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Motown M 1037 (A), January 1963
b/w Envious
(Written by Smokey Robinson)
William “Smokey” Robinson may have been Motown’s Vice-President, and one of the label’s top songwriters, producers and performers – but his protegées, the acts he himself brought to Hitsville, had a poor track record despite his involvement. His friend Mickey McCullers had seen his fine, Smokey-penned début single Same Old Story bomb on release; now, it was Linda Griner’s turn.
A pretty teenage vocalist with a surprisingly slinky voice, Griner had picked up lots of club experience before being picked as the local support act for the Miracles at a show in Washington DC; Smokey watched, impressed, from the wings, and promptly signed her up (verbally) immediately after the show, taking her straight back to Detroit to meet Berry Gordy and sign a formal contract.
Once Linda got to Hitsville, though, the story turned sour. At 15, Linda was deemed too young to sign a full Motown contract, and this may have contributed to this single and its B-side, both cut during the same session in June of 1962 (right smack in the middle of Smokey’s calypso-inspired run of hits with Mary Wells, the Supremes and of course the Miracles), being the only examples of Linda’s Motown material that have officially surfaced (despite rumours of a whole LP’s worth of cuts, all written and produced by Smokey Robinson, existing in the vaults somewhere, this information having been disclosed about ten years ago apparently with the sole purpose of driving collectors nuts) – and even these two sides not seeing release for another seven months, by which time the momentum had apparently gone. According to Linda’s website at www.lindagrinermusic.com, she went back to school before signing a proper contract with Motown, “and the rest is history” – but I don’t know what that means, because to date this is her one and only official Motown release, and it sold bog-all copies before disappearing from view for years until the Northern Soul crowd picked it up.
All a bit of a shame, as Good Bye Cruel Love (the title is incorrectly listed as “Goodbye Cruel World” on some pressings, but this is an error) is good stuff, and on this evidence Linda could have cut a whole string of excellent Motown singles. Discovering new Smokey Robinson songs is always fun, and this one is a nice little surprise. Featuring the Miracles (according to the liner notes to The Complete Motown Singles: Volume 3) on backing vocals, it’s a bright, sassy, midtempo bit of pop fluff; if the sort-of-chorus that crops up at the end of each verse doesn’t quite scan (I’ve got to move on / Oh yeah, I’ve got to move on), this is a minor nitpick, as the whole thing just glides along on a bed of horns and guitar (indeed, it relies on the saxophone more than any of Smokey’s previous songs that I can think of, opening with a big creamy burst of sax and then featuring that instrument doing “stings” throughout, not to mention a fine solo in the middle). Linda does well enough with it, too; she still sounds very young, but (as with Mary Wells) there’s a knowing edge to her voice that makes her sound twice her age, and makes it all the more surprising when her youthful diction does break through.
Hardly a masterpiece or anything, but a refreshing little early soul treat, and enough to make you wonder what might have happened if Miss Griner had been able to stick around at Motown.
It wasn’t the end of the story for Linda, of course, who – as well as still being musically active (and, if her website’s anything to go by, gorgeous, but that’s by the by) today – enjoyed a lengthy recording career in the Sixties and Seventies as “Lyn Roman”, recording a whole stack of fine records on various labels, among them a disco anthem for the ages in Stop, I Don’t Need No Sympathy for Carl Davis on Brunswick in 1974, which should have been number one for three months.
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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Linda Griner “Envious” |
Motown Junkies 
Another reason why I like this site; I do learn something new with each review.
I’ve never heard this, but I’ve sure had two copies of “Stop! I Don’t Need No Sympathy” since 1975. Brunswick 55508.
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Both Linda Griner and Carolyn Crawford were great young talents, apparently signed by Motown at too early an age. Both of them did fine jobs with good material. It’s a shame that these efforts weren’t backed by a big sales push. I could have seen both their careers flourish (at Motown) throughout the remainder of the 1960s and into the early 1970s. I cherish both their Motown records and Carolyn’s unreleased Motown cuts (just as goof as what was released).
I, too wonder about Linda’s unreleased Motown cuts, NONE of which I was able to find while perusing The Motown Vaults during the 1970s. I have heard from responsible (and credible) sources, that there were enough unreleased cuts to make an album. Unfortunately, NONE of them have made it to The “Cellarful of Motown” or “Motown Treasures” CD releases. Unfortunately, in addition, none have been booted in USA or The UK.
I hope they come to the light of day soon (as I’m getting old).
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Ooohh I loovvee this track!!! A song that should have been a hit but unfortunately wasn’t. Linda Griner could have been one of Motown hottest solo female star as the same for Carolyn Crawford. But there ages got in the way of there career. This is one of Smokey Robinson greatest compositions and Linda is a dynamic singer 10/10
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This should have at least charted R&B Top 20. I can’t imagine why it got lost in the sauce. One of my all time favorite early Motown tracks.. 9/10.
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This is one of my favourite Motown recordings. I’d give it a perfect “10”. How could it be any better. It’s a super well-written song by Smokey. The instrumental is fabulous. Of course, I am partial to mid-tempos. But this is an extremely memorable song. This is the type one sings along to, and learns all the notes and words after a couple plays. It’s termed “catchy”. Despite “7” being a rating that denotes a very good recording, I think it shortchanges this one by quite a bit.
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I recall that this song got a lot of airplay on R&B AM radio station WWRL in Woodside, Queens in New York City. That’s where I first heard it and loved it and latet wondered what ever happened to Lynda Griner. It’s at least a 9 to my soulful ears. Unfortunately, the Complete Motown Singles CD and and the Itunes version cut out before the last AND BEST “Yeah yeah” from the Miracles.
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She changed her name to Lyn Roman, and recorded for Mercury and Dot Records. Her “G. B. Day”, on Mercury, did some charting, as did a few of her elaborately orchestrated productions for Dot (“Just A Little Lovin’ “Some Hearts”, etc.).
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Nice review, but Smokey never wrote a calypso, or even calypso-inspired song that I know of. Calypso is a great music, worthy of exploration, but aside from records like Jimmy Soul’s “If You Want To Be Happy” and Chubby Checker’s “Limbo Rock,” it had very little influence on r&b or soul.
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Bobby Bland’s Call On Me is a beautiful take on the Calypso and Jackie Edwards did a number in such style, Come On Home being a particular favourite of mine.
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The Smokey-penned Marvin Gaye track “Baby I’m Glad That Things Worked Out So Well” sounds very much like a calypso to me.
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