"I Can't Help Myself"

Motown Week: Part 2
Probably one of most successful vocal acts to record for Motown Records (not to mention, one of the most successful in music history!) was The Temptations. In their five-decade career, they have sold tens of millions of albums and are said to be as influential to soul music as The Beatles were to rock and pop. Spanning several genres of music including R&B, doo-wop, funk, soul, disco, and adult contemporary, the group is also known for distinct choreography, unmistakable harmonies, and flashy suits. Written (in about 20 minutes) and produced by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White (member of The Miracles) for lead vocalist, David Ruffin, "My Girl" was released in December 1964, reaching #1 in 1965 and becoming The Temptations' signature song. Another song on the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, this tune is a pure classic in an era of classy artists.

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A group of four friends from New Jersey, The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock and roll era, as well as the first female group to have a #1 hit single on Billboard chart with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" in 1960. Although they were signed by Scepter Records, this group actually precedes Motown as a crossover sensation with white audiences. OK, so technically these gals don't belong in Motown Week, however, they're relevant to the R&B/pop sound of Motown. Another ranked among the list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, this song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, in which King used the same chord progression "Oh! Carol" (a song written about her by ex-boyfriend Neil Sedaka!). Also found on the list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, here are The Shirelles giving a sweet, live performance in 1964.

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One of Motown's first singing superstars was Mary Wells, who, along with The Miracles, The Temptations, and The Supremes, was said to have "bridged the color lines in music at the time." Known as the Queen of Motown (until she left the company in 1964), Wells helped define the up-and-coming sound of Motown in the early 1960's with a string of hits, mainly composed by Smokey Robinson. Released in March 1964, her signature song, "My Guy," became one of the first Motown hits to break across the Atlantic, making Wells an international star. In fact, The Beatles invited her to open for their UK tour, therefore making her one of only three female artists to do so for The Beatles. Although Wells passed away at the age of 49 from cancer of the larynx, her voice will always live on in this time-honored song.


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Another significant group that contributed to the emerging sound of Motown was The Four Tops, a vocal quartet notable for their use of a baritone lead singer (Levi Stubbs) instead of the usual tenor. From 1953 to 1997, the four original members sustained a successful career for over four decades, performing a variety of genres including R&B, doo-wop, soul, pop, disco, hard rock, and adult contemporary. Written by the Motown production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" was a #1 hit in 1965, becoming one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the '60s, as well as another classic song among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Motown Monday

Motown: Part 1
As a complete change of pace from the generally rock and pop posts of the last several weeks (which I'm a bit partial to), this week is featuring the upbeat sound of Motown! On April 14, 1960, founder Berry Gordy Jr. formed the Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan ("Motor Town"), merging his first record label, Tamla Records (from 1959), with his second label, Motown Records. Motown played a huge role with racial unification in popular music, becoming a successful crossover of pop-influenced soul music. The "Motown Sound" generally used tambourines to accent the beat, prominent bass lines, strong melodies, and call-and-response singing style (like gospel music). Another aspect of Motown's success was Gordy's use of the same studio musicians that recorded the instrumental track for the majority of Motown songs, a tight-knit group known as "The Funk Brothers." Featuring primarily African-American artists, Motown influenced the sounds of rhythm and blues, soul, hip hop, and pop music for the decades that followed.

Motown's first successful female vocal group was The Marvelettes, who set the standard for the Motown girl groups that followed like The Supremes. During their eight-year run on the Billboard charts, the group had several hit singles including 21 on the Hot R&B Songs (rhythm and blues) and 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. In August of 1961, the girls recorded Motown's first #1 Pop hit with their debut single, "Please, Mr. Postman," a song that was later covered by The Beatles and The Carpenters.


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One of the primary artists associated with Motown is Smokey Robinson, an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer, as well as original member of Motown's first vocal group The Miracles. In addition to his successful solo career, Robinson's creative contribution to the label, along with his song compositions for several other artists, earned him the title the King of Motown. Written by Robinson and fellow group members Warren Moore and Marv Tarplin, The Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears" is a beloved ballad from June 1965 that has been voted #5 in The Top 10 Best Songs of All Time and is one of the most recognized, most honored, and most covered songs (sung by other artists). Smokey Robinson's voice is a timeless classic.

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The premier and most successful vocal act of Motown Records was the female singing group The Supremes, who, at their peak in the mid-1960's, even rivaled The Beatles in worldwide popularity. With a repertoire that included doo-wop, soul, Broadway shows tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco, the group had twelve #1 hit singles on the charts. After achieving mainstream success with Diana Ross singing lead vocals, Berry Gordy (as Motown president) changed the group's name to Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1967. Prior to their name-change, they released the hit single "You Can't Hurry Love" in July 1966, becoming another song included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, here are the girls performing their signature song on The Ed Sullivan Show. (Sorry, original clip was removed due to copyright infringement.)

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In 1968, a pop music family group joined Motown Records, going on to become one of the biggest pop-music acts of the 1970's. From Gary, Indiana, The Jackson 5 consisted of five talented brothers with the young Michael Jackson singing impressive lead vocals at the age of 11 (although publicized as 9 years old), and were probably the first black teen idols to appeal equally to all audiences (partial thanks to the successful promotional skills of Berry Gordy). Released in December 1969, "I Want You Back" became the Jackson's first #1 hit single, selling six million copies worldwide, and later ranking #120 in the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. From their first album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson Five, here's the group's performance on their TV special in 1971.

Another SATURDAY Night

Songs for Each Day of the Week: Day 7
Finally, it's Saturday! I have three 'Saturday' songs for you, however, I'm going to try to keep my writing brief, as I'm sure you have much more exciting things do on the weekend!

First up, it's another British invasion band The Searchers, an English beat group that came out of the 1960's Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles. Originally a skiffle group, the band formed in 1959 with John McNally and Mike Pender, who took the group's name from the John Wayne western The Searchers. With their jangly guitar sound like The Beatles, they were another influential band in the folk rock sound, and were also the second group from Liverpool to have a U.S. hit. From 1964, here are The Searchers playing "Saturday Night Out" in a British film of the same title.

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African-American gospel, R&B, pop singer and songwriter Sam Cooke was one of the founding pioneers of soul music. He has been a huge influence on modern music, and with his amazing singing abilities, he is considered the King of Soul. He was one of the first black musicians/composers to handle the business side of his career, founding a record label and publishing company in addition to singing and composing. Between 1957 and 1964, he had 29 Top 40 hits in the U.S., but in December of 1964, he was shot and killed at the age of 33 in what was considered to be a justifiable homicide. Sad story, but on a more upbeat note, here's Sam Cooke's classic hit single "Another Saturday Night" from February 1963.


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And finally, what do ya know, as I began the week with a Monkees' song, I guess it only makes sense to finish off the week with another tune by The Monkees. Released in September of 1966 (coinciding with the premiere of their TV show that same month), "Saturday's Child" is a popular song from their self-titled debut album and was written by David Gates (later a member of the band Bread). With its "proto-heavy metal guitar riff," Micky Dolenz sings lead vocals, however, it is the songwriting duo, Boyce & Hart, singing the backing vocals and not the other band members. This clip is a classic Monkee romp/musical sequence from their fun TV show, filmed on the beach in Malibu, California.

FRIDAY On My Mind

Songs for Each Day of the Week: Day 6

Happy Friday! Today, I've got two contrasting "Friday" songs for you, and I am definitely excited about this first one! A rock 'n' roll group inspired by the British Invasion was the Aussie band The Easybeats, the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960's. As all five members were from post-war immigrant families from Europe, they formed in a migrant hostel and began their career in Sydney in late 1964, later relocating to London after 'Easyfever' took over Australia. In November of 1966, The Easybeats became the first rock and roll act to gain an international pop hit with "Friday on My Mind," which was later voted "Best Australian Song" of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Assoc. (APRA) in 2001. This hit was written by the band's main songwriters/guitarists Harry Vanda and George Young (older brother of Angus and Malcolm Young of the 70's rock band AC/DC), and with the charisma and energy of the adorable lead singer, Stevie Wright, it's no wonder their live performances were so much fun.


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And on a completely different note, next up is the American singer and actress Nancy Sinatra, daughter of the famous singer/actor Frank Sinatra. Of course most know her for her signature song, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" from 1966 which bolstered her popularity, and however, she did continue to have a string of hit singles including "Friday's Child." Written by songwriter/arranger Lee Hazelwood, it was with his guidance that Nancy made her mark in the American music scene as he wrote pop songs for her and had her sing in lower keys. Although she did not have the crystal-clear tone like her iconic father, this particular tune showed a bluesy, soulful side to Nancy that proved she could deliver some power behind the bleached-blonde, frosted lips, and heavy eye make-up image. This video comes from an inventive TV special in 1967 called Movin' With Nancy, which featured Nancy in a series of musical numbers performing with several guests in outdoor locations (unlike the typical indoor stage productions before live audiences).

THURSDAY

Songs for Each Day of the Week: Day 4

So what do ya know, there's supposed to be a Thursday-titled song out there by The Hollies, however, it's apparently nowhere to be found! So before you think this week's theme has turned in to kind of a bust, I'm posting two fun songs today that involve something to do with the "day" in general.

So instead of a Thursday, how about a good ol' "sunny afternoon?" Another group from the British Invasion, it's the English rock band The Kinks, one of the most influential and important rock acts of the 1960's! Influenced by several genres of music including rhythm and blues, British music hall, folk, and country, brothers Ray Davies (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) and Dave Davies (lead guitar/vocals) remained members for the group's entire 32-year run. Fueled by the observational writing style of chief songwriter Ray Davies, "Sunny Afternoon" was a mellower, satirical single and a stylistic change for the group from their previous hard-driving, power chord hits. Released in June of 1966, this tune bumped The Beatles' "Paperback Writer" off the #1 position on the UK charts, becoming the biggest hit of that summer. As my dad was a big fan of The Kinks, I grew up totally loving their varied sound, so this definitely won't be the last you'll see these guys on this blog. Here's the promotional video for the single where it doesn't exactly look like a "sunny afternoon" in this cold, snowy location!

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And I guess no one said I couldn't post a song that includes all the days of the week in the lyrics. So we already know that The Beatles are the most important and influential band of the 1960's, so they had no further introduction! From March 1968, "Lady Madonna" is a boogie-woogie rock song about an overworked, tired mother who faces new challenges each day of the week (although Saturday was accidentally overlooked!). Written mostly by Paul McCartney, the song was inspired by 1950's rock/blues pianist Fats Domino, who recorded his own cover version of this song later that same year. Reaching #1 in the UK, this was the last Beatles single released on the Parlophone record label before they switched to their own label, Apple Records. This promotional film for "Lady Madonna" was shot in the recording studio in February of 1968, however, in the footage, they are actually working on "Hey Bulldog," a song that would first appear on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack the following year. Looks like they're having a good time at Abbey Road Studios!

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And just as I was about to post this, I actually came across a Thursday-titled song by Scottish folk singer Donovan! Unfortunately, I'm out of time but you can check it out here. I don't know about you but I've got Friday on my mind!

WEDNESDAY Morning, 3 A.M.

Songs for Each Day of the Week: Day 4

Well, it looks like today's post will be a little lacking; not in musical quality, just quantity. I could only find one song with Wednesday in title, however, it's a beauty. Released in October of 1964, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. was the debut album for folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, which includes final track of the same name. The album was initially a flop as it was released in the shadow of Beatlemania that same year, resulting in the temporary split of the two singers. However, after the duo had found radio success with the re-mix of their acoustic/electric version of "The Sound of Silence" (the original on this album), the album was re-released in January 1966. Written by Paul Simon, this simple, yet moving tune is probably one of the saddest songs I've ever heard, a feeling Simon and Garfunkel could evoke so well in their music. Although there is no actual video footage, this recording was from a live performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City on January 22nd, 1967.
EDITED: The original video I had posted was removed from YouTube, so this is the original recording.

Ruby TUESDAY Afternoon

Songs for Each Day of the Week: Day 3

Alright, so it's Tuesday, and oh boy, you're in for a real treat with two classic songs! First up, it's The Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday," a double A-side single (backed with "Let's Spend the Night Together") that reached #1 on the U.S. charts after its January 1967 release. Written by guitarist Keith Richards about his girlfriend in the mid-1960's, this is another great tune included in the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The talented Brian Jones played the recorder and piano, and the double bass was actually played jointly by bassist Bill Wyman and Keith Richards, with Wyman pressing the strings against the fingerboard and Richards bowing the strings. And in case you were wondering, yes, this song's title was the source of the restaurant chain of the same name. Here are the great Stones performing on The Ed Sullivan Show.

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The other classic song of the day is "Tuesday Afternoon" by the English symphonic rock band The Moody Blues. Initially titled "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)" and presented in two parts on their 1967 album Days of Future Passed, this dream pop/psychedelic pop song was edited down and re-released as the single "Tuesday Afternoon" in July of 1968. Featuring (the beautiful) Justin Hayward on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, he wrote this song while sitting in a field near his home in England one spring afternoon, and this song just came to him as he strummed his guitar. The backing melody comes from the mellotron (an early synthesized keyboard), played by Mike Pinder, and the short flute solo at the end is played by member Ray Thomas. Inspired by The Beatles' use of classical instrumentation, the album version of this song ends with a final orchestral rendition of the chorus, played by the London Festival Orchestra. Although this performance is not without its pitch problems as it is not an easy song to perform live, there's still something special about seeing this classic footage of the "Moodies."