We Miss You, Marvin
Filed under: R&B, R&B Lives, african-americans, celebrities, music
A week ago, I started this post in honor of Marvin Gaye, one of R&B’s greatest singers. I wanted to celebrate the man’s talent on his birthday, which was back on April 2nd. April 1st was an anniversary that was not as warmly remembered: it was the day 25 years before that Marvin Gaye was murdered by his father. Rather than dwell on the unfortunate, I would rather focus and remember what was good, which was his music.
First is the song my wife and I chose for our wedding: “You’re All I Need To Get By”:
Another favorite duet of mine of Marvin and Tammi Terrell is this well known Motown favorite: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”:
One of the greatest (and still timely) songs of the last 40 years: “What’s Going On”:
My feelings about this song can be found at this post. I thought it should be included a listing of the top ten songs about sex. The author of the post thought differently, for a reason that can be found in the comments. You can decide for yourself: “Let’s Get It On:”
Last but not least, his last hit, “Sexual Healing” (original video from 1982):
Enjoy! The post itself may have missed its time period, but the sentiment is still the same. Marvin Gaye’s talents are truly missed.
R.I.P. Norman Whitfield
Another giant from R&B’s past is gone now. Norman Whitfield, the architect most famous for the “psychedelic soul” period with the Temptations passed away on Tuesday. He had been suffering from diabetes and had recently come out of a coma.
I make this post to pay tribute to a man that was responsible for some of the most memorable music from the mid- to late-’60s to the mid-’70s. Songs like “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (either Marvin Gaye’s or Gladys Knight & The Pips’ version), “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” by the Temptations, “Smiling Faces Sometimes” by The Undisputed Truth (though the Temptations recorded it first, the Truth had a bigger hit with the song), and even “Car Wash” by Rose Royce. A longer list (though not complete) of his songwriting and/or production credits can be found here.
Despite his success with creating lengthy, atmospheric songs with the Temptations, my favorite song by the group during the Whitfield years appears to be the simplest. The ballad “Just My Imagination” featuring Eddie Kendricks in one of his last recorded performances before he left the group for a solo career, is one of the most beautiful songs ever committed to wax. In case you’ve forgotten the song, here’s an audio reminder from YouTube:
Enjoy.
Black Music Month: Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly
After recovering from watching the BET Awards the other night and reading (and laughing) at the live blogs done by SoulBounce.com, Inkognegro 1.75, and AverageBro, I needed a soul music fix. Thankfully, there were some moments in the show that fulfilled the need; notably from Al Green and Alicia Keys. The tribute to Mr. Green was a very satisfying affair, and while Jill Scott wasn’t necessarily at her best, Anthony Hamilton and the reappearance of Maxwell made it worthwhile. But when Al Green got up to sing “Let’s Stay Together” and “Love and Happiness,” you could feel the vibes, those good old soul/R&B vibes come alive. Considering that most of the show to that point (with the exception of Alicia Keys and her tribute to the girl groups of the ’90s) had been less than stellar, moments like those are what give me hope that R&B lives. Sorry that this opening was off-topic, but I had to get that out there.
To get to the point of the post, I came across an article in the Baltimore Sun by Rashod Ollison, the paper’s pop music critic, about the music of Frankie Beverly and Maze. In a roundabout way, this is related to my first Black Music Month post in that Marvin Gaye helped Maze get a record deal with Capitol Records. Ollison’s article really says everything that you need to know about the group, including how they continue to sell out arenas and tour, even without a hit record or even a recent album release. Some of their songs are considered classics in the R&B tradition, such as “Before I Let Go,” “Joy And Pain” “Happy Feelin’s,” “Back In Stride,” “We Are One,” “Silky Soul” (itself a tribute to Marvin Gaye), and many others.
I was fortunate enough to see this band perform in concert and they were worth the price of admission. They came out, they played their music, the crowd ate it up. Many of the people in the audience were still singing long after the concert was over. I saw them at the Convention Center in Washington, DC, not long after the release of the Silky Soul album. I remember that Regina Belle was the opening act and she hardly got any attention from the audience. The crowd was waiting for Maze; no disrespect for Ms. Belle, who was actually very good if anyone had bothered to pay attention. But when Regina finished, no one was milling about in the crowd; everyone was waiting for what was the “real” show to begin. And Frankie and the band delivered.
Again, it was my cousin and his record collection that introduced me to the band. He had the first five albums the group released, including the Live In New Orleans album that I wore out the grooves to. I bought the cassette (yes I know that dates me) as well and even the DVD of the show. I bought the rest of their output on my own; he paved the way and I followed the path. It’s a path that I’m glad I have followed. The music still doesn’t feel like it’s stuck in its time period, just as Ollison mentioned in his article. His statements regarding “Before I Let Go” are truly on point; anyone from any generation of black America is not only familiar with the song, it never fails to get people to sing along and dance. And I don’t know anyone who doesn’t sing along to the chorus of “Joy And Pain.”
Maze was a band that stuck with what they did, regardless of the trends of the time. They played music that was rooted in traditional R&B and told stories of love and relationships. They did not make concessions to disco, synth-pop, or hip-hop, and yet they still had hit records and gold and platinum albums throughout the time they released their music. They have been and will continue to be a favorite group of mine; their music is timeless.
From their Live In New Orleans performance, here is a version of “Joy And Pain”:
And a live version of “Before I Let Go”:
Black Music Month: Marvin Gaye
For Black Music Month, I thought I would write some pieces about some of my favorite artists and my memories of their music in my life. This may only be a series of one, but hopefully from time to time, I’ll get around to doing these. The first artist I would like to write about is Marvin Gaye.
It is generally accepted among music fans that Marvin Gaye was one of the all-time greats of R&B. I agree with that assessment, but it took me some time to get to that point. As a youngster, I never thought he was any better or worse than any other artist. My first memory of Marvin’s music was hearing “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” on the radio that my mom was playing. That late-60s song suggested nothing to come with Marvin’s career, as What’s Going On, Let’s Get It On, I Want You, Here My Dear and other self-produced masterworks were on the way. It was only as I grew older, that I discovered the greatness of his 60s singles, as produced primarily by Smokey Robinson and Norman Whitfield. The duets with Tammi Terrell are songs that people will always point to when they talk about songs that remind them about romance.
As a kid, I tried to figure out what was so great about this guy. However, one summer my cousin came home and brought his LP collection and stereo equipment to our house. I still remember looking at all the albums, reading the notes and exploring the sounds included in the grooves. One of the things that I remember about that time spent listening to Marvin’s music was that he had a wonderful voice. I now believe that next to Sam Cooke and Luther Vandross, Marvin had the best male voice in R&B. His training in doo-wop with Harvey Fuqua served him well, as he was able to perform different voicings and parts on his songs. His mastery of how to use his voice became evident when he began to multi-track his voice on his songs. Part of my remembrance of his songs from the seventies was that I always thought that his songs had the coolest background vocalists. It took some time for me to realize that it was actually Marvin doing those parts. Songs like “After The Dance,” “Distant Lover,” “Let’s Get It On,” and “Come Get To This” and “I Want You” especially, made me think that he recruited some of his friends to sing backup for him. To this day, when I hear those songs, I listen to where the real action is: behind the lead vocal. Not that there was anything wrong with the lead vocals. Marvin would dive, swoop, and float in and around the grooves, caressing the melodies, making magic with his voice.
One of Marvin’s lasting contributions was being one of the first R&B artists who released an album with a singular statement or theme like What’s Going On that he believed in to great acclaim. It’s too bad he had to fight to release it at the time; but Berry Gordy, having built Motown on a lengthy string of hit singles that had no relation to the issues of the day, couldn’t see the benefit of the album’s release. Somehow, he relented and the rest, as they say, is history. And then, after a period of being a music messenger, he brought a new type of sexuality and sensuality to his music with Let’s Get It On and I Want You-the latter an album of songs that Leon Ware was persuaded to give to Marvin. Once Marvin put his magic to it, the rest again, was history.
One of my favorite memories about Marvin’s music was associated with the song “Got To Give It Up.” One of my mother’s friends was known to my sister and I as Uncle Smokey, because he was around a lot. Well, he loved “Got To Give It Up,” so much so that he would give me a dollar just to play that song. That may have been my first hustle. The repeated plays of that song probably had something to do with me liking it, even more now than I ever did back then. Then again, it may be the thought of my pockets getting fatter. And it wasn’t the 45 edit, this was the long album version, almost 12 non-stop minutes of groove. Even now, when my friends and family get together, it’s not uncommon to see us form a “Soul Train” line or people just getting up out of their seats to dance if this song plays.
Everyone knows about how tragically Marvin’s life was cut short, just as he was beginning a career renaissance. He had some personal issues, of that there is no doubt. Fans of R&B are thankful that this man gave us so much music that gave us all so many wonderful memories.
A hat-tip to SoulBounce.com for this post, which helped me get my thoughts together for my post.
Talking About Sex, Again
Today I received a comment on my “Let’s Talk About Sex” post from Mark Edward Nero, who took the time to explain why Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” was not included on his list of the 10 best R&B songs about sex. (The list can be found here.) It boils down to an argument I briefly mentioned at the end of the original post: the song has become overused and oversaturated in popular culture. I agree with the sentiment, but still thought the song should be included based on (at least to me) it’s historical importance. And of course, the list still paid tribute to Mr. Gaye with the inclusion of “Sexual Healing,” which, to these ears, was certain to be included.
To illustrate Mr. Nero’s point, the other comment on the post concerns the song in relation to the sitcom “The King Of Queens.” Having never seen the episode referenced in the comment, I’m not sure how it was used, but I can kind of guess. A few years back, there was a commercial for either Levi’s or Wrangler jeans that used the song as well. A brief snippet of the song is sung in Tyler Perry’s play “Madea Goes To Jail.” The list of “Let’s Get It On” being used to sell, or enhance a moment in a TV show or commercials is very long; as that will happen to a song that has become as iconic as that one.
I just want to take the time to thank Mr. Nero for his explanation. I didn’t know that he would find this little corner of the blogosphere, but I’m glad he did and I’m glad he shared his reasoning for not including the song.
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Now playing: EJ Flavors – OSW: New Jack Swing, Volume 5
via FoxyTunes
Let's Talk About Sex
….more specifically, R&B songs about sex.
Mark Edward Nero, the “R&B Guide” at About.com, has made a list of the 10 Best R&B Songs about sex. I’m not quite sure why he felt the need to make this list, though I’m not upset at all. Maybe it was the proximity to Valentine’s Day (although on the same site he has listed the 10 Best R&B Love Songs, so maybe that list is more appropriate). At any rate, upon looking at the list, there were not any real surprises. Although J. Holiday’s recent song “Bed” was a candidate for a Songs That Bug Me post, I could understand why it made the list. The Isley Brothers’ “Between The Sheets,” Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” and R. Kelly’s “Bump N Grind (Remix)” were no-brainer inclusions. Putting “Betweeen The Sheets” at the top of the list was somewhat expected, even though I wouldn’t have placed it there (although it would have to be in the top three).
The song I would have placed at the top didn’t even make the list. While Mr. Nero made a point to pick songs that were not too explicit or perverted, I certainly thought this song would have made the list. There aren’t any explicit references or any perverted descriptions in the lyrics that I could find. In fact, I would almost have to say that if it were not for this song, the songs on the list may not even exist. Reading through the qualifications for the list, I can find no reason why this particular song was excluded, unless he didn’t want artists to have more than one song on the list. What might that song be, you ask?
The song is Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”
Now I realize that this song is 35 years old, but to me it’s the grandaddy of them all in terms of R&B songs about sex. If “Let’s Get It On” is not released and subsequently turned into a #1 song, there may not be any further records released as direct and to the point (for 1973, anyway) about sex in the future (well there was Sylvia’s “Pillow Talk” a few months earlier, which may be somewhat more explicit than Gaye’s song). It is my opinion that this song, as well as Gaye’s “You Sure Love To Ball” (and Gaye’s next studio album I Want You from 1976) that paved the way for more descriptive lyrics about sex in R&B songs . Because it paved the way, it would have to be #1 in my book.
Perhaps its power has been diluted some by its use in commercials, but to these ears, it’s the best song hands down.
Black Music Month & R. Kelly
Since June is Black Music Month, and I have let more than half of the month go by without making a single comment about it, I thought this would be a good time to write about a topic that I’ve been thinking about for awhile now: where does R. Kelly stand among some of the titans of R&B music over the last 50+ years?
It is no secret, and it is generally agreed that R. Kelly is the best singer/songwriter in R&B’s current phase. Since appearing with Public Announcement in 1992 and quickly going solo, his career has been nothing but hit after hit. Some of which can be considered R&B classics: “Bump N’ Grind,” “Your Body’s Callin’,” “Down Low (Nobody Has To Know),” “When A Woman’s Fed Up,” “Be Careful” (w/Sparkle), “Step In The Name Of Love,” etc. Not only has he done well for himself, but he has created or assisted on hits with other artists-Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Changing Faces, Jay-Z, Ginuwine, Notorious B.I.G., Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Fat Joe, Young Jeezy, and others. Despite some personal issues (an early marriage to Aaliyah, his current child pornography charges), his hit string has continued unabated.
But does R. Kelly deserve a place with the greats of the music that came before? How does he compare to the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Curtis Mayfield? Each of these six talented men put their stamp on R&B (and you could make the case for several other artists, such as Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Luther Vandross, The Temptations, etc.) and in some ways, moved the music forward. For Sam Cooke, he was the first highly popular singer to sing pop (and R&B) after fame as a gospel star with the legendary Soul Stirrers. Sam Cooke paved the way for gospel singers to sing secular music (and also was one of the first African-American artists to have his own record label). Ray Charles and his prodigious talents fused the sacred and the profane; that is, he combined secular words to songs with gospel feeling (see “Lonely Avenue” as a prime example). Charles is often credited for birthing “soul music.” James Brown, it goes without saying, pioneered funk music as we now know it, and his music was a building block for what we now call hip-hop. Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, during the 70s, pushed for and got creative control over their music from Berry Gordy at Motown; each released albums during the decade that grew the music by leaps and bounds. Stevie, with a five album run that began with Music Of My Mind through 1976’s double-album Songs In The Key Of Life, reshaped the boundaries of the singer/songwriter and R&B music; no one coming behind him has failed to be influenced by the works he did in the early to mid-seventies. Marvin, with perhaps the most expressive vocal style since Sam Cooke, took off in 1971 with the landmark What’s Going On album, singing of topics that had never really appeared on pop or R&B records at the time. With Let’s Get It On and I Want You, Gaye sang of erotic love in a way that hadn’t been done before; and it could be surmised that R. Kelly’s current run of explicit R&B love songs were inspired by what Gaye did back in the 70s. Curtis Mayfield’s topical songs of the late 60s with the Impressions and the 70s as a solo artist, also added to the palette of topics that R&B singers were able to address in song. Mayfield also has the distinction of scoring the 70s blaxploitation movie Super Fly, which in some ways glorified drug use, while Mayfield used anti-drug messages in the soundtrack; “Freddie’s Dead” being a prime example.
R. Kelly does have some arguments for inclusion with the greats. In his favor, his first solo release, 12 Play, was his classic conceptual statement; it seemed to be literally descended from Marvin Gaye’s I Want You. The self-proclaimed “Pied Piper Of R&B” has had and continues to have hit singles by the bucketful, either on his own or with other artists or as a guest artist on remixed tracks. On the other hand, it is my opinion that none of his other albums reach the level of greatness attained by 12 Play. It’s almost as if Kelly has forsaken the ethos of the album era (that albums should be self-contained conceptual statements) and flipped it back to the 50s and 60s, where albums were filler for whatever hit singles an artist recently released. Some other albums of Kelly’s, such as R. and TP-2.com, come close to classics, but contain songs that just don’t make the grade. His recent efforts, the releases TP-3.Reloaded and Double Up, contain bonafide hits- “Trapped In The Closet,” “I’m A Flirt (Remix),” and “Same Girl”- but there quite a few songs that show Kelly trying to ride on hip-hop’s coattails. While Kelly has seamlessly incorporated hip-hop’s influences into his music, he is not technically a hip-hop artist. I think that his immersion into hip-hop has, in a sense, lowered the quality of his songs even while he continues to have hits.
R. Kelly knows what sells in today’s marketplace and has recorded and released songs to meet that demand. Yet for every song that enhances his profile, he gets more hits and less prestige with songs that cater to the popular taste. In this subjective analysis, he isn’t quite on a par with the greats of yesteryear, not because he doesn’t have the talent, but because he hasn’t really expanded on his talent or grown beyond hip-hop’s boundaries. It could be in 20 or more years down the line, R. Kelly will be mentioned in the same breath as the artists mentioned before. That time has not come as yet.
Twitter: @mindpinball
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