Can you imagine Bob Dylan and Prince in the same band, writing songs together and harmonizing? Bizarre, right? Such megalomaniacs could never co-exist.
Well, there's an equally bizarre duo with titanic egos not unlike Dylan and Prince who actually made music together in the 60's. "Superfreak" Rick James and Mr. Shakey himself, Neil Young, both played in the rhythm and blues group, the Mynah Birds.
In 1964, Rick James dodged the draft and fled to Toronto. While James was there, he adopted the moniker "Big Jimmy" and formed his first band with Nick St. Nicholas who would later go on to join Steppenwolf.
The following year, bassist Bruce Palmer (who would later go on to form Buffalo Springfield with Neil Young and Stephen Stills) replaced St. Nicholas, and the band changed its name to the Mynah Birds.
In 1966, with guitarists Tom Morgan and Xavier Taylor and drummer Rick Mason, the Mynah Birds auditioned for Motown. Morgan was unhappy with Motown's handling of musicians, so he quit the band. That's when Neil Young joined the Mynah Birds.
The Mynah Birds eventually recorded an album for Motown, but their manager stole the band's advance money. The Mynah Birds fired their manager, so he squealed on James, informing Motown that he had gone AWOL. Motown advised James to turn himself into the FBI, and the Mynah Birds' album was cancelled.
While Rick James was imprisoned, the Mynah Birds disbanded, and Neil Young and Bruce Palmer relocated to Los Angeles to meet up with Stephen Stills with whom Young had briefly played with two years earlier.
When James was released a year later in the summer of 1967, he formed a new version of the Mynah Birds and re-recorded the Rick James and Neil Young composition "It's My Time." Ironically, the Mynah Birds' reformation was actually the beginning of their demise. The band would break-up shortly after the recording.
In Jimmy McDonough's biography of Neil Young - Shakey - Young described his experience working with Rick James:
"Ricky was great. He was a little bit touchy, dominating — but a good guy. Had a lot of talent. Really wanted to make it bad. Runnin' from the draft. I wasn't a driving force behind the Mynah Birds - I was the lead guitar player; Ricky was the front man. He's out there doin' all that shit and I was back there playin' a little rhythm, a little lead, groovin' along with my bro Bruce. We were havin' a good time."
After writing yesterday's post, 5 Love Songs, I put Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on the turntable. I was reminded of their brilliance and how young Tammi was when she passed away. When Tammi Terrell was paired with Marvin Gaye, her career skyrocketed, but she had been a seasoned professional before signing to Motown.
Tammi Terrell's career began when she was just thirteen years old. She signed with Scepter Records, recorded the single "If You See Bill" and went on tour with Chubby Checker and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. While on tour, she was noticed by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Brown signed her to his label, Try Me Records, and then got personally involved with her. After an abusive two years, Terrell fled to her mother's house. In 1964, she met Sam Cooke, but before a relationship could emerge Cooke was tragically murdered.
Terrell went into semi-retirement and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in pre-med. However, in 1965, Jerry "The Ice Man" Butler invited her to sing back-up for him. Terrell accepted the gig, but remained enrolled in college. One night Berry Gordy spotted her and signed her to Motown. Terrell dropped out of college.
In 1967, Mary Wells, Kim Weston and Oma Page departed from Motown, leaving Marvin Gaye without a partner, so Gordy paired him with Terrell. The duo recorded several hit songs for their first duet album, United: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Your Precious Love," "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You," and "If This World Were Mine."
Around this time, the migraines that Terrell suffered as a child had returned. On October 14, 1967, while performing with Gaye,Terrell collapsed onstage. She spent nearly two months in the hospital. After her release, she recorded two number one songs with Marvin, "You're All I Need to Get By" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing."
The following year, Motown released Terrell's only solo album, Irresistible. Terrell was so ill, she was unable to promote the album.
On January 25, 1970, Terrell had her eighth operation on her tumor. Shortly after, she lapsed into a coma. Terrell died of complications from brain cancer on March 16, 1970 just shy of her 25th birthday. The world lost a wonderful talent, and Marvin Gaye lost his beloved partner, thrusting him into a deep depression that culminated in his masterpiece, What's Going On.
It's Valentine's Day and love is in the air. Is that too corny? How about this? Tonight, millions of couples will breakup over an over-priced meal at some shabby restaurant. How's that for cynicism?
Despite my dislike for Hallmark holidays, I've been thinking about love songs - in which there are countless - but there aren't very many great ones. So many love songs are plagued with cliches, overly dramatic lyrics and histrionic vocal performances.
Nevertheless, I've come up with quite a few good ones. Here are five of my favorites:
"Your Song" by Elton John
"Your Song" is one of Elton John's favorite songs: "I don't think I have written a love song as good since." Even Elton's good buddy, John Lennon, was a fan of the song. In a 1975 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon stated, "I remember hearing Elton John's 'Your Song,' heard it in America—it was one of Elton's first big hits—and remember thinking, 'Great, that's the first new thing that's happened since we (The Beatles) happened.' It was a step forward. There was something about his vocal that was an improvement on all of the English vocals until then. I was pleased with it."
"Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
I could have chosen "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" or "You're All I Need to Get By." Both are extraordinary songs. Marvin and Tammi were the real thing. When they sang together, it was as if they were making love for the rest of the world to relish.
"Let's Stay Together" by Al Green
When AlGreen wants to stay together, you have to stick around. Who can turn smooth Reverend Al down?
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Johnny Cash
Ewan MacColl's 1957 folk song has been covered by numerous artists - Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Elvis Presley, George Michael, The Temptations, Marianne Faithfull and Gordon Lightfoot, just to name a few. Roberta Flack's 1972 version is perhaps the most popular, but Johnny Cash's rendering is nothing short of gut wrenching. Cash's pointed delivery makes his interpretation even more poignant.
"Days" by The Kinks
Ray Davies thanks his former lover for the days they had together and has forgiven her for leaving: "Thank you for the days, those endless days, those sacred days you gave me."
Davies claimed the song was a goodbye to The Kinks' original lineup (founding member, bassist Pete Quaife, left the band soon afterwards).
"Though you're gone, you're with me every single day, believe me."
After the death of his musical partner Tammi Terrell in 1970 and with his marriage falling apart, Marvin Gaye's personal life was in a shambles. In need of some direction, the singer decided to take charge of his career. Despite Berry Gordy and Motown's wishes, he participated in the songwriting and produced the album himself.
The song opens with two men greeting each other at a party, then Eli Fountain's searing alto saxophone kicks in. These notes never fail to move me, sometimes to tears. Here are three more reasons why I wish that I had written this classic song:
Lyrics:
Marvin Gaye was inspired by the stories his brother Frankie told him when he returned from the Vietnam War. “What mattered,” said Marvin, “was the message. For the first time, I felt like I had something to say.” Gaye's musings on war, poverty, police brutality, unemployment, and poverty make "What's Going On" the most vital R&B song of all-time.
Father, father, everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
"What's Going On" was one of the first Motown songs that made a political statement. Stevie Wonder,The Temptations and Edwin Starr were recording more socially conscious songs, which was a departure from the Motown hits of the '60s, but it was Marvin Gaye's concept album that would emerge as a modern masterpiece.
Performance:
The album's cover depicts a reflective and somber Gaye, looking off in the distance, flecks of snow on his head. "What's Going On" is a highly personal album. Marvin Gaye's singing captures the tormented soul of a man returning home from war only to see his own country in turmoil.
Earl DeRouen's congas compliment Gaye's smooth tenor. Its rhythm urges the tortured performer onward, encourages him to trudge through his suffering.
Ironically, Gaye is singing about hardship and sorrow, while in the background a party is in full swing. Perhaps Marvin is reminding us that without pain and sorrow we wouldn't appreciate joy and happiness.
Berry Gordy thought that Gaye's scat singing was archaic, but in true Marvin style he opposed Gordy and improvised much of his performance throughout the album.
Marvin Gaye was soul personified. His vocal performance is truly haunted, but it's nothing short of tour de force. In fact, Marvin does all of the singing, including the backing vocals.
Instrumentation:
Once again Gaye refused to listen to Berry Gordy and Motown when he hired the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to accompany him along with Motown's session musicians, the Funk Brothers. The original funk master himself, bassist James Jamerson was acknowledged on the record sleeve as "the incomparable James Jamerson."
David Ritz, author of Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye,says"the self-produced suite reflects a whirl of crosscurrents — silky rhythm-and-blues, string-laden pop, gospel sensibilities, free-form jazz."
Berry Gordy was concerned with the album's format, each song leads into the next. According to Gordy, it lacked commercial appeal. However, Marvin stayed true to his vision and all nine songs are powerfully cohesive.
Mr. Ritz writes, "After nine years of watching other producers, Marvin was ready to produce himself. The opinions of Motown’s marketing men, convinced What’s Going On would fail, didn’t matter."
"What's Going On" is a gem. I listen to it all the time; I never get tired of it and it never grows old.
When I heard that Nickolas Ashford died, I thought to myself, "Oh, that's too bad. The man really loved his wife. She's going to miss him." The truth is I'm not a fan of Ashford & Simpson; I never listened to their music. Their 1984 hit song "Solid" just isn't my thing.
But there are two sides to Ashford & Simpson: a) the sentimental, lovey-dovey performers and b) the talented, prodigious songwriters. As performers, it was nice to see a husband and wife working together, but for me their marriage always superseded their music. As songwriters, the duo had been writing songs since the mid-60's for artists like: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Once Berry Gordy brought Ashford & Simpson to Motown, the songwriting team flourished. Gordy paired them with Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and the foursome created some memorable music: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Your Precious Love," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "You're All I Need to Get By."
Although Ashford & Simpson wrote and produced songs for other Motown artists - Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, The Supremes and Gladys Knight and the Pips (to name a few) - their body of work with Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell will truly stand the test of time.
In the final installment of my top fifteen songs about revolution, I offer my top five. I'd really like to hear from you, so drop me a note in the comment box.
5. "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" by Marvin Gaye
I could have chosen one of my favorite songs of all-time, What's Going On, but I went with another protest song from the same album, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler). Backed by several of the Funk Brothers, Marvin Gaye's gem depicts ghetto life of inner-city America.
"Inflation, no chance/to increase finance/bills pile up, sky high/send that boy off to die."
4. "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke
I'd cut off my right arm to have a voice like Sam's.
Sam Cooke was so moved by Bob Dylan'sBlowin' in the Wind that he was determined to write a song about racism in America. Although Cooke was afraid that recording a political song would tarnish his image with his white fan base, he felt obligated to write about two experiences that forever changed him: the death of his 18-month-old son, Vincent, and an incident in 1963 when he and his band were arrested for trying to register at a "whites only" motel in Shreveport, Louisiana.
"There have been times that I thought I couldn't last for long/but now I think I'm able to carry on/It's been a long time coming/ but I know a change is gonna come."
3. "You Haven't Done Nothin'" by Stevie Wonder
A political song that reached #1?
Back in 1974, Stevie Wonder could do no wrong. In perhaps his angriest songs, Stevie criticizes Nixon's America, while The Jackson 5 sing backup. Big Brother, another political song, is the b-side to this funky hit.
"But we are sick and tired of hearing your song/Telling how you are gonna change right from wrong/ 'Cause if you really want to hear our views/You haven't done nothin'."
2. "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
I could have also selected Street Fighting Man, but I chose Gimme Shelter because Keith Richards' opening guitar riff never fails to give me goose bumps. Mick Jagger's apocalyptic lyrics speak of a threatening storm that will wreak havoc, but in the end the power of love will prevail.
Jagger and backing vocalist Merry Clayton repeatedly sing, "Rape, murder; it's just a shot away; it's just a shot away," but their final line is "Love, sister; it's just a kiss away; it's just a kiss away."
1. "Revolution" by The Beatles
While John Lennon urged the rest of the Beatles to release Revolution 1 as a single, Paul McCartney wanted to avoid controversy and George Harrison wanted to record a more upbeat version. They compromised. Eventually, Revolution 1 made it onto the White Album and the band recorded a more rocking version which was the b-side to Hey Jude.
Up until 1968, with the exception of Taxman, the Beatles didn't make political statements. John Lennon said, "I thought it was about time we spoke about it [revolution], the same as I thought it was about time we stopped not answering about the Vietnamese war. I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India."
Revolution was a response to the political protests in 1968 in which Lennon expressed skepticism. On the White Album version, he was uncertain about destructive change:
"But when you talk about destruction/Don't you know that you can count me out/ In."
Throughout the song is the refrain, "It's gonna be alright." Lennon borrowed this from his Transcendental Meditation in India, suggesting that God will protect us no matter what.
"But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao/You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow/ Don't you know it's gonna be all right/ all right, all right."
And like Gimme Shelter, in the end the power of love will prevail.
Here is something that no rock, punk, pop, soul or r&b musician has ever said: "If we only had a smokin' harmonica player, this band would really take off." Put on a blues record and you'll most likely hear harmonica. You expect to hear it in the blues. It just works.
Here are some great songs that feature a rockin' harmonica.
Beatles' producer George Martin suggested that John Lennon play harmonica. Martin said, "I picked up on 'Love Me Do' because of the harmonica sound", adding: "I loved wailing harmonica — it reminded me of Sonny Terryand Brownie McGhee. I felt it had a definite appeal."
Lennon had learned to play a chromatic harmonicathat his Uncle George had given to him. The chromatic harmonica uses a button-activated sliding bar to redirect air from the hole in the mouthpiece to the selected reed-plate desired. The instrument is capable of playing the 12 notes of the Western chromatic scale. It was also featured on "Please Please Me" and "From Me to You."
In the late eighties, at the time of The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum, U2 was having a love affair with America. The band realized that they, according to Bono, "had no tradition. We were from outer space." On both albums, the band explores American blues, country and gospel music. Bono plays harmonica on “Trip Through Your Wires” and “Running to Stand Still." On "Desire," he plays harmonica over a Bo Diddley beat, resulting in U2's version of American rock and roll.
When Let it Bleed, The Rolling Stones’ eighth album, was released in December 1969, it knocked The Beatles' Abbey Road out of the top spot on the UK charts. The album features such classic hits as “You Can’t Always Get What You Want," “Gimme Shelter,” and "Monkey Man." Although Mick Jagger plays harmonica over the break in "Gimme Shelter," it's on “Midnight Rambler" where he really displays his blues' chops.
Trying to select one Neil Young song with a memorable harmonica part is comparable to choosing one Bob Dylan song (which I will attempt later on). "Heart of Gold," from the 1972 album Harvest, is Neil's only number one song. It's also a song that Dylan himself detests: "I used to hate it when it came on the radio. I always liked Neil Young, but it bothered me every time I listened to "Heart of Gold." I think it was up at number one for a long time, and I'd say, "Shit, that's me. If it sounds like me, it should as well be me." After the song placed Neil in the mainstream, the iconic songwriter decided to shun the spotlight: "This song put me in the middle of the road. Traveling there soon became a bore, so I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride, but I saw more interesting people there."
Before John Popper liked playing with guns, he used to like playing blues harp for Blues Traveler. The band won a grammy award for “Run-Around” in 1995. John Popper plays a diatonic harmonica that is tuned to one particular key. He wears two belts (like suspenders) that hold the entire set of harmonicas in 12 different keys. The man is a beast!
From the albumLearning to Crawl, released in 1984, "Middle of the Road" features a dismayed Chrissie Hynde on lead vocals and harmonica. The lyrics deal with, amongst other things, her new motherhood and the pressure of fame. At the end of the song Chrissie's bombastic harmonica solo is eminent.
This song is a staple of virtually every cover band's repertoire, but the harmonica solo is usually played on keyboards. "What I like About You" has a truly memorable harmonica part that is performed by the band's singer/guitarist and principle songwriter, Wally Palmar. Since its release in 1980, the song has become ubiquitous. You can hear it at sporting events, weddings, parties, bars and clubs. It has been used for countless television commercials including: Budweiser,Barbie, Sea World, Toyota, Papa John's Pizza, and T.G.I. Friday's restaurants.
On the opening track to Born to Run, "Thunder Road," The Boss plays one of the most unforgettable harmonica parts in rock and roll. Accompanied by Roy Bittan on piano, Bruce's harmonica is melodic, bending notes beautifully until the lyrics kick in: The screen door slams/Mary's dress waves. This is quintessential Springsteen.
Led Zeppelin recorded "Bring it on Home" in 1969 for the Led Zeppelin II album. Robert Plant's harmonica part was recorded in Vancouver, and the band continued to tour, stopping into a studio to record parts from time to time. The intro and outro are an obvious homage to Sonny Boy Williamson's recording of the song, while the rest is a Page/Plant composition. Nevertheless, Willie Dixon who wrote the song, filed a lawsuit against Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement and won an out-of-court settlement.
Jimmy Page said, "The thing with 'Bring It On Home,' Christ, there's only a tiny bit taken from Sonny Boy Williamson's version and we threw that in as a tribute to him. People say, "Oh, 'Bring It On Home' is stolen." Well, there's only a little bit in the song that relates to anything that had gone before it, just the end." Despite all the messiness, the song demonstrates Zeppelin's rock and blues prowess.
Dylan plays harmonica, especially during the 60's, quite a bit, so if you would like a fine sample of songs that contain his harmonica playing, I suggest listening to his seventh recording and double album, Blonde on Blonde, released in 1966. Dylan's songwriting is at its peak, and songs like "Visions of Johanna," "I Want You," and "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" are but three of fourteen gems.
Dylan delivers his poetry in his typical nasal angst, but on "Visions of Johanna," he even plays his harmonica in poetic fashion, while on "I Want You," he plays it like a screaming lead guitar. The vibrato and note bending is exemplary on "Stuck Inside of Mobile..." Throughout the album, Mr. Zimmerman experiments with overbending (also known as overblowing and overdrawing).
The man is a true virtuoso! I'm not telling you anything new. He's been creating music ever since he burst onto the scene as Little Stevie Wonder with his single "Fingertips" in 1963. The song highlights Stevie's talents on the bongos and chromatic harmonica.
Listen to his extraordinary solo on "For Once in My Life." Both The Temptations and Wonder recorded the song in 1967. Berry Gordy disliked Stevie's version, and he didn't release the single until 1968 where it peaked at number two on the Billboard charts. So much for Gordy's instincts. Stevie's harmonica solo is magnificent. It couldn't be anything less because of bassist James Jamerson's spectacular improvisation, with no two bars of music played the same. Both musicians. Pure Genius.
Born Robert Kreinar, Babbitt was a bassist for the Funk Brothers, Motown's house band, from 1966-1972, trading sessions with original funk master himself, James Jamerson. Over the course of his career, Bob Babbitt has played on over 200 Top 40 hits.
Aside from playing on Jimi Hendrix's album Crash Landing, Babbitt's most notable performances are:
1. "War" by Edwin Starr 2. "Inner City Blues" by Marvin Gaye 3. "Ball of Confusion" by The Temptations 4. "I Got a Name" by Jim Croce 5. "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips 6. "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffee & the Detroit Guitar Band 7. Supernatural Thing" by Ben E. King and 8. "(The) Rubberband Man" by The Spinners.
Perhaps Babbitt's crowning achievement is having played bass on Barry Manilow's hit, Copacabana.
He's one of the most prolific songwriters in history. His songs have been covered by everyone from The Ramones and Yo La Tengo to Sam Cooke and Patti LaBelle.
There is no science here. I've selected ten of my favorite Dylan covers.
In 1959 Berry Gordy assembled some of Detroit's finest jazz musicians for his Motown label. This group would later be called The Funk Brothers.
From 1959-1972, The Funk Brothers were the backing band (occasionally touring) for Motown's major acts including: Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Four Tops, and Stevie Wonder.
According to Paul Justman's 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, The Funk Brothers have "played on more number-one hits than The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys combined."
Perhaps the funkiest of all The Funk Brothers, their bass player, the genius, James Jamerson was the pivotal member of the group. Jamerson expanded the role of the bass in popular music. His bass lines were melodic, syncopated, and improvisational. "He transcended the standard "bass line" and created a duet with the singer."
"On several Motown recordings, he played an acoustic and electric bass, usually playing the acoustic bass for the ensemble take and then dubbing the same part on electric bass afterward; he has been praised for being so precise a player that listeners cannot tell right away that two basses are on the recording."
Jamerson played a 1962 Fender Precision Bass (The Funk Machine); he set the volume and tone knobs on full and generally used only his right index finger to pluck the strings. His index finger had its own nickname--"The Hook."
Jamerson and The Funk Brothers went uncredited and their pay was considerably less than the Motown artists. It wasn't until Marvin Gaye's 1971 album What's Going On when James Jamerson was acknowledged as "the incomparable James Jamerson" on the album's sleeve that the genius received his due.
List of #1 Songs on which The Funk Brothers played
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