (1968 & 1969)

November 17, 2008

[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4109847_uxfpw/Guess%20Who%20-%20These%20Eyes.mp3] The Guess Who – These Eyes (1968) #6 Pop This is one of many American hits for the rock group “The Guess Who” from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This song has become a standard love song covered by many. It appeared on the group’s second LP “Wheatfield Soul” on RCA Records. It was not [...]

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"Walk Away Renee" (1967)

November 13, 2008

[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4073284_fhvvm/02%20%20Left%20Banke%20-%20Walk%20Away%20Renee.mp3] The Left Banke – Walk Away Renee (1967 charted #2 Pop). This is the original release of the song. The Left Banke were a 1960s American pop-music group best remembered for their two hit singles, “Walk Away Renée” and “Pretty Ballerina”. The band often utilized what was referred to as “baroque” string arrangements, [...]

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