Motown

Кстати...

Сподобились наконец выпустить лицензионные диски серии Early Classics. На прошлой неделе шла мимо метро и в зауряднейшем ларечке купила раннего Стиви Вандера. Вкладка, конечно, убогая (то ж лицензия!), но Стиви 62-69 годов... это что-то! Еще имеются из той же серии Эдвин Старр, Темптейшнс, Марта, собственно, Ривз, Isley Bros., Mary Wells, Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin, Marvin Gaye, сам Смоки и еще Supremes - в общем, все монстры. Судя по Стиви и еще раньше переписанному Эдвину Старру - серия must have.

А что за ларечек? Давно ищу Смоки Робинсона, Марвин Гэя и Темптейшнз, нигде не найду, кроме как фирму, а брать фирму-жаба душит. Подкиньте адресок, плиииз....

Вот их-то я в ларечках и не видела, лежал у нас около метро только Стиви (советую!! 12-летний Вандер - это сказка))), однако все эти диски реально вышли, и ими даже торгует Озон... Вот на Горбушку я еще не ездила, там, наверное, уже есть.

NBC to Develop Motown Records Miniseries

Thu Jun 3,11:22 PM ET


LOS ANGELES - A 12-hour series about the famed Motown Records music empire and its founder, Berry Gordy, is being developed for NBC.

"Berry Gordy's Motown" will dramatize Gordy's rise from Detroit's inner city to the head of an entertainment empire with artists that included Diana Ross and the Supremes; Smokey Robinson and the Miracles; the Temptations; and Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, the network said Thursday.

The series isn't expected to air until the 2005-06 season.

Producer Suzanne de Passe, whose credits include "Motown Returns to the Apollo," the miniseries "The Temptations" and "The Jacksons: An American Dream," is developing the project with NBC.

Motown Artist Syreeta Wright Dies

Syreeta Wright, best known for her duet with Billy Preston on "With You I'm Born Again," died last night (July 5) after a long struggle with cancer. She was 58. The singer/songwriter recorded six albums for Motown, the most notable being the first two, which were produced by ex-husband Stevie Wonder.

Born Rita Wright in Pittsburgh, Syreeta was working in the '60s as a Motown secretary when she was enlisted as a backup singer. Founder Berry Gordy later signed her to the label and she recorded a Brian Holland/Ashford & Simpson tune initially meant for Diana Ross, "I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You."

Wright married Wonder in 1970. Although the union lasted only two years, their professional collaboration as songwriters spawned a series of hits, including "If You Really Love Me," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and the Spinners' "It's a Shame."

She released her first Wonder-produced Motown album, the critically acclaimed "Syreeta", under the MoWest imprint in 1972. "Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta," which musically depicted their relationship from love/marriage to divorce/enduring friendship, was released in 1974. The titles peaked at No. 185 and No. 116, respectively, on Billboard's album chart.

Her best showing on the chart came with 1980's simply titled "Syreeta," released on Motown's Tamla imprint, which reached No. 73. The duet with Preston, "With You I'm Born Again," originally appeared on that year's soundtrack to the Paramount movie "Fast Break." The track reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart in 1980.

Wright, who recorded her last studio album, "The Spell," in 1983, boasted a resume that includes work with Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Leon Ware and Donald Byrd, among others.

At deadline, no further details regarding Wright's death or funeral arrangements were available.

Smokey Robinson steps out on faith with gospel album
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Smokey Robinson's professional accomplishments have been celebrated for nearly four decades, his name and signature falsetto becoming synonymous with classic songwriting and timeless music.

Dating back to his early days at Motown Records, where he penned hit songs including "Shop Around," "Ooh Baby Baby," "The Tracks of My Tears" and "My Girl," Robinson has been credited as an architect of R&B music. Bob Dylan once called him "America's greatest living poet."

But the details of his personal struggles have been far less public. He began using drugs during the 1980s, and what started out as recreation with friends eventually overtook him for a two-year period.

"I was dead," he told The Associated Press. "I was ashamed of myself because it wasn't like (drug addiction) happened to me as a teenager or a young man. I was a full-fledged adult and my life was going exactly as I would have written it, but drugs don't care who you are or what you're doing."

After his close friend Leon Issac Kennedy took Robinson one day to a storefront church in Los Angeles, Robinson says he quit cold turkey after the service.

"I turned it over to God," he said of his recovery. "I never went to rehab or a doctor or psychotherapy. The Lord freed me that night and when I came out of there, I was healed."

Now Robinson is taking his first step into the gospel world with "Food for the Spirit," released in April on his own Robso Records. Prior to recording the nine-song album, he'd been writing inspirational songs with the intention of shopping them to other artists.

"There are so many people who don't know that I have a wonderful, wonderful relationship with Christ," he said. "As human beings, we are conscious of our physical selves, but I don't think that the majority of us are thinking about developing our spiritual selves. I called the album "Food for the Spirit" because I want (listeners') spirits to be fed."

Motown's roots
A native of Detroit, Robinson's career began with The Matadors, a local group that eventually morphed into the legendary quintet The Miracles. After brainstorming with Berry Gordy to form Motown Records in 1958, Robinson's talents as a singer, songwriter and producer began to take shape.

"Being a part of Motown is one of my proudest achievements," Robinson said. "We were a family ... I hadn't seen The Funk Brothers in 15 or 20 years, but when I saw them at the Motown's 45th (celebration), it was like I'd just gotten through doing a session with them in the studio. One of the greatest thrills that I've had in a long time was doing some dates with Gladys (Knight). We traveled all over the country and had a ball."

Along with writing and producing songs for The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Marvelettes and the late Marvin Gaye, Robinson's own titles as a solo artist have included "Cruisin'," "Being With You" and "Quiet Storm," the title track from his 1975 solo debut that has since launched a whole radio programming movement.

"One of the DJs who was on the air at night in Washington, D.C. named his show 'The Quiet Storm' and it has snowballed all over the country, Robinson said. "I'm really proud that it has become a trademark."

Since the release of his last studio album, 1999's "Intimate," he has regularly shared his story of triumph over drug addiction at churches, rehabilitation facilities, gang meetings and juvenile detention centers. He's also been expanding his line of cuisine, Smokey Robinson Foods, which is available in Chicago and California supermarkets. The project was brought to him by his friend Kennedy, the "Penitentiary" actor and former husband of Jayne Kennedy.

The father of three and grandfather of eight, Robinson is "very happy" with his family life. "I don't have any children anymore; I have all adults now," he laughed. "Being a grandparent is probably the most wonderful part of parenthood because grandbabies are like your kids, plus." He is also rediscovering the joys of marriage with his second wife, Frances, whom he married two years ago.

"I've been blessed enough to have a job that I love and it's by God's grace that I'm doing what I'm doing," he said. "So, I give Him the glory, the power and the credit -- I give Him the accolades. I'm living beyond my wildest imagination."

Кстати - источники в RMG Records сообщили, что в течение двух недель готовится к изданию серия дисков Supremes! Точное количество неизвестно, но будет по два альбома на каждом!!!! Wow!

Вот не поймешь их... Почему именно Supremes? И только ли Supremes? Издеваются над народом, как хотят... :(

Diana Ross planning comeback
05/08/2004 - 12:45:08

Soul legend Diana Ross is planning a showbiz comeback, after spending years out of the spotlight.

The singer stunned fans on Monday night when she graced the red carpet in a rare public appearance at the Los Angeles premiere of Tom Cruise's new movie, Collateral.

And Ross, who excitedly cheered on the arrival of boxing legend Muhammad Ali at the premiere, reveals she's toying with the idea of making a comeback in the near future by returning to singing and acting.

She said: "I'll get back into things."

In June Ross performed at a Connecticut teenage community centre for free to help raise funds.

In February she made headlines for the wrong reasons as she picked up a drink driving conviction, which resulted in her spending two days in jail.

Funk Singer Rick James Dies at Age 56
Fri Aug 6 Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit "Super Freak" before his career disintegrated amid drug use and violence that sent him to prison, died Friday. He was 56.

James died in his sleep at his residence near Universal City, said publicist Sujata Murthy. James lived alone and was found dead by his personal assistant, who notified police, she said.

Police and Murthy believe James died of natural causes. The exact cause was not immediately released.

"There'll be an autopsy and we'll find that out shortly," Murthy said.

Publicist Maureen O'Connor, speaking on behalf of James' three children, said they believed he died of heart failure.

"He passed away peacefully in his sleep," O'Connor said.

"I think he was really fantastic, he was a creator," singer Little Richard told MSNBC.

"He made a lot of people happy, he made a lot of friends and a lot of people got famous through his music," he said, referring to sampling by hip-hop artists such as MC Hammer, who used the "Super Freak" bass line in his hit "U Can't Touch This."

The song earned James and Hammer the Grammy for best R&B song in 1990.

"Today the world mourns a musician and performer of the funkiest kind," said Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. "Grammy winner Rick James was a singer, songwriter and producer whose performances were always as dynamic as his personality. The `Super Freak' of funk will be missed."

James was honored in June by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers with the Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award. Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. presented the award.

"His creative abilities, his instincts about music and production were just awesome," Gordy said Friday, calling James "a pioneer who took Motown in a whole new direction."

With long hair elaborately styled in braids or Jheri curls, James had hit songs and albums from the 1970s into the '80s, but by the following decade his fame began to fade as he became embroiled in drugs as well as legal problems and health troubles.

James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first case occurred in 1991, when prosecutors said James and his girlfriend tied a woman to a chair, burned her with a hot crack pipe and forced her to perform sex acts during a cocaine binge at his West Hollywood home. He was free on bail when the second assault occurred in 1992 in James' hotel room.

James served more than two years in Folsom Prison.

In 1997, he released a new album, but a year later he suffered a stroke while performing at Denver's Mammoth Events Center, derailing a comeback tour.

In 1998 he also underwent hip replacement surgery.

He had lately enjoyed a bit of a revival among a younger generation. Dave Chappelle recently portrayed James as violent and arrogant in a series of darkly humorous skits on his Comedy Central show. James himself also appeared on the "Chappelle's Show" skits, which have become often-quoted cult hits.

James was born James A. Johnson Jr. in Buffalo, N.Y. He had long been reported to have been born in 1952, but according to his Web site and police he was born on Feb. 1, 1948.

James went to work for Motown in the 1970s and got the chance to record an album, "Come and Get It," which was released in 1978 and produced the hit "You and I." He followed with "Bustin' out of L Seven," which had hits with the single "Bustin' Out" and "Mary Jane," and another popular LP, "Fire it Up."

His hits in 1980 included the album "Garden of Love" and the singles "Fool on the Street," "Love Gun," "Come into My Life," and "Big Time." The following year came the well-received album "Street Songs" and the hits "Give it to Me Baby" and "Super Freak."

After a decade at Motown, James left the label as the sexually graphic themes of his music conflicted with the company's conservative approach to pop music.

"They never totally understood what I was trying to do, where I was trying to come from with my music," he said in a 1988 interview with The Associated Press. "For the whole 10 years, it was a constant battle in me trying to acquaint them with what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it."

At the time he said he had freed himself from a cocaine addiction that threatened his life.

"There was a bad period in my life some years ago when I got into a serious cocaine habit; $10,000 to $15,000 a week," he said. "I didn't really see it. My lawyers and my accountants and friends really saw it before I did. They saw that my usage of coke was getting to be a million-dollar-a-year habit. I didn't see it until I went into rehab and I didn't understand it until I got out."

James said he got caught up in living the "bad boy" persona he had cultivated.

"There was a time where I was just trying to live the image wholeheartedly; I wasn't thinking about the person, James Johnson," he said. "I mean, Rick James was just a man-made image, the image I created. Just trying to live Rick James almost killed me."

James also had his own girl group, The Mary Jane Girls. The foursome had a huge smash in the James-penned hit, "All Night Long."

He also provided hits for other stars and worked with some of them, most notably R&B songstress Teena Marie, with whom he recorded the sultry classic "Fire and Desire."

He even recorded a duet with Smokey Robinson, "Ebony Eyes," and made The Temptations contemporary with the song "Standing on the Top" in the early '80s.

James was not married, Murthy said. He is survived by daughter Ty, sons Rick Jr. and Tazman, and granddaughters Jasmine and Charisma.

(Photo: Musician Rick James accepts the Rhythm and Soul Heritage Award at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Awards in Los Angeles, in this June 28, 2004 file photo. James died Friday, Aug. 6, 2004, at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

Rick James' Cause of Death Uncertain

LOS ANGELES - An autopsy Saturday failed to determine the cause of death for funk legend Rick James, authorities said. James, 56, died in his sleep Friday at his home near Universal City. The singer was a diabetic and also had a pacemaker. He suffered a stroke in 1998.

His three children — daughter Ty and sons Rick Jr. and Tazman — said Friday through a spokeswoman that they believe their father died of heart failure.

James had a history of cocaine addiction that led him to two assault convictions in the 1990s and a two-year stretch in prison.

Officials are awaiting results of a toxicology test, which could take several weeks, said Lt. David Smith, supervising investigator of the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

James's career peaked in 1981 with "Super Freak," a song so enduring that a strain of its infectious bass line powered the MC Hammer hit "U Can't Touch This" nearly a decade later.

The song earned the Grammy for best R&B song in 1990 for both Hammer and James.

James had enjoyed a bit of a revival recently, in part because of comedian Dave Chappelle portraying him as violent and arrogant on his "Chappelle's Show." James himself appeared on the Comedy Central show.

Rick James' All-Star Send-Off
Rick James said goodbye to Hollywood Thursday.

Hundreds of fans and close friends of the R&B/funk singer tearfully paid their respects at Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills, not far from where James lived for many years.

Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson, Jamie Foxx (news) and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. (James famously helped revive Motown's declining sales in the late 1970s and is credited with helping save the label) were among the notable guests at Thursday's somber, if not slightly surreal service. Legendary porn star Ron Jeremy, for reasons perhaps only known to James, was also in attendance, as were Marvin Gaye's daughter, actress Nona Gaye, and R&B singer Teena Marie, with whom James recently toured.

Controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan spoke at the four hour-long ceremony, as did a provocatively dressed Yvette "Corvette" Barlowe, a former singer for the James-produced act the Mary Jane Girls.

Wonder, who performed the song "I've Had Some Good Days," told the crowd, "We're here to celebrate a father, a husband, a brother, a friend, a son...to celebrate life."

The Grammy-winning "Super Freak" singer died in his sleep last Friday. He was 56. James is survived by three children, two grandchildren and thousands of fans.

"On behalf of the behalf of the James family, we would like to thank all of his fans. This is his moment of glory. He would've loved to have known he had this much support. We appreciate your prayers," Ty James, the singer's daughter, said Thursday.

Hundreds of wildly dressed Rick James aficionados turned out for the memorial. One, 47-year-old Linda Truitt, summed up the her feelings for the singer by telling the Associated Press, "He did what he wanted to do, how he wanted to do it--his way."

Los Angeles coroner's officials have yet to rule on an official cause of death, pending the results of toxicology tests. His family believes that James most likely died of natural causes. In addition to his long history of drug abuse, he was a diabetic and suffered a stroke and heart problems in recent years.

James, whose super-freaky life had its major ups (hit songs like "Super Freak," "Give It To Me Baby," "Mary Jane") and downs (a stint in prison for a crack-fueled assault), had been in the midst of a comeback. He had recorded more than two dozen songs for a new album and was working on an autobiography titled Memoirs of a Super Freak.

He was also the subject of a wildly popular skit on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show. The show's star, Dave Chappelle, was in talks to star in a movie version of James' autobiography, but the future of the project is unknown in the wake of James' death.

The Buffalo-born singer will be buried Saturday in his hometown following another funeral service with local family members and acquaintances.

(Photo: Ty James, left, Tazman James, and Rick James Jr., right, arrive at the memorial service for their father musician Rick James at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004.)

Chaka Khan arrives at the memorial service for musician Rick James at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004.

Music executive Barry Gordy arrives at a memorial service for musician Rick James at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004.

Nona Gaye, center, daughter of the late Marvin Gaye, stands alone as the public files into a chapel to view the body of funk legend Rick James Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2004, in Los Angeles.

Songwriter Pleads to Not Reporting Income
Fri Jan 14

LOS ANGELES - Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote R&B classics such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," pleaded guilty to failing to report more than $2 million in royalty income, authorities said.

The plea, entered Tuesday, was part of a deal with the government that requires him to file delinquent tax returns, Gary Tang, a spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, said Wednesday.

Whitfield, 64, was scheduled to be sentenced April 18.

He admitted to failing to file tax returns on about $600,000 a year between 1995 and 1999, costing the government $955,000 in tax revenue, Tang said.

Whitfield also has worked as a producer for the Temptations and others. His other hits include "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "War."

Эдвард Пэттен, участник Gladys Knight & The Pips, умер в прошлую пятницу 25 февраля в пригородной больнице Детройта, как сообщил его кузен и еще один участник группы Уильям Гэст. Ему было 65. Пэттен скончался от сердечного приступа, который он перенес за несколько дней до смерти.
Gladys Knight & the Pips (Глэдис, ее брат Мералд "Бабба" Найт и их кузены Гэст и Уильямс) записывались на Motown с 1966 по 1973 гг. и на Buddah Records с 1973 по 1977 гг. Позже они записывались на CBS до распада в 1989 г.
Группа, прославившаяся такими хитами как "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" и "Midnight Train to Georgia", получила 4 награды "Грэмми" и была введена в Зал славы рок-н-ролла в 1996 г.
Пэттен, певший высоким тенором, вошел в группу в 1959 г. Он был одним из основателей Crew Records в Детройте и Атланте, и был бэк-вокалистом у музыкантов, записывающихся на этом лейбле.

Жаль :(

Motown Classics Get Modern Updates
Wed Mar 23

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The "Motown Remixed" compilation is set for a May 24 release. The 15-track album will be augmented on the same day by "Motown Unmixed," featuring the original versions of the source material for the remix project.

Among the notable remixes on the set are Gladys Knight & the Pips' "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by the Roots' ?uestlove and James Poyser (under the moniker the Randy Watson Experience, named for the hapless singer in "Coming to America") and the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" by DJ Z-Trip.

"They gave me the masters to use," Z-Trip told Billboard. "I was like a kid in a candy store. My song starts off the album, so I feel really good about it. I love to show people that I'm versatile."

Eminem's DJ, Green Lantern, remixed Rick James' "Mary Jane," while Groove Boutique (Rafe Gomez and David Baron) tackled Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm" with assistance from legendary vibes man Roy Ayers. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Pete Kuzma revamped the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," while Easy Mo Bee put his stamp on that group's "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)."

On May 10, the label will issue three vinyl singles with extended mixes: a "hip-hop" volume with the Jackson 5's "ABC" and "I Want You Back," a "club" record with "Keep on Truckin"' and "War" and a "chill" edition with "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Let's Get It On" and "Quiet Storm."

Remix pioneer Tom Moulton worked on three tracks for the collection: the Commodores' "Three Times a Lady," the Miracles' "Do It Baby" (post-Smokey Robinson) and the Supremes' "Stoned Love," but none of them made the cut for the North American version of the album.

"Tom Moulton and Universal Music Enterprises have a long-standing relationship, " said Harry Weinger, VP of A&R for Universal Music Enterprises. "We're thrilled that his mix of 'Stoned Love" is on the U.K. version of the album. Tom always does great work, and I am confident that a 'Tom Moulton Mix' will be on a future version of 'Motown Remixed."'

DJ Smash, who remixed Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" for the album, will headline the Motown Remixed tour in May and June. The trek will hit such cities as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco on dates to be announced.

Here is the track list for "Motown Remixed":

"I Want You Back" (Jackson 5), DJ Z-Trip
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Gladys Knight & the Pips), the Randy Watson Experience
"Let's Get It On" (Marvin Gaye), DA Producers
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (Stevie Wonder), DJ Smash
"ABC" (Jackson 5), Salaam Remi
"I Just Want To Celebrate" (Rare Earth), Mocean Worker
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" (Temptations), DJ Jazzy Jeff & Pete Kuzma
"Quiet Storm" (Smokey Robinson), Groove Boutique featuring Roy Ayers
"My World Is Empty Without You" (Diana Ross & the Supremes), Tranzition
"Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" (Temptations), Easy Mo Bee
"Smiling Faces Sometimes" (Undisputed Truth), Futureshock Entertainment
"The Tears of a Clown" (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles), Hotsnax
"Keep on Truckin"' (Eddie Kendricks), DJ Spinna
"War" (Edwin Starr), King Britt
"Mary Jane" (Rick James), DJ Green Lantern
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news...69&ncid=689&e=8&u=/nm/20050323/music_nm/music_motown_dc

Сегодня с утрячка для поднятия, так сказать, послухал с привеликим сатисфэкшеном Чудо-Юдо-Малыша Стиви "Мьюзик ин май майнд" 72-го. Шикарный "дебют по улучшенному контракту" на "Мутауне". Из области "классич. музЫк", да и сам Стиви реал-Мужык. Прекрасный баланс между коммерцией и здоровым новаторством, вкусные баллады и умеренно драйвовые штучки-дрючки а-ля соул. Основной упор на звук пиано "Родса" плюс немного "Полимугов". Грамотная работа "звукачей" энд арранжировщиков, сделавших "конфетку" на все времена. Надо иметь, иметь, ыышо раз иметь...
Хотя, если завтра встану не с той ноги или погода за окном будет полный швах, заведу какого-нибудь Джеймса мать его Брауна...