The Motown Playlist

Recently I've been on a bit of a Motown binge (see, for instance, Holland-Dozier-Holland).  I was going to do a post on my Top Ten favorites but after #1 (Reach Out, I'll Be There) and #2 (Marvin Gaye's version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine), I couldn't make any further headway in the ratings because Motown produced so much great music from the early 60s through 1972.  

On a long plane flight a couple of weeks ago I listened to my personal Motown playlist and was reminded once again just how many outstanding songs came out of Detroit and how good the music makes me feel, so I decided to just post my playlist.  I listened through my Bose earbuds, which accentuates the bass, enabling me to further appreciate James Jamerson's playing as part of the Motown studio band.

A couple of omissions regarding Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.  In the early 70s both transformed their music.  In the case of Wonder, it was elevating an already astonishing level of virtuosity into the stratosphere with a creative explosion that lasted the entire decade, so Talking Book and its single, Superstition, and subsequent albums are not included here, nor is Marvin's What's Going On? and its successors.

The Temptations

My Girl (1964)

Get Ready (1966)

(I Know) I'm Losing You

Ain't Too Proud To Beg

All I Need (1967)

I Wish It Would Rain (1968)

Cloud Nine

I Can't Get Next To You (1969) - The best of ensemble singing.  Everyone contributes.

Ball Of Confusion (1970)

Just My Imagination (1971)

Papa Was A Rolling Stone (1972)

 The Four Tops

Baby I Need Your Loving (1964)

I Can't Help Myself (1965)

It's The Same Old Song 

Something About You

Shake Me, Wake Me (1966)

Reach Out (I'll Be There) 

Standing In The Shadows Of Love

Bernadette (1967) - Levi Stubbs takes pleading vocals to another level

Walk Away Renee (1968) - Better than the original

Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got) (1972) 

Stevie Wonder

Fingertips, Part 2 (1963) - 12 year old harmonica playing Stevie in a dynamic live performance

Uptight (1965)

I Was Made To Love Her (1967)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (1970)

Marvin Gaye

How Sweet It Is (1964)

Ain't That Peculiar (1965)

Ain't No Mountain High Enough - with Tami Terrell (1967) 

Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - with Tami Terrell (1968)

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Isolated vocal.  Wow.

 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 

You Really Got A Hold On Me (1962)

The Tracks Of My Tears (1965)

I Second That Emotion (1967)

The Tears Of A Clown (1970)

Martha & The Vandellas

Heat Wave (1963)

Dancing In The Streets (1964)

Nowhere To Run (1965)

The Supremes

Where Did Our Love Go (1964)

Stop! In The Name of Love (1965)

You Keep Me Hanging On (1966)

The Marvelettes

Mr Postman (1961)

Don't Mess With Bill (1966)- Underrated

Junior Walker & The All-Stars

Shotgun (1965)

 Edwin Starr

War (1970)

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

What a song!  Memorable groove and arrangement with its precise use of horns, strings, wah-wah guitar, and even handclaps.  With a lyric as sadly relevant today as it was 45 years ago.  

Momma I'm depending on you to tell me the truth
Momma just hung her head and said,
"Son, Papa was a rolling stone
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone"

Hey Momma
Folks say Papa never was much on thinking
Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking
Momma I'm depending on you to tell me the truth   

Released in September 1972, Papa Was A Rollin' Stone was the 22nd top twenty single by The Temptations since 1964 and their fourth, and final, #1 hit (the others being My Girl, I Can't Get Next To You, and Just My Imagination).

Papa was written by one of Motown's top composer/producer teams, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong.  Strong began his career with Motown as a singer and delivered its first hit single, Money (That's What I Want) in 1962, but quickly transferred into a songwriting partnership with Whitfield, writing tunes like War (for Edwin Starr), I Heard It Through The Grapevine, and a slew of Temptations hits ( such as Just My Imagination, Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Cloud Nine, Ball of Confusion).

The studio musicians were The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.  I've been unable to find which specific Funk Brothers players were on the track except for Wah Wah Watson (Melvin Ragin) who is responsible for the wah-wah guitar.

Below is the 7 minute hit single (with its nearly two minute intro), edited down from the full 12 minute version.