Tags
Gordy G 7028 (A), January 1964
b/w Just Let Me Know
(Written by Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers)
Stateside SS 278 (A) – April 1964
b/w Just Let Me Know
(Released in the UK under license through Stateside Records)
Enter David Ruffin, and – not coincidentally – the Temptations as we know them.
Smokey Robinson, back in control of the Temptations after a brief power struggle (of which more later) had his missing jigsaw piece for the vocal mix – the last piece he needed to unlock the potential of Eddie Kendricks or Paul Williams on lead, not a new lead vocalist in his own right just yet – people forget this – and it’s fantastic. This was probably cut at the very first session in 1964 when David joined his new bandmates in the studio, and the new blend works right off the bat. Eddie immediately seems more comfortable in his lead role than at any time during the last three years, and suddenly everyone’s on top form, bringing the quasi-Fifties smooth-with-a-hard-edge sound that immediately says “Temptations”. Vocally, this is as near to the Platonic ideal of a Temptations sound Smokey must have had in mind as anything that came before or since.
The tune, too, seems to herald a new era, bursting with cheeky confidence, the insouciance of a record that already knows it’s going to be a hit. (Which is pretty much the case; Smokey – with Miracles bandmate Bobby Rogers – and Motown boss Berry Gordy had each written a new song for the Tempts, and when they disagreed over which had the greater commercial potential, they put it to a public vote. Smokey won hands down; Berry’s song, Just Let Me Know, ended up on the flip.)
This really is a record full of swagger and poise. That two-tone blaring intro, loud more than anything, shouting “Hey! Listen to this, and listen to it now” such that the listener can’t refuse, striking up guitar, handclaps, drums, piano, all on the beat, great aching gaps left in the arrangement in between each beat… damn right HDH were taking notes, observing Smokey’s genius use of blank space, simultaneously de-cluttering the track and amplifying the band and vocals trusted to fill those spaces, both with notes and with presence. Without this record, there’s not only no My Guy, there’s no Where Did Our Love Go – it’s a quantum leap forward.
The lyrics are spectacularly daffy, the sort of thing a clever mastermind only makes his group do once lest the comedy schtick begin to grate. Instead, Smokey leaves things just teetering on the right side of comical, raising a little smile rather than the listener’s hackles; it’s sweetly and gently funny rather than pushy and annoying.
“We need a name that’s witty at first, but that seems less funny each time you hear it… How about the B-Sharps”?
– The Simpsons
You got a smile so bright / You know you could have been a candle / I’m holding you so tight / You know you could have been a handle / The way you swept me off my feet / You know you could have been a broom / The way you smell so sweet / You know you could have been some perfume…”
– The Temptations
Oh, it sounds great, though, doesn’t it? That “Weeeeeellll”, followed by great churning chunks of bass. The And I can teeeeeellllll….” followed by Eddie, flying solo and newly filled of confidence, grasping his magic feather: The way you do the things you do!, and the other Tempts’ rollicking The way you the things you do / The way you do the things you do… That coruscating sax break at 1:35, and that pounding, chiming piano adding an inexplicable touch of classy froideur to the rougher-edged jollity (something the early Contours were never lucky enough to be graced with). And… oh, and everything, really.
This is a record that gets better and better every time you listen to it, and it’s so pleased with itself – without ever tipping fatally into smarmy self-regard – that you can’t help but warm to it.
A new start for everyone involved, a major step forward for the Motown Sound, and a damned fine pop record in its own right. Super.
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 The Temptations? Click for more.)
Gene Henslee “Beautiful Women” |
The Temptations “Just Let Me Know” |
DISCOVERING MOTOWN |
---|
Like the blog? Listen to our radio show! |
Motown Junkies presents the finest Motown cuts, big hits and hard to find classics. Listen to all past episodes here. |
Dave L said:
Otis speaks of the moment in “Temptations” by himself with Patricia Romanowski:
” After we recorded ‘The Way You Do The Things You Do’ we went out for a three-week gig in Saginaw, Michigan, hoping our eighth single would be the one. Just about everyone who’d come to Motown around when we did was racking them up by then…
The minute we got back in from Saginaw we stopped in Hitsville, something we’d do even before we would go home. Everyone we ran into was saying, ‘Hey, haven’t you all heard?’
‘Heard what?’ we asked.
‘You’re all in the charts.’
We kept repeating, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It was like a dream. Someone opened up the current issues of Billboard and Cashbox and there it was: ‘The Way You Do The Things You Do” running up both charts with a bullet. By the time it was all over, ‘The Way’ peaked at number eleven on the pop chart. When David saw those charts, he sat down on a long chaise lounge in the Motown lobby, took off his glasses, and cried like a baby.
‘At last,’ he said, tears running down his face, ‘at last. I have been trying to get in the charts, and at last I’m in the charts.’
I sat down beside him, kind of teary-eyed myself. All I could say was ‘Yeah,’ and ‘Oh, man.’ There was no way to articulate that feeling. There’d be bigger hits, but nothing ever beat that first time.
Welcome Temptations to the consciousness of all young music lovers of that moment, and who never forget you the rest of our lives, some of us whom đŸ˜® can still name your classic era hits in chronological order and by Gordy label catalog numbers.
đŸ™‚ đŸ™‚ đŸ™‚
LikeLike
The Nixon Administration said:
đŸ™‚ Great stuff. I’ve read that quote about David bursting into tears before, and I often wondered if it was a mistake – when this was recorded, he’d literally only joined the group that day, so he must have been praising his own good fortune to land in the Temptations just as they hit it big, not empathising with his long-suffering new bandmates and their seven previous forgotten singles.
LikeLike
Cara said:
David himself had had several forgotten solo singles at that point and had been working at this thing since he was 14. Worse, when Motown inherited Anna contract, they proceeded to do precisely NOTHING with him. He didn’t get to record all throughout 1963. (I’ve thought that while David did genuinely like the Tempts and want to sing with them, a part of their appeal was probably the fact that while they couldn’t score a hit, at least they would get him in the studio.)
Having been at it since 14, he had to be questioning his ability to make it in the music business as much as they were. While probably praising his good timing indeed, he was also experiencing the same sense of relief they were. In Mark Ribowky’s (mostly not very good) biography of the group, Otis has David saying as he cried, “Otis, this is the first time in my life I feel like I’ve been accepted, that I’ve done something.” And (much as I don’t trust Otis) that rang true for him the first time I read it, largely because of how sad it is, and how much that sadness and loneliness and craving for outside validation were part of David’s life. David was a really complex man, and the product of an extremely abusive upbringing, he had few ties and suffered simultaneously from egomania and self-loathing (the former, while very real, largely a cover for the latter). So no, you’re right that it wasn’t about empathy with his fellow bandmates. But I’m quite sure it was partly about having found some kind of tangible success for himself — the chart mattering so much because he needed to be told that he was great, he needed it constantly, and it got him into a ton of trouble — but also about simply having finally found somewhere to be, at least for a few years.
LikeLike
Robb Klein said:
David’s history with Motown before joining The Temptations is often hazy and “assumed” by most fans, rather than correctly understood. He had a relationship with Berry Gordy and Gwen and Anna Gordy as well as with their father, and also with their business partner, Billy “Roquel” Davis. He was brought to The Gordy’s in 1958, while still under the influence of his “so-called guardian”, Mr. Bush, thus his chosen recording name, “Little David Bush” for his 1958 single on Vega Records. That record was produced by Berry Gordy, who ran the session, recorded in Detroit and leased to George Goldner through the distribution deal Gwen’s,Billy’s and Anna’s Anna Records had with him. Gwen and Billy wrote both songs, so, they were involved as well. It must have been a joint venture between Anna Records and Berry Gordy, as Fidelity Music (owned by Berry, Gwen and Billy) published the songs. That’s why it was released on Vega, rather than on the Goldner-distributed Anna. At that time, David worked as a record packer at Anna Records. In 1959, David started singing with Anna Records’ Voice Masters (along with Walter Gaines, Ty Hunter, Lamont Dozier). In 1960, one of his Anna Records releases with that group was credited to him as a solo artist (“I’m In Love”).
In early 1961, when Billy Davis split as business partner with Gwen Gordy and Harvey Fuqua in Anna Records and songwriting partner with Berry Gordy, to join Chess Records and run their Detroit subsidiary, Check-Mate Records, Anna Records went out of business. In the split, Davis gave up his third of the ownership of the production contract to work with Jackie Wilson with Brunswick Records, and the similar one with United Artists Records for Marv Johnson. But, he retained many of the Anna Records’ master tapes, as well as the contracts of some of Anna Records’ artists (such as The Voice Masters (including David), Willie Kendricks, Alan Storey, Ruben Fort, and others). So, David’s contract with Anna Records was not “inherited” by Motown. He was re-signed to Billy Davis to his new Check-mate Records. He recorded 4 cuts released on two singles billing him as a solo artist for Check-Mate in 1961 (“Action Speaks Louder than Words”) and 1962 “Mr. Bus Driver”/”Knock You Out With Love”), in addition to a few cuts as a member of The Voice Masters.
But, his relationship with The Gordys remained through that period, because we know that he worked for Pops Gordy in his construction firm in 1960-61, and even worked with him on the renovation of 2648 Grand Blvd. Motown facilities in 1961 (including the building of “The Snakepit” recording studio). In addition, David lived in Berry and Gwen’s parents’ house for some period(s) between 1959 and 1961 (I’m not sure of when that occurred).
As far as I know, David didn’t physically work at Motown in Motown’s music operations before joining The Temptations near the end of 1963. His brother, Jimmy was working with Motown, and told him they were looking for a tenor to replace Elbie Bryant. So, as far as I know, David was NOT under contract to Motown before being asked to join The Temptations.
He had NOT been taken into Chess by Billy Davis (unlike Ty Hunter, Tony Clarke and Willie Kendricks) but dropped by the parent company, when Check-Mate was dissolved in mid 1962, as Billy was moved to Chicago to run Chess’ entire production operations as chief A&R man. So, he probably ended up physically “hanging around” the Motown offices (at least at times). I don’t remember seeing ANY songs he wrote for Jobete Music during that period. So, I’m sure that he DIDN’T have a songwriter’s contract with them. I’m not sure he had any official affiliation with them, unless he had some non-artist position (chauffeur, record-packer, production assistant, etc.).
So, I don’t think it is accurate to think of David Ruffin “reverting to Motown’s stable of artists after Anna Records’ closing”. he could, just as easily have been signed by Gwen Gordy and Harvey Fuqua’s Tri-Phi Records in 1961 (but wasn’t).
I am curious to know what David’s situation was in 1961 and 1962 while under contract to Check-Mate Records. I wonder how much he was appearing locally, if Billy Davis had him on any tours. And, I especially would like to know what David was doing professionally during the last part of 1962 and all of 1963, after being dropped by Check-mate, and before joining The Temptations. Did he get gigs despite not having a recording contract? Did he have an agent and manager?
LikeLike
Cara said:
From what I’ve read, David DID in fact have a contact with Motown, because unlike the Tempts who were signed as a group, he was signed separately as a solo artist. This not only caused some tensions — it always being there that David had a solo contract while they didn’t — but it also had repercussions later, when it apparently turned out that as a result of these different contracts, he was paying less in group expenses than the other guys (it’s unclear whether David was aware this was happening and kept his mouth shut or was completely clueless, as artists were clueless to most things regarding their finances at Motown). I’m pretty sure this turned up in Ribowsky’s book, which I’ll grant is occasionally poorly-researched, but I’m also pretty sure it turned up elsewhere, too. Now, it’s possible they signed him separately when he joined the group instead of appending him to the group contract, but that doesn’t make as much sense as the other explanation.
Also, do we know how long Motown contracts lasted? Did they vary? Because David renewed his contract in 1971, if that helps us place a date of when he was signed. It very well may not.
LikeLike
Robb Klein said:
It seems most logical, then, that David was signed to Motown as a solo artist, AFTER he was dropped by Check-Mate Records in mid 1962, and before he joined The temptations, near the end of 1963. So, the stories of his being ignored by Motown, despite being under contract were probably true, possibly for a one year to one and a half year period. It makes some sense that either Motown OR Harvey/Tri-Phi would have signed him after Billy Davis’ Check-Mate let him go. By mid 1962, Motown was quite a bit bigger than Tri-Phi, so it makes sense that Motown would offer him the better opportunity. His talent was well-known to both companies, and The Gordy family (with whom he had lived) and befriended, didn’t want to see him without a music-industry home (so to speak). But, I’m surprised that while so many weird experimental projects got studio time and actual 45 releases during that period, and David did not. One would have thought that Berry, Smokey or Mickey Stevenson would have found a few songs for a singer with such talents, who had lived with Ma and Pops Gordy, and been almost a family member.
LikeLike
Cara said:
Yeah, I agree it’s a little odd, but if it is indeed what happened, it wouldn’t have been the last time they pulled such a move — they more or less ignored Denis Edwards after signing him for a couple of years, before a slot opened up in the Contours. He basically dealt with it because he didn’t have a lot of choice, and because they were paying him. A few solo recordings have surfaced, but it seems most of them were actually recorded with the Contours, and whether they were called Contours or Dennis Edwards tracks depended mainly on the prominence of the backing vocals. In an interview a couple years ago, Dennis said that he eventually realized, after being tapped for the Contours slot, that they’d never had any interest in him at all as a solo artist, and were keeping on retainer to deal with an inevitable crisis in one of their many male groups. He was insurance.
I’m not sure what stock I place in these theories, but some people have said that Gordy had envisioned David as a possible Temptation for a while before he joined and may have encouraged it. I think it’s unlikely, but since Berry was good at pulling strings without his targets realizing it, and seeing how they used Dennis, I also don’t think it’s impossible.
LikeLike
Robb Klein said:
I don’t put much stock in that theory, as The Temptations already had Paul Williams AND Eddie Kendricks as two main lead singers. That’s already enough potential to cause dissension in a group. To add a 3rd is just asking for trouble. I assume that The Gordy family couldn’t allow David to be “in the streets”, so, of course, they gave him a contract, and a way to earn money, in the hopes that they’d find a place for him, and be able to take advantage of his talents. The big surprise is that it took one and a half years to find that place, and that they didn’t, at least get him together with a producer, and test some material. He should have been involved in song writing, as well.
LikeLike
John Plant said:
Wonderful essay, but why not a ten? Or at the very least, a nine! Can’t imagine how this glorious song could be improved. Perhaps a nine, in recognition that
the Tempts had even greater heights to climb – the lyrical flood of ‘Since I Lost My Baby,’ the intoxicating adrenalin rush of ‘Get Ready’, the desperation of
‘I’m Losin’ You’ . For the next few years they maintain a level of perfection unmatched elsewhere in Motown; the next three or four albums are of amazingly sustained and rich quality, with no filler anywhere.
LikeLike
The Nixon Administration said:
In brief, because my top 50 probably looks rather different from yours, or anyone else’s – it’s what makes giving out marks so much fun! I only wish the blog software allowed readers to give their own marks, so we could arrive at a democratic consensus. If anyone knows how to achieve this, please let me know!
It’s only the tens I know in advance (having undergone a similar process to your Mojo list exercise), and I can say with some certainty that The Temptations are extremely well represented in future 10s, if that makes anyone feel any better. 8 is still good.
LikeLike
Dave L said:
I don’t get worked up about the marks at all, perhaps because so very many of my favorite Motown songs never graduated beyond dynamite LP tracks, and didn’t even get to be b-sides.
That list would feature every major artist but, staying with The Temptations here, would include -but not be limited to- Born To Love You, Say You, Not Now I’ll Tell You Later, No More Water In The Well, Save My Love For A Rainy Day, and a rare teaming with HDH Just One Last Look. These won’t get reviewed here because Nixon is convining himself to Motown’s released (and scheduled) singles because there’s got to be limits or the work would never be ‘done.’ But I doubt he’s indifferent to these songs by the group, since I know he shares my high regard for the neglected Marvelettes diamond, Knock On My Door.
I’m not sure either that my own favorites aren’t affected by my mood. When all is well, spring is in the air and the birds are singing, I might think Smokey never topped the perfection of his performance of I’ll Try Something New; on a bad day, only the sublime regret of The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage or A Fork In The Road is gonna do the trick.
đŸ™‚
LikeLike
John Plant said:
Dave L, your splendid list brought back to mind those heartbreakingly inspired lines: ‘Here stands a man/with his future in your hands/Don’t let go!” – at some point when I was in my mid-30s, my response to deeply moving music (happy or sad) switched from goosebumps to tears – and those lines were a sure trigger for both responses. I don’t know if You’ll Lose a Precious Love is a b-side or not, but it’s certainly close to the very top. And I’m DELIGHTED to see your praise for ‘Not Now I’ll Tell You Later’ with that sassy soaring at the end – sunshine on a cloudy day indeed.
LikeLike
The Nixon Administration said:
“You’ll Lose A Precious Love” : B-side of “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”, G 7054 (B), May 1966. /spoilers – we’ll get there soon enough.
Motown’s arcane QC procedures, as detailed in the first Velvelettes review, meant that a great many brilliant records never saw the light of day. (It’s hard to berate them too much for this, as they sold a LOT of records doing things their way, and to their credit they don’t seem to have wiped much – if any – of the stuff they didn’t use, instead leaving it all to be anthologised 40-odd years later. But goodness me, did they throw away some classics.) Great LP tracks abound, too; some of them get their moment in the sun here anyway because of the album-raiding ways of Tamla Motown in the UK (meaning that when I get there, almost all of What’s Going On gets covered, and I’m specifically thankful that I get to talk about Oh How I’d Miss You), but most are going to be relegated to footnotes, unfortunately. I’ve tried to give some of the Marvelettes’ better songs from Playboy an airing – there’s actually a clip of “I’m Hooked” sneaked onto the review of the Bunny Paul cover of that song, for instance – but space and time don’t permit a fuller examination. (And, in some cases, I don’t have a copy of the LP to dig and explore in the first place.)
(Of course, as the Bunny Paul thing proves, just because a song didn’t make it out as a single by one artist doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t appear here when covered by someone else…)
“Just One Last Look” is a fascinating, er, look at what the Tempts might have sounded like with HDH at the helm instead of Smokey and Whit – namely, they’d have sounded very much like the Four Tops. (This is a Good Thing). I like “Not Now I’ll Tell You Later” a great deal, though I wish they’d recorded it a year later, Eddie’s early falsetto is again too much all over the shop. Mind, if they’d recorded it a year later, Florence Ballard and Diana Ross wouldn’t be on hand to pull off that ending. “Born To Love You” is one of my favourite tracks from The Temptin’ Temptations, probably too wonkily improvisational to be a Motown single, but Eddie’s vocal is great (pleasingly similar to that on “Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)” from the middle of the album) and David sounds fantastic. “Save My Love For A Rainy Day” always sounded more Stax than Motown to me – again not necessarily a bad thing – kind of a presaging of the grittier direction they were about to go headlong, although Eddie again sounds positively angelic. (Did you necessarily pick loads of Eddie’s leads, Dave, or is this just coincidence?)
Now for some dissent: I’ve never really liked “No More Water”, Paul gives it a good shout, and it’s again certainly ahead of its time, but I find the song a bit generic, and usually find myself skipping ahead to “Rainy Day”. I’ll have to listen to it with new ears! Similarly “Say You” was never one of my favourites from Gettin’ Ready, pretty though it undoubtedly is, and Melvin’s almost-burped “Let’s make plans for twoooo!” is worth some extra marks on its own.
Was that all of them? đŸ™‚
LikeLike
Landini said:
Hey Nix, just re-reading your comments. I recently treated myself to an inexpensive copy of Temptin Temptations Wow! What a great album. And yes, “Born To Love You” is a great tune. I really dig “My Baby” too (I realized that was missing from my collection & was an impetus for buying Temptin). Anyway, can’t wait for your review of “My Baby”.
I agree that many Motown LPs are a treasure trove of great songs. One snooty critic wrote about Motown in the late 60’s & begrudgingly said they made some good singles but called their LPs “junk”. Hmmmph! Of course, these days all the so-called “hip” critics fall all over themselves praising Motown ad nauseum & usually get basic facts wrong!
Cheers!
LikeLike
Landini said:
Hi Again Nix, Yeah I agree that “Just One Last Look” is great though to my ears, I think the Temptations sound even more like the 4 Tops on “Sorry Is A Sorry Word” especially when they chant that first “Remember Me”.
LikeLike
MotownFan1962 said:
I just listened to “Not Now, I’ll Tell You Later”. Flo and Diana add the perfect touch to Eddie, Melvin, David, Paul, and Otis’s perfect vocals. Thanks for mentioning it (I’m not sure if you intended to recommend it, but I certainly will.
LikeLike
Rupert Kinnard said:
My God all those album tracks that you mentioned are just flawless in my opinion!
LikeLike
144man said:
The only other example of the Tempts at Motown with HDH at the helm is the excellent “A Tear from A Woman’s Eyes”.
LikeLike
The Nixon Administration said:
Which, in a neat bit of circular linkage, was also supposedly one of the songs in the ring for this first Ruffin-era single, though never a serious contender once Smokey and Gordy both threw their hats in.
Irritatingly, Youtube doesn’t seem to have a video of that to link to. How disappointing!
LikeLike
The Nixon Administration said:
If you want something doing right, do it yourself.
This is going to be deleted in about ten minutes by eagle-eyed Youtube copyright infringement bods, I’m guessing, so get it while it’s still there. (And admire my movie making skills. Move over Senor Spielbergo)
LikeLike
Dave Cliffe said:
Amazing that it was never released. Just shows what a wealth of talent there was there at the time. Thanks for sharing this.
LikeLike
Abbott Cooper said:
I guess YouTube was more impressed than upset. Still here in 2016.
LikeLike
Robb Klein said:
“A Tear From A Woman’s Eyes” is my favourite Temptations’ song, and it not only wasn’t on a 45, but didn’t even get on an album.
LikeLike
The Nixon Administration said:
The same as with the aforementioned “Knock On My Door” – ironically a couple of years later, Motown would be prizing such unused HDH offcuts above rubies.
LikeLike
Abbott Cooper said:
Like Robb Klein, I usually place a heavy emphasis on the music, rather than the lyrics, when deciding on how much I like a song. And in the case of “A Tear From A Woman’s Eye,” the music is extraordinary. The Tempts are in top form. Those mmmmms remind me so much of the best work of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, especially when they backed Jerry Butler on “Need To Belong.” The Brothers are first rate, particularly the saxes and horns
But those lyrics! Are we to believe that a homeless senior and a poor soul without soles are to play second and third fiddles to a crying woman? REALLY??? Sorry, Eddie and HDH.But unless that woman had a family member whacked during a drive by, I’m going to help that guy without a roof and buy the other one some shoes before I hand the lady a hanky. As for the song, it’s a “9” because of the sweet soul music.
LikeLike
Dave L said:
Oh! How could I forget?!
On the first Live album by the group, Gordy 921. How about the near-orgasmic screams from the females in the audience when Melvin drops his ‘don’t destroy our precious love’-line in “You’ll Lose A Precious Love,” or begins his lead vocal on “Old Man River…?” On first hearing, they are almost scary, but even once used to them, those reactions remain startling.
Typically, Motown live albums require strain trying to find kind words for them, but that first one by the Tempts, with David still in the group, and with no one yet concerned with psychedelia or topical social themes, was and remains a must-have.
It is only coincidence, Nixon, that the titles I named above feature Eddie; doubtlessly, I’m forgetting a Ruffin jewel or three.
đŸ™‚
LikeLike
Stephanie said:
No ten for this perfect record?
LikeLike
Landini said:
This song is perfection!
Interestng that in 1969 a version of this by Diana Ross/Tempts from the TCB special was slapped on the b-side of the Supremes/Tempts “I”ll Try Something New”. Does anyone remember the TCB special? I recall it being a bit too glitzy & full of show tunes/standards rather than the groups’ regular songs & some dreadful comedy bits. . The hits were all relegated to quick run-throughs (like “Things” was). I think this was an attempt to introduce the Temptations to a wider (er whiter) audience. Of course, by this time, the Supremes were Copa/supper club darlings. Everyone performed well, but I remember the in-between song patter made the Tempts look like jive buffoons. Oh well. I remember hoping the Tempts would do “Could Nine” or the Supremes would do “Love Child”. yeah right. The middle american audience would have loved those. LOL.
LikeLike
Governor Milton P. Shapp said:
9 1/2 or 10. The lyrics alone …”you coulda been a handle!!” I LOVE that! I agree it’s goofy, but I’m a sucker for that kind of witty silliness and goofiness. And you know, if you said that to a girl and she took umbrage, you would know you should run away, fast & far.
Musically this record is very jazz tinged- it really swings, the song is an altered blues form. The singing is wonderful, the way they hold out the notes “swept me off my feeeeeeeeet”.. very gospel. So you have that crosscurrent here and it works beautifully.
LikeLike
bogart4017 said:
Those harmonies…….that music. Its where the sacred meets the secular on a Saturday in the ‘midnight hour’. To this day i still walk a different walk when i hear that song. When it first came out whenever i heard it i wanted to get dressed up and go out dancing. Believe me there is nothing like doing a Detroit Bop in two-piece shark skin suit.
LikeLike
The Nixon Administration said:
I’ll have to take your word for that đŸ™‚
LikeLike