The Motown Era & More Tribute Show

05/18/2022

A very good (and not too lengthy) documentary about one of the most important and influential voices in late 60s funk and soul.

Unsung | The Story Of Sly and the Family Stone

05/16/2022

On this day in 1964, Mary Wells hit #1 on the Billboard charts with "My Guy". She would stay there for the next week, and would also hit #5 in the UK.

Remember This One!

05/05/2022

Born today in 1942 was Nicholas Ashford, from husband-and-wife songwriting-production team Ashford and Simpson, who had their own 1985 UK #3 single 'Solid (As a Rock)'. They wrote Motown hits such as: 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', 'You're All I Need To Get By', 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing', and 'Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)'.

Words & Music by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson (1966)

05/01/2022

Great material, performed well, is always quality entertainment, no matter the style, feel, or circumstance. This is WAY out there, but once it gets rolling it's a pretty astounding display of musicianship.

Big thanks to:Joshua Holcomb Matt Breur Gabe MeddJoshua Gawel Evan HowardKevin BernsteinDan Shein Julian Weller check out Chops check out & MIGH...

04/26/2022

Happy 81st birthday to Giorgio Moroder! Often called "The Father of Disco", Moroder was responsible for writing, arranging, and producing the majority of Donna Summer's hits in the mid-70s. He also wrote and produced for dozens of other artists, and won three Oscars, for the score of "Midnight Express", the theme from "Flashdance", and "Take My Breath Away" from "Top Gun". His experimental use of electronic instruments revolutionized the music industry, and paved the way for EDM, techno, trance, and house music.

04/20/2022

Much had been written and recorded about The Funk Brothers, Motown's unrivaled studio band. Lesser known are The Andantes, but you've heard them on dozens of hits. They were a brilliant trio who blended seamlessly with each other and with the groups they were backing. If you've ever listened to Motown and other soul hits of the era, and wondered who was hitting those high notes and soaring upper harmonies, chances are it was The Andantes.

The Andantes were Motown Records’ house backup singers. They were recorded on virtually every song ever produced by the company and while everyone who’s heard a Motown song has heard their voices, most people have no idea who they were.

04/13/2022

The great Reverend Al Green was born on this day in 1946. He and Annie Lennox have a request for you, and it's a very timely one.

Video for Annie Lennox & Al Green's cover of Jackie DeShannon's Put A Little Love In Your Heart taken from the Scrooged soundtrack.http://annielennoxsing.com...

04/08/2022

On this day in 1964, The Supremes recorded 'Where Did Our Love Go' at Motown Studios. The song would become their first US #1 single. Originally founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and are, to date, America's most successful vocal group with 12 No.1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

This is a great early live version, with an excellent backing band and a unique "clapping" opening.

PLEASE NOTE: I divided my uploads between multiple channels, Bookmark this link in your browser for instant access to an index with links to all of John1948'...

04/07/2022

In 1964, Mickey Stevenson and Marvin Gaye wrote the framework of a song about people dancing in the street, inspired by watching children in the sweltering Detroit summer frolicking in the road when fire hydrants were opened to help cool folks down. Originally framed as a ballad, and sung by Marvin as an invitation to a lover to go dancing, Martha Reeves watched the recording session and told them they were approaching it all wrong. She convinced them that the song needed to be more upbeat, more brassy, and should celebrate the block party spirit of the city. And, she said, SHE needed to sing it.

She was right, of course. On April 12, 2006, it was announced that Martha and the Vandellas' version of "Dancing in the Street" would be one of 50 sound recordings preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry.

MARTHA and THE VANDELLAS - Dancing In The Street (1964)

04/06/2022

Oh, THIS is a treat! Just watch.

The Temptations and Diana Ross & The Supremes perform a hits medley of "Get Ready, Stop! In The Name of Love, My Guy, Baby Love, (I Know) I'm Losing You" rem...

04/02/2022

Born on this day in 1939, the late great Marvin Gaye.

Unlike many artists of his era whose stars faded because they could not adapt to changing tastes in music, Marvin was a genius at constantly reinventing himself. But he never gave in to fads; instead, he crafted bold sounds that forged new pathways into the evolving soul scene.

Marvin Gaye (April 2, 1939 -- April 1, 1984), born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.,[1] was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Gaye helped to shape the sound o...