But "simple" songs are usually the ones with the most behind-the-scenes shockers and this song was no exception. Once his lyrics were perfect, Robinson and his fellow Miracles cut some vocals, and promptly buried the track on 1968's Make It Happen album, eclipsed by singles "More Love" and "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage". The lead singer repeats "Give me money / That's what I want" several times with nasty inflections throughout the song. So what do we do with the song and its singer? CF Watkins has pulled off the unique trick of creating an album that is imbued with the warmth of the American South as well as the urban sophistication of New York. Perhaps this is what made him stand out among his peers, but also the entire group (consisting of Stubbs, Abdul Fakir, Renaldo Benson, Lawrence Payton, and the Adantes) was able to interpret Holland-Dozier-Holland's songwriting beyond the surface and turn great songs at their infancy into classics over time. Most of the time, he's alone with his guitar and a haunting mellotron. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" -- and the Miracles themselves -- were one of Motown's notable early success stories. Teammates? Sorry Eddie -- you were OK, but the song is simply exceptional. Reached #1 on pop charts. We will publish a few essays daily while we develop the new site. It's a strange source for a pop hit. The voice behind hits like "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" was suddenly turning dark and brooding, getting deep into a bleak atmosphere and letting out his social conscious. In light of Robinson's dormancy, Motown, forever eager to milk its cash cow, was left scrambling for a fresh single, and "Tears" proved a wise and daring choice. There's violence somewhere here. It's the matter-of-fact lyrics, along with the Velvelettes' strong, straight-ahead delivery of the material, and the unmistakable Motown sound that makes the song as immediate and enjoyable as it is. Reached #1 on pop charts. Talk about an embarrassment of riches: the list of Motown Record's commercially released singles over the course of the last 60-plus years (number ones, top tens, and non-charting efforts alike) is, quite simply, extraordinary. Jimmy Ruffin (born 7 May 1936 in Collinsville, Mississippi; died 17 November 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American soul singer. Author Kraziekhat [pro] 64,755. Reached #7 on the pop charts. It's got one of the greatest openings of any Motown single (of any single, for that matter), a calculated fog-burn that lifts cautiously. in Rock-Solid Book on Storied Career. It was part of the continued success of Gaye and gave Terrell her first critical breakthrough. By the chorus, she has us convinced that there's no other choice but to join in and shake a tail feather -- and Berry Gordy and the gang will be there to provide the soundtrack: "All we need is music, sweet music / There'll be music everywhere / There'll be swingin', swayin' and records playin' / And dancin' in the street.". After all, the opening of the 1964 smash begins with the line "Calling out around the world". - Charles A. Hohman. Whatever the case, the song just begs to be sung along with. - Zeth Lundy. Written and produced by the inimitable Holland-Dozier-Holland team, the 1964 song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks. All the while, the current crop of Vandellas (the names and number changed frequently) provides a melodious counterpoint. Or rather Stubbs' derangement grows. The lyrics of this song concern an African-American family living with the specter of Jim Crow in Mississippi. This track, however, is downright spooky, with Gaye's vocal (deliberately arranged in a higher register) teetering between lovesickness and madness. As usual for Wonder, "Living for the City" is essentially a one-man show; he performs most of the instruments and vocals. One of Hitsville USA's first global anthems, the shout-out to party arms was originally disguised as a ballad, composer William "Mickey" Stevenson trying to interest Marvin Gaye in the track by showing him an early, downbeat draft. By the end of the working day, "It's the Same Old Song" had been written and recorded, with 1,500 copies of the record shipped out to DJs across the country the following afternoon. A guitar gently plays part of the song's melody, the drums kick in, and the Miracles sing a soft bed of sweet nothings. When the drumbeat kicks in, Houston's voice opens up but it's tinged with ache and a somewhat erotic yearning. Reached #29 on the pop charts. Not least of which is the Velvelettes singing, "Findin' a good man, girls / Is like findin' a needle in a haystack" -- a statement that eschews much of the romanticism and longing associated with girl group pop songs. Ruffin opens the song with "As I walk these lands of broken dreams", and sure enough this is the rare end-of-relationship song where there's no 'you' to address. Indeed, Knight's version (which Whitfield also produced) fits this if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it template, its gospel-pop format offering giddy opposition to the lyric. Released 23 June 1965. He was offered a chance to sing with, Jimmy Ruffin (born 7 May 1936 in Collinsville, Mississippi; died 17 November 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American soul singer. Written by Janine Bradford and Berry Gordy. Diana Ross sings about "this yearning, burning, yearning feeling" with a degree of longing that shifts her delivery outside of an airy comfort zone and into expressive sync with the lyrics. Released 25 July 1966. The Temptations' new sound was compounded further by their new association with writer-producer Norman Whitfield and his foray into "psychedelic soul", which ushered in newfound freedom of composition and performance to the rigid Motown aesthetic. But she's not going to wallow in unhappiness any longer -- she's telling her sometimes-lover to get out of her life. It's arguably the defining moment of the song. His vocals grow shoutier and shoutier, more arhythmic. - Rachel Kipp. little blue robot by vinsky2002 (Pixabay License / Pixabay). Later, as the litany of locations is peeled off, it's interesting to note the lack of cities outside the US. The single edit of the 1969 Rare Earth cover of "Get Ready" did eventually reach number four on the Billboard Hot 100, but that group's solo-packed 21-minute album version deadens the dramatic impact of the original. It's that possessiveness that bespeaks a kind heart, acknowledging the slow looks that follow a beloved. Let us know what you think of the Last.fm website. In fact, it's a downright ugly piece of chaos, with a narrator I can't imagine and don't willingly sympathize with, a choked-down fury, and a sort of explosion that I'm not convinced anyone involved with the song -- not the Four Tops, not the Funk Brothers, and maybe not even songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland -- had a handle on. The four wrote, produced, and arranged the song, which has a remarkable number of moving parts that gel together naturally, beautifully. As with the Jackson Five's next two number-one hits, "ABC" and "The Love You Save", the song is the genius of the Corporation, the songwriting team of Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, Berry Gordy, and Deke Richards. The opening piano trill, with the band then kicking in at once, offers one of those "hell yes!" Released 7 October 1969. Reached #1 on the pop charts. However, the tunes of the two songs are very different. That Terrell would collapse on stage into Gaye's arms at a 1967 concert and die in 1970 at the age of 24 only added to the myth surrounding this song and make it a true coda to a promising career. Reached #1 on the pop charts. In the pantheon of songs that use super-human feats of strength/endurance as a measuring stick for capacity to love (see "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"), this one's the daddy of 'em all, a gospel-funk space-blues jam in which the Temptations boast about being able to do the following: turn the grey sky blue, make it rain whenever, build a castle from a single grain of sand, make a ship sail on dry land, turn back the hands of time, fly like a bird – even live forever, y'all! Released 30 October 1968. The thematic vacillation between impulse and restraint, common in the musical traditions from which the song draws inspiration, is manifested in the song's two characters. It is a ballad, with lead singer Jimmy Ruffin recalling the pain that befalls the brokenhearted, who had love that's now departed.The song essentially deals with the struggle to overcome sadness while seeking a new relationship after a breakup. Stubbs expressing that mad, dark urge, desperate to win sympathy from both us and Bernadette, the cry irrelevant in the fade, and the conflicted swarm lingering. When Thelma Houston took on a modern classic by Harold and the Blue Notes, she created one of the most enduring anthems of the disco era. The impact hasn't lessened. Whitfield's first two passes, with Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and the Isley Brothers, were shot down. Reached #1 on the pop charts. And nothing is more real than "Money", and that's what the kids wanted. Superhero media has a history of critiquing the dark side of power, hero worship, and vigilantism, but none have done so as radically as Watchmen and The Boys. The children remain optimistic despite the obvious difficulty of their circumstances. Echo enhanced the outsized scope of the song, but it's the undeniable jingle of the ever-present Motown tambourine (a true label trademark) that suggests a kind of full blown world fiesta. Robinson, who eventually became a vice president of the company, has said that Berry Gordy was inspired to start Motown after beholding the lackluster financial results of an attempt to produce a Miracles single for another label. But if the song wasn't the first of its kind thematically, it remains the most powerful, attacking a violent system in each of its recurrences, and offering us a sublime consolation and catharsis in a difficult time. And that's before any consideration of the Marvelettes' gorgeous background harmonies -- the track's most obvious doo-wop connection -- which serves to provide the perfect foil to lead singer Gladys Horton's raspy contralto. 1 contributor total, last edit on Aug 03, 2016. Or maybe it's the fact that there's not a single note that's hard to sing. You can tell his ploy is working by the strength of the plea she sings to her boyfriend. Produced by Smokey Robinson. It was a song that he wasn't meant to sing: "In 1966, 'What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted' became a tune destined for the group the Detroit Spinners," the website Soul Walking notes. There's the melodic bassline, the guitar, the piano, the strings, the layered backing vocals, the drums, and the superb melody. This makes sense in terms of the song's lyrical concerns. Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. Reached #4 on the pop charts. Did Ashford and Simpson write the song for each other as a gesture of their love or could it mean more? The strings signify the song's Philly soul origins. "I Want You Back" was the first big pop hit for the Jackson Five. His 1966 hit "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" was a major success and his most well-known song. It isn't just the singing that makes the song. Although the Supremes moved in many directions over the course of the group's career, the most resonant songs are those that acknowledge the full weight -- the crush -- of young love. A year later, Houston became the first female artist at Motown to win a Grammy when she prevailed in the Best R&B Performance, Female category for "Don't Leave Me This Way". There's a brute here that we say we don't know. The phrase, however, came from the song's co-writer, Al Cleveland, when he and Robinson were out shopping at a Detroit department store. Written by Hank Cosby, Sylvia Moy, and Stevie Wonder. While love ballads and good times were not necessarily gone, they were replaced by a simmering social consciousness that would result in six of the most stunning albums in any musicians career: Where I'm Coming From (1971), Music of My Mind, Talking Book (both 1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and the multi-mega hit Songs in the Key of Life (1976). She's so amazing that there must be other guys eyeing her up.