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Tamla T 102 (B), February 1959
B-side of Merry-Go-Round
(Written by Berry Gordy – but see “Comments” below)
Infuriatingly, the liner notes to The Complete Motown Singles: Volume 1 set don’t inform us who provided the backing vocals which hold this swinging mid-tempo R&B number together (in fact, they don’t make any comment about this song at all), meaning I can’t say for sure whether Eddie is having a vocal duel with his brother Brian here.
Nonetheless, it’s the contrast between Eddie’s own fine voice and the deep, reverberating backing vocals which really make this one work. It’s basically Eddie singing over the top of a jazz-tinged rhythm bed and the backing singers providing a hook in place of a chorus (“oooooh, it moves me”). The drums, guitar and bass work are all markedly better on this B-side than on any of the three sides previously discussed, and the whole thing is probably a better all-round record than the A-side, although it’s less charming and Eddie’s given less to do.
MOTOWN JUNKIES VERDICT
(I’ve had MY say, now it’s your turn. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment, or click the thumbs at the bottom there. Dissent is encouraged!)
You’re reading Motown Junkies, an attempt to review every Motown A- and B-side ever released. Click on the “previous” and “next” buttons below to go back and forth through the catalogue, or visit the Master Index for a full list of reviews so far.
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| Eddie Holland ” Merry-Go-Round” |
Barrett Strong “Let’s Rock” |
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The record states Vocal Accompanyment, rather than VA with Raeber Voices. That’s a twist. Another is it was published by Bengal Music, rather than Jobete. Sounds like there’s some outsiders involved, but for a B side??? Looks like three authors, Berry, a sister, and someone else, can’t make it out…not Robinson.
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“It Moves Me” was written by B. Gordy, R. Davis and G. Gordy. R. Davis is Billy “Roquel” Davis and the G. Gordy is Berry’s sister Gwen. These two along with another Gordy sister Anna were the founders of Anna Records also formed in Detroit in 1959. It’s interesting to note that in Volume 1 of The Complete Motown Singles only Berry Gordy gets the writing credit for this song.
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Near as I’ve been able to find out, Bengal Music was Berry Gordy’s personal publishing company before Jobete Music. Ro-Gor music was Billy Davis’ and Gwen Gordy’s joint ownership. Fidelity Music was Gwen’s, Billy’s and Berry’s jointly. Maybe Bengal Music was Berry’s, together with his parents and all the sisters and brothers ($800.00 he borrowed from them to start Tamla)? So, then, he started Jobete Music, for himself, alone.
So, with Gwen and Billy as his co-writers on “It Moves Me”, the publisher should have been Fidelity Music. Maybe when Gwen bought Billy out of Anna Records, when he left to join Chess Records, that song was part of the buyout, and Berry paid Billy and Gwen for their share, and the publishing reverted to him alone (Bengal Music)?
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I have to disagree with this verdict. I would give this song an 8. Up until this point this B-side is the best single that I have heard from Motown. If I were alive in ’59 this song would have gotten me on the dancefloor = )
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Damecia seems to have “pre” read my mind in that she said in 2012 exactly what I’m thinking now in 2020. I’m now going through the Complete Motown Singles, Volume 1, and so far this is one of the best. Marv Johnson’s “Whisper” is no. 1 and “It Moves Me” is no. 2.
“It Moves Me” has a great Sun Records-era Elvis Presley sound to it. The BVs sound like a Detroit version of the Jordanaires. Just really a fun Rock ‘n’ Roll record all around.
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Now that you have gone back to Motown’s beginning to review its early songs, using “The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 1” as a guide, did you also listen to Wade Jones’ “Insane”/”I Can’t Concentrate” Released on RayBer Records 1001 in early 1959, but recorded in fall 1958, well before Marv Johnson’s “Come to Me”? If not, you can find this website’s review of it as the first entry in the “Master Index” section. And you can find MP4 videos of its two songs on You-Tube, for listening. I’d be very curious to read what you think of them. Also, please tell me what your member name is on Soulful Detroit. If you don’t want that to appear on this website, please send me a PM on Soulful Detroit Forum.
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I haven’t listened yet to the Wade Jones single but I definitely will after work tonight and bring the thoughts back here.
This whole Early Motown “journey” has been great. I bought all the Complete Motown sets up to 1969 but for some reason, I never really listened to the first 2 volumes.
On Soulful D, I’m WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance in honor of “My Girls”, The Marvelettes.
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To me this is not better than the b-side but the song is really interesting. Eddie Holland voice is heavenly (good example: Take a Chance on Me), and this rocker fits his voice. I just can’t get into it. Don’t know why. Verdict earned.
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I agree with the “5” rating. I don’t really like this song, much. It’s a standard R&R song of its time. Nothing stands out at all. It’s a disappointment considering what Motown could produce in 1959.
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It’s so interesting how nothing in music is necessarily universal- one person’s junk is another’s treasure. I really like this one because it has an Elvis rock n roll sound to me, which was unexpected BUT I also like a Miracles song which has to be one of the oddest I’ve ever heard, “I Need A Change”. I’d love to know what others make of that one.
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I like “I Need A Change” very much. It’s a great mid-tempo all sweet song written and sung by Smokey. There were VERY few early Motown, Tamla, and Miracle cuts I didn’t like. “It Moves Me”, “It”, “Don’t Say Bye, Bye”, “Custer’s Last Man”, and “Poor Sam Jones” were the only songs they released on 45 up through mid 1961, that I didn’t like, except, perhaps, “A New Girl” by Debbie Dean. So, actually, by that time. I had decided to buy every Motown and Berry-Gordy related record, and look carefully at, and try to get a listen from every Detroit-produced R&B and what now is called “early Soul” record. There were literally hundreds of R&B songs like “It Moves Me” out between 1958 and 1960. And, not only were none of them MY style, but moreover, I liked perhaps more than half of those others better than Eddie Holland’s. I loved almost ALL of Eddie’s other Motown-produced cuts much, much, much better than this one. I’d much rather hear him sing sweet songs, and imitate Jackie Wilson than hear him wasted on a run-of-the mill R&R song. Now, if it had had a super guitar solo in its break, like that of G.L. Crockett’s “Look Out Mabel”, maybe I’d think differently, and award it a perfect 10!
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