Tags
Motown M 1019 (B), October 1961
B-side of Have I The Right
(Written by Janie Bradford and Richard “Popcorn” Wylie)
Not to be confused with the Miracles’ spiffing Mighty Good Lovin’, this is a generic, uptempo R&B rocker that again sounds as though it was written with the radio in mind, and which also sounds at least five years out of date.
Popcorn himself had failed to shine on the A-side Have I The Right, delivering a somewhat uninspired lead vocal; he’s on better form here, but still nothing to write home about compared to some of Motown’s better male vocalists of the era. The song features some shrill female backing vocals who provide some of its best moments, dovetailing neatly with the bursts of sax that pervade the verses; there’s also a good rock ‘n’ roll guitar solo starting at 1:40, an ingredient that had been used on a few of Motown’s singles in October 1961. Otherwise, this is almost completely forgettable both as a song and a record.
This single failed to chart, and with no more solo releases on the horizon, Popcorn soon left Motown (for almost ten years) following its release; no real loss as a solo performer, since Wylie the singer had racked up three flop singles in a row, but a more critical loss as a musician, since Wylie the keys man was a beloved ingredient of the early Funk Brothers mix. (His absence was covered by group leader Joe Hunter, while his “place” was eventually taken – insofar as such things can be tracked with a group as fluid as the Funk Brothers – by Johnny Griffith).
Perhaps surprisingly, Popcorn wound up landing a solo deal with Epic Records, cutting four singles for the label; his debut was Come To Me, not a cover of the Marv Johnson song which had been Motown’s very first release in 1959, as the liner notes to The Complete Motown Singles: Volume 1 state, but rather a totally different song (as can be heard from that clip). None of his singles was a hit, and he bounced around various labels in the Sixties as a session man, finding time to found the Pameline label and record a number of splendid late-Sixties singles for Karen and Carla, most notably the instrumentals Move Over Babe (Here Comes Henry) and the fully rocking Rosemary, What Happened?. He’d finally return to Motown ten years and several musical lifetimes later, with the offbeat Funky Rubber Band in 1971.
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.
(Or maybe you’re only interested in Richard “Popcorn” Wylie? Click for more.)
 |
 |
| Popcorn & The Mohawks “Have I The Right” |
The Satintones “Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart” |
Motown Junkies 
For 1961, it’s a pretty good song. I think 3 is way too low. I’d give it a 6. But, of course, I started listening to R&B in 1951. So, I am more accustomed to and more comfortable with the older sounds. I bet you consider this effort uninspired. But, I think Popcorn liked the song, and did a reasonably good job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Steve D. summed this song up perfectly in the opening paragraph. “Dated by the time of its release.” Not bad, but just not cool
LikeLike
This is another record that’s more enjoyable when you pretend you’re a backing singer and sing along to it!
LikeLike
Funny, I did that around the 4th time I heard the song yesterday lol
LikeLike
Probably nobody will ever read this as I’m commenting way after everyone else has moved on-but, whateverz!
After the first few seconds, I found this was really starting to grate on my nerves. It just sounded too goofy and silly. But…
As the song went on, I started getting into it. For one thing, I noticed there was a LOT going on musically. Some great drum fills that anticipated the mid-to-late 60s Motown drum style. Some great, catchy, fun backing vocals (it actually seems there are two sets of backing vocals! Pretty ambitious for 1961!)
This is a perky, peppy, happy little song. Is there a tuba in the mix? Maybe it’s my odd affinity for polka music (no, I ain’t lying) that has me liking this song because there is a sort of polka-like vibe to this. Supposedly, there was a newspaper article on Motown in the early days that said Motown would soon be going into polkas! Maybe it was “Real Good Lovin'” that gave them the idea?
Anyway, I rate it a 7 for the goofy fun and the good mood this put me in during rush hour traffic!
LikeLike