More Motown rock!
I knew readers would email to add names to my abbreviated list of Motown rock acts in Wednesday's Detroit News story on Power of Zeus
For me, Rare Earth were the best, I loved them growing up and I was surprised to hear Berry Gordy tell Gil Bridges last year, "You guys should have made it."
As far as I'm concerned, they did...I still love their insanely psychedelic take on the Temptations' "(I Know I'm) Losing You," and Tempts fan though I am, I think Rare Earth's "Get Ready" cuts the original (just by a hair).
The Underdogs were mentioned by several, and indeed I enjoyed "Love's Gone Bad" by the band, on V.I.P. (one of Motown's labels). I always liked that song better than their "The Man in the Glass" (oddly predating, by decades, Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror").
The great rockabilly singer Johnny Powers was briefly signed to Motown, he's the only human being to have been signed to Sun Records and Motown (and, I think, Fortune Records).
A lot of famous pop/rock acts signed to Motown after their initial fame had faded. Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons were signed to Motown, but the music didn't chart. Ditto Lesley Gore, and others.
The saga of singer Chris Clark, who's a big favorite on the Northern soul scene, has been documented quite a bit in the last few years.
Mike Quatro, brother of Suzi, was signed to Motown, and sometimes it seems half the town claims to be the "first white artist" on Motown. That one would be hard to prove, but whoever wins had to have been signed way back in '59 to beat Mike and the Modifiers, who signed with the company in 1960.
New CD of early Bob Seger cuts out soon
Good news for longtime Bob Seger fans from Tom Weschler, who just co-authored the "Travelin' Man' photo book documenting his years with Seger.
A Weschler photograph will grace the cover of a new CD, "Early Seger Vol. 1" that will bring together some of Seger's pre-"Beautiful Loser" songs, the ones that made him a legend in Detroit's teen clubs and high school gyms long before the rest of the country caught up.
Also included will be many unreleased rareties, like his cover versions of "Midnight Rider" and "If I Were a Carpenter."
The CD will go on sale Nov. 24 exclusively at Meijer's for a week; on Nov. 30 it will also be available at BobSeger.com.
One can only hope that "Vol. 2" will delve back into the Hideout singles.
According to Weschler, here are the tracks:
1."Midnight Rider" (from "Back in '72")
2."If I Were a Carpenter"(from "Smokin' O.P.'s")
3."Get Out of Denver" (from "Seven")
4."Someday" (from "Smokin' O.P.'s")
5."U.M.C. (Upper Middle Class)" (from "Seven")
6."Long Song Comin'" (2009 re-recording)
7."Star Tonight" (previously unreleased)
8."Gets Ya Pumpin'" (previously unreleased)
9."Wildfire" (previously unreleased)
10."Days When the Rain Would Come" (previously unreleased)
Category: Michael Jackson
Posted by Susan Whitall (The Detroit News) on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 12:07 AMDame Elizabeth Taylor on Michael Jackson in 'This is It'
Who needs movie reviewers?
Actress Elizabeth Taylor, good buds with Michael Jackson for years, expressed herself on her Twitter feed, over and over, about "This is It," the documentary about Jackson's rehearsals for his ill-fated string of London concerts that was deep-sixed by his death last June.
Herewith, I cut and paste from Taylor's Twitter feed so you don't have to, her breathless review:
DameElizabeth I was honored with the great privilege of seeing "This Is It" last week. I was sworn to secrecy, but now I can let you know about it.
DameElizabeth It is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen. It cements forever Michael's genius in every aspect of creativity.
DameElizabeth To say the man is a genius is an understatement. He cradles each note, coaxes the music to depths beyond reality.
DameElizabeth I wept from pure joy at his God given gift. There will never, ever be the likes of him again.
DameElizabeth And we have this piece of film to remind us forever and ever that once there was such a man. God kissed him.
DameElizabeth God blessed him and squandered nothing, but loved it all. Michael knew how to put together every tone, every nuance to make magic.
DameElizabeth To say he was a genius seems so little. I wish my vocabulary encompassed what I feel.
DameElizabeth You owe it to yourselves and your loved ones to see this again and again. Memorize it and say to yourselves, "I saw genius in my lifetime"
DameElizabeth I loved genius in my lifetime. God was so good to me. I will love Michael forever and so will you, if you don't already.
DameElizabeth I hope I don't sound condescending. I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about, but go to see it again and again.
DameElizabeth I meant to repeat myself. I love you. I remember Michael loved you. He was totally up to now and the message of today in all his songs.
DameElizabeth If you listen to his lyrics they are those of a modern day prophet and it beseeches us to listen to him and what he sang.
DameElizabeth I won't use words like preaching because that is off-putting, but listen. Listen to his messages..
DameElizabeth From "Black And White", "Man In The Mirror". The inspiration behind "We Are The World". We must take his words of responsibility seriously.
DameElizabeth We cannot let his life be in vain / and always done with love. Remember that. Remember him and thank God for him and his genius.
DameElizabeth Kenny Ortega did a masterful job of directing the process that goes into making a complete show before hitting the stage.
DameElizabeth From A to Z you get Michael's input on every level. Michael's genius at work with the dancers. Mr. Ortega catches Michael in his every mood.
DameElizabeth You see in front of your eyes Michael's genius blossoming on this piece of film thanks to Kenny Ortega and his crews.
DameElizabeth I truly believe this film should be nominated in every category conceivable.
Alice Cooper on growing up in Detroit with Soupy
Alice Cooper passed on his thoughts on Soupy Sales' passing via his publicist Bob Merlis.
"Being from Detroit, I came home every day and watched Soupy at lunch. One of the greatest moments of my life was getting piefaced by Soupy. He was one of my all time heros."
Here's a clip of Alice appearing on Soupy's show in 1979.
Soupy Sales' jazz legacy
Apart from Soupy Sales' obvious contributions to the comedy of anarchy that helped usher in the '60s as we know it, Soupy also presented some of the best jazz performers on the planet when he hosted a nighttime jazz/talk show out of Detroit in the mid-'50s.
Acts like Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Jackie Wilson -- the cream of touring jazz musicians and many great Detroit-based stars -- would appear on Soupy's show.
The movie about Motown's Funk Brothers, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" featured a brief clip from Soupy's nighttime show, of Motown guitarist Joe Messina playing in Soupy's house band.
I dream that somewhere, on an alternate planet, there are tapes of Soupy's entire show, for us to enjoy. Maybe it's out there somewhere.
There's one other clip from the nighttime show -- the only known clip of trumpet great Clifford Brown performing. Brown, who was the yin to Miles Davis' yang in terms of trumpet style, died tragically in a car crash, at 25 in 1956.
Give thanks to Soupy's lifelong jazz fandom and the freedom afforded him by Detroit TV bosses in the '50s...here is that Clifford Brown clip:
RIP Soupy Sales
Even though he'd been ill a long time, it's still a shock to hear that Soupy Sales is gone.
It's amazing to watch old clips on youtube, it makes me realize how modern and timeless Soupy's humor was...
My favorite video, of Soupy being "surprised" by an exotic dancer (out of view), seems to have been pulled. Here, Soupy and Pookie do Stevie Wonder:
Book discussion: Grand River & Joy
While visiting Book Beat in Oak Park Thursday night for a Bob Seger photo book event, I was reminded that the store is hosting Susan Messer, the author of the novel "Grand River & Joy," from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sunday.
I'd been fascinated with the cover of "Grand River & Joy," but didn't pick it up until my friend Steve mentioned that he'd read it and enjoyed it, as someone who knew that neighborhood well.
The novel is about a Jewish man whose shoe store is at Grand River & Joy, right at the nexus of black/Jewish tensions in the time just before the July 1967 riots.
Messer, who now lives in Chicago, grew up in the neighborhood she writes about.
For more information please call: 248-968-1190.
Susan Messer grew up in Detroit, in the area she writes about, and now lives in Chicago.
Book Beat will also feature a gallery of Detroit photos by photographer Bill Rauhauser, whose photograph is featured on the cover of the novel.
Book Beat is located at 26010 Greenfield in Oak Park. Call (248) 968-1160.
Lawrence Welk...
This is what growing up in the '60s was all about...we had a "straight" popular culture that sometimes made the mistake of venturing over into the so-called counter-culture.
Here the "attractive young couple" Dale and Gail from the Lawrence Welk show present their version of "one of the newer songs" on the Hit Parade.
Nobody involved seems to have a clue what it means including the maestro, who dubs it a "modern spiritual."
Little Steven Picks the Top 20 New York Songs...
Little Steven picked the Top 20 New York songs ...so what would be the Top 20 Detroit songs?
I'm making my list...
What is jazz?
Well let's be careful about what it isn't -- smooth jazz, which has been on everybody's mind this week after it went away from the Detroit dial -- started out as a genre of soft, contemporary instrumentals, but evolved into a mix of R&B, pop and those atmospheric instrumentals.
Whatever it is or was, it was only a distant cousin to jazz.
There are interesting arguments going on right now about the jazz audience, whether it is declining rapidly because of a lack of interest among younger people, or not.
The Wall Street Journal critic Terry Teachout, who has a Louis Armstrong biography due out in early December, is among those who think jazz has become a form of art, rather than entertainment, a sure way to mummify any form of music.
A lively discussion at the artsjournal blog deals with just that.
I have been fascinated with the younger audience attracted to the swing dance competitions around town and to the Hot Club of Detroit gigs. I don't think I'd write jazz off just yet...
