I can't believe it's not Motown

[Stumpy Pepys]

Was having a listen to Heartache Avenue by the Maisonettes, which I'm fond of. Whatever you think of it, it's a fine production job, in the Motown style.

Got to Get You Into My Life is another. Paul McCartney has also cited Motown's James Jamerson as a big influence on his bass style.

And Build Me Up Buttercup by the Foundations. Written by Manfred Mann's Mike D'Abo.

[WOM]

Ha. Just gave it a listen, and for whatever reason, in my mind Heartache Avenue was sung by a girl group. I definitely remember it, but probably didn't hear it more than a half dozen times.

[gjw100]

Jazzanova - 'Let Me Show Ya'

[Jah Womble]

In more recent times - well, this century - the Manics made a reasonable fist with their So Why So Sad.

R&B perhaps rather than Motown specifically, but, only knowing them from the radio, during the seventies I had it in my mind for years that the Doobie Brothers were a black group: the songs China Grove, Long Train Running, Listen to the Music, Take Me in Your Arms and especially the Michael McDonald-sung What a Fool Believes did little to disabuse me of this notion.

Similarly, blue-eyed-soul singer Bobby Caldwell - who sadly passed away on Tuesday - fooled a hell of a lot of people into believing he was a black singer with the US hit What You Won't Do for Love back in 1979.

Anyway, I'm stretching the remit a bit here.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Keep on Runnin' – Spencer Davis Group

[Jah Womble]

Good shout, that. Like the follow up, Somebody Help Me Out, KOR was written by Jamaican musician Jackie Edwards, who had a pretty good handle on all things R&B/soul.

Steve Winwood obviously had the voice to carry it off. (Both songs went to number one, as well.)

[Tony C]

Good shout, that. Like the follow up, Somebody Help Me Out, KOR was written by Jamaican musician Jackie Edwards, who had a pretty good handle on all things R&B/soul.

Steve Winwood obviously had the voice to carry it off. (Both songs went to number one, as well.)

Steve Winwood was 14 when he joined the Spencer Davis Group and still 16 or just 17 (depending on where you get your info) when he sang and played organ on Keep On Running.

Chairman of the Board were often mistaken for a Motown band in the early 70’s as I recall.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Steve Winwood was 14 when he joined the Spencer Davis Group and still 16 or just 17 (depending on where you get your info) when he sang and played organ on Keep On Running.

Chairman of the Board were often mistaken for a Motown band in the early 70’s as I recall.

he's only turning 18 when they recorded Give me some Loving, which is just such an extrarordinary record.

[Satchmo Distel]

Steve Winwood was 14 when he joined the Spencer Davis Group and still 16 or just 17 (depending on where you get your info) when he sang and played organ on Keep On Running.

Chairman of the Board were often mistaken for a Motown band in the early 70’s as I recall.

They were from Detroit so there was a natural affinity there and everyone was mixing in clubs after sessions. I think the vocalist sounds like Jackie Wilson but then that's not so odd because Jackie was a cousin of Levi Stubbs. And their record company was owned by Holland Dozier Holland.

[Janik]

Rescue Me - Fontella Bass

As you can see from the YouTube video, it was released on Chess instead

[Dusty]

Chairman of the Board’s lead singer was General Johnson, a very talented songwriter and a man with a superb voice.
He started off as the lead singer of the Showmen and recorded some great sides with them prior to joining Invictus.
If anyone wants an earworm for life try ‘Our love will grow’ by the Showmen…..

[sw2borshch]

I have been listening to Heartache Avenue a fair bit recently too, reminded of it on an old TotP.

[Sam]

In more recent times - well, this century - the Manics made a reasonable fist with their So Why So Sad.

R&B perhaps rather than Motown specifically, but, only knowing them from the radio, during the seventies I had it in my mind for years that the Doobie Brothers were a black group: the songs China Grove, Long Train Running, Listen to the Music, Take Me in Your Arms and especially the Michael McDonald-sung What a Fool Believes did little to disabuse me of this notion.

Similarly, blue-eyed-soul singer Bobby Caldwell - who sadly passed away on Tuesday - fooled a hell of a lot of people into believing he was a black singer with the US hit What You Won't Do for Love back in 1979.

Anyway, I'm stretching the remit a bit here.

On even more of a tangent, but in a similar vein, last night I watched the video for 'Jump Around' for the first time, having only previously heard it played in clubs and at parties, and learnt that all the members of House of Pain are white.

[Sunderporinostesta]

When A Town Called Malice was released I remember it being mentioned as a Motown tribute and ageeeing. It sounds nothing like Motown to me these days. Wellers No Tears To Cry would pass as a northern soul classic if it’d been unearthed on 45 in some Alabama thrift store, not Motown though.
Similarly Phil Collins sususudio nonsense was labelled a direct 1999 rip off too and I heard it yesterday and it’s nothing like it, still shite though.

[ursus arctos]

On even more of a tangent, but in a similar vein, last night I watched the video for 'Jump Around' for the first time, having only previously heard it played in clubs and at parties, and learnt that all the members of House of Pain are white.

You might find the experience of it being played before the fourth quarter of University of Wisconsin home gridiron matches while 70,000 well lubricated Upper Midwesterners follow the title instruction to be diverting.

It gets cold at Camp Randall.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Well they did start as an explicitly irish American hip hop group, (one of them is called "Danny boy") something they continued with when they added a third non irish American member.

(Though I suspect that this aspect received a lot more airplay here than in sam-land)

[Stumpy Pepys]

I somehow forgot Be My Baby by Vanessa Paradis.

[diggedy derek]

You might find the experience of it being played before the fourth quarter of University of Wisconsin home gridiron matches while 70,000 well lubricated Upper Midwesterners follow the title instruction to be diverting.

It gets cold at Camp Randall.

Despite its seeming ubiquity, “Jump Around” is almost always faded out before the second verse comes in. If you want to know why, listen to the second verse, but not in the presence of children.

[Furtho]

Couple of things by Jungle would seem to fit.

[Stumpy Pepys]

If you ignore the congas, Mercy by Duffy is pretty Motown.

[Jah Womble]

Always rated that single.

Her story in more recent years has been somewhat harrowing, to say the least.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Mark ronson and amy winehouse were lucky not to get an angry letter from the Marvin Gaye estate for this (I know he didn't write this one)

[Stumpy Pepys]

Mark ronson and amy winehouse were lucky not to get an angry letter from the Marvin Gaye estate for this (I know he didn't write this one

Marvin Gaye's estate is very litigious. I'm sure they collected their royalties for that sample.

[Satchmo Distel]

re. Rescue Me - Fontella Bass

I found out today that Minnie Riperton sings backing vocals on this record (and Maurice White is on drums).