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Motown M 1067 (A), October 1964
b/w How Can I
(Written by Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter)
Tamla Motown TMG 514 (A), May 1965
b/w How Can I
(Released in the UK under license through EMI / Tamla Motown Records,
credited to “The Detroit Spinners”)
So, as 1964 went on, Motown were getting so huge that they couldn’t justify keeping flop acts on the books and giving them second chances. The other side of the coin, though, is that they were in a financial position to give lots of new acts first chances. From now until the Eighties, Berry Gordy would cut records on pretty much anybody he wanted in the hope of scoring a big hit with a new discovery or a revitalised, written-off has-been.
Not that the Spinners – known to UK audiences as the “Detroit Spinners” to distinguish them from a folk group of the same name – had to worry about any of that. They were neither a hot new act nor a bunch of grizzled veterans. They had no hits for years, but they weren’t kicked to the kerb, instead making themselves useful around Hitsville doing various bits of donkey work: driving the Temptations around town, compering, working thankless warmup slots (and I don’t mean support slots – they saw no shame in loosening up a crowd by doing a comedy skit in Beatle wigs), even sometimes doing the filing… and still finding time to cut a crateful of super records.
The Spinners’ jobs were as safe as anyone could be at Motown. They’d been acquired, rather than discovered, when Harvey Fuqua’s Tri-Phi/Harvey empire was bought out lock, stock and barrel by Berry Gordy (Fuqua’s brother-in-law). Like their erstwhile labelmates Junior Walker, Shorty Long and Johnny Bristol, Motown saw enough in the Spinners that they were persuaded to stick around. Or maybe Harvey Fuqua just told Motown to sign them on up.
Fuqua loved the Spinners. One of Harvey and Gwen Gordy’s first signings to Tri-Phi, they’d scored the label’s first proper hit, an unexpected Top 30 pop hit in 1961 with That’s What Girls Are Made For, and then spent two fruitless years trying to recapture that success (the closest they got was scraping the Hot 100 with the follow-up Love (I’m So Glad) I Found You). Harvey, already an established and successful vocalist in his own right, sang with the group on several occasions, going so far as to play up the association when he released later solo records (billing himself as “HARVEY, formerly of the Moonglows and the Spinners” on some promo labels). If Fuqua held any pull at Motown after he’d been bought out – and he surely did – then his guys could always be pretty certain they’d still have jobs to do while they searched for that elusive hit. Lucky for us they did, because the Spinners would go on to eventually repay that faith, and in the meantime they’d cut some of Motown’s best tracks.
Not this one, though. This one’s a charming little doodle, but in the end it’s a bit of a mess; not really the new start anyone was hoping for.
YEAH, BOBBIE SHARED THE SECRETS OF MY SOUL
The best thing about this record, as is the case for pretty much every Motown Spinners record, is the brilliance of lead singer Bobbie Smith.
Casual fans may not know his name, but Bobbie (or “Bobby”) is one of Motown’s great lead vocalists, and one of my absolute favourites. His technical ability – range, power, whatever – isn’t worth a tinker’s cuss, but he’s pretty much the male equivalent of Diana Ross: his gift isn’t technical, it’s a direct connection to the heart.
In Smith’s case, everything he does is done with a gigantic, unstoppable positive energy. It’s not that he sounds “happy” all the time (well, it’s not exactly that), just that he’s so very into whatever he’s doing. He can’t restrain himself, seemingly just physically incapable of staying in one part of the register, but it’s just such a rush to hear him cutting loose, the giddy emotion beneath the surface forever punching through as falsetto leaps and yelps bouncing out of his “usual” voice, a belt of surprising power out of a slightly gravelly, slightly talky, slightly jagged tenor.
Any record that’s got Bobbie Smith on it is better for it. Not to do down the achievements of the other Spinners, a great blend of voices who almost never cut a total duffer and together (in any line-up) made up one of Motown’s stronger vocal groups, but I’ve been waiting for months to give Smith his proper dues as one of the very best and I’m not waiting any more. Hope you’re reading, Bobbie.
AND NOW, BACK TO THE SONG
I wish Sweet Thing wasn’t the first Spinners track up on Motown Junkies, as it’s probably my least favourite of the whole bunch. It’s not a bad record, it’s just such a weird way to start, all chaotic beats and weird pacing that gives the impression of an irregular time signature, the whole thing barrelling along like a runaway mining cart.
(“Runaway train” implies a mesmerising, unstoppable force, and has too many positive connotations; I don’t mean it so politely. This just sounds completely and uncomfortably out of control, as though it’s going to tip over any second.)
It’s actually something akin to Carolyn Crawford’s similarly all-over-the-place I’ll Come Running, and it runs out of ideas in a similarly short space of time; lots of nice elements (the jauntily pounded piano is great!), a few killer moments (the musical middle eight is a joy), but no real direction, no drive. Or rather, the drive is an aimless, enjoy-the-scenery kind of thing, not going anywhere in particular, but the scenery is a bland suburb and doesn’t get any more interesting no matter how many local landmarks our driver points out. Over on your left, that’s actually where the inventor of the world’s first electric toothbrush went to Sunday school. Wait, what was I saying before I got carried away with this metaphor?
I’m only joking. Sweet Thing makes it easy to get distracted because it’s trying to do too many neat things all at once, and never commits to any of them. The best part, the lead-in to the chorus, when the boys deliver a volley of ahhhhs and Bobbie, on sterling vocal form, declares “Though you’re not the kind of girl / That man just can’t resist / There’s a certain something in your kiss / That makes me want to sing…”, seems to be building up to an absolute monster chorus.
But this is where hindsight is a bitch, because not only does that chorus not arrive (it just sort of peters out and goes back for a reprise of the start of the verse), the Spinners would soon give us the exact chorus that’s missing from this song, almost cut and paste style, as though they knew it belonged in an even better song and just hacked it right on out of this one. It’s called I’ll Always Love You, and it’s magnificent. This? Not so much.
(Also, the lyrics, while well-meaning, are a tiny bit offensive; Bobbie’s narrator is trying to impress the woman he loves by pointing out that he’s still madly in love with her, even with her many faults that would put most men off. Form an orderly queue, girls, he’s taken.)
But this is pretty much the Spinners’ Motown low point, and – as with the Velvelettes a few weeks ago – their worst is still better than many acts’ best. There are so many great moments here that it’s pointless even trying to list them all; it’s just a pity they’ve all been shoehorned into a somewhat ropey little song. And Bobbie Smith I could listen to all day long. For now, knowing there’s so much better to come from these guys around the corner, this will just about 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.
(Or maybe you’re only interested in The Spinners? Click for more.)
Mickey McCullers “Who You Gonna Run To” |
The Spinners “How Can I” |
DISCOVERING MOTOWN |
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Ricky said:
Feel the exact same way about Bobby Smith, he was one Motown greatest lead singers at that time IMO. But, disagree with the verdict the song is very energetic the spinners sound awesome the funk Brothers do excellent job as well. Bobby is the greatest! My verdict 8/10 Should have charted lol
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mndean said:
I remember getting a Spinners bootleg album back sometime in the ’70s which contained nothing but their Motown efforts on it, and this was the only single not represented on it, which seems on retrospect a reasonable decision. It’s about where you put it, Nixon. Not bad, sorta passable. I don’t listen to it much, as it’s no I’ll Always Love You.
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Robb Klein said:
I’d give it a 7. I’ve always liked Bobbie Smith’s singing more than Phillipe Wynne’s.
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The Nixon Administration said:
I assumed you’d like this one better than me, because you liked “I’ll Come Running” so much!
I don’t dislike this, I just keep waiting for it to segue into the chorus of “I’ll Always Love You”.
A more general question for the audience: I’ve seen both “Bobbie” and “Bobby” used fairly interchangeably, is there a spelling the man himself is known to prefer?
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Robb Klein said:
I’ve been told that he spelled it “Bobbie”, and NEVER “Bobby”. The use of “Bobby” comes from the fact that the “ie” ending is generally a “feminine” ending in USA.
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The Nixon Administration said:
Good enough for me, I’ve amended the spelling throughout. Thanks Robb.
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Dave L said:
Thanks for settling the mystery for me -finally- of what single landed sequentially between “Baby Love” and “Come See About Me.”
I never even knew of this song until I landed the group’s first Motown album ( The Original Spinners, M 639 ), that fateful day at the auction I talked about in “You’re A Wonderful One.” I knew it was a find, because it gathered all their singles up to 1967. This is on it, “That’s What Girls Are Made For,” “I’ll Always Love You,” “Truly Yours,” and “For All We Know,” and maybe more for all I know. Motown thought enough of “Girls” to feature it on Collection of 16 Big Hits Vol. 3, in December 1964, though by then and by far it was the oldest track of the sixteen. And there’s what I count as a little jewel on M 639: a Smokey composition/production(?), “Like A Good Man Should,” a song I never heard covered by another Motown act.
But in fact, The Spinners aren’t part of my true memory until the summer of ’65, but then big time. In my neighborhood, “I’ll Always Love You” was as essential as “It’s The Same Old Song,” “Nothing But Heartaches,” “First I Look At The Purse,” “Since I Love My Baby,” “The Tracks Of My Tears,” the Marvelows’ “I Do,” and the Volcanos’ “Storm Warning.” A muscular and masculine record, you never got tired of it.
If this one stiffed, there’s no cause to feel bad for The Spinners; we all know there’s no discussion of 1970s soul music that doesn’t feature them front and center. Theirs is a story of how patience can pay off with true glory.
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Damecia said:
I just want to start off saying that The Spinners are one of the most underrated groups of all time. I recently saw their Unsung and now I can put the name to all of the songs I always hear in the grocery store, on commercials, in shopping stores and movies. The Spinners are the TRUTH! (LOL).
“Sweet Thing” deserves a 7 IMO. As Nixon mentioned above it is on it’s way to being brilliant or a 10. The song just lacks cohesiveness. Ironically, it is this lack that makes me love this song. The guys and the background are superb and Bobby Smith (today I just learned who this man is. Thanx Nixon) is excellent on lead. Like Nixon mentioned he is not the strongest singer, but his delivery on this record is very enticing which keeps me listening to the song. Also, must shoutout the Funk Brothers. Their instrumentation is smokin’ hot! Still sounds good today.
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Landini said:
Hey, if you want to hear a good Spinners album, check out “Love Trippin” from around 1979 or 80. It is a little disco-ish in places but there are plenty of good old fashioned Motown/Northern Soul styled songs on it. Kind of a “back to roots” album. It seemed as though when disco started to fade several artists (Tavares for example) started to go back to their soul roots.
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MichaelS said:
With all due respect, I, too, must disagree with the Administration here. This recording has an awful lot going for it, as others have mentioned. And, yes, it does have some commonality with Carolyn Crawford’s number which I also liked. “Sweet Thing” gets a solid “7.”
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Bob Harlow said:
Never heard this one when it was new.I really like it quite a bit..7/10.
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John Plant said:
I haven’t heard this song – but when I traveled to Burlington, Vermont to hear the Supremes in 1965- performing in a movie theatre as I recall – the Spinners opened for them, and very nearly upstaged them. As I recall, they began with ‘That’s What Girls Are Made For’ – and knocked us all out. I eagerly await your take on ‘Truly Yours’ which has such a magnificent opening instrumental gesture (ok, hook) and builds from there. I tend to like songs which are trying to do too many things at once , so I’ll have to check this one out….
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Ron Leonard said:
The first time I heard “Sweet Thing” was on You Tube a few days ago..I thought it was pretty good however, “I’ll Always Love You”, that had the definitive evolving sound of Motown in the mid sixties..Love it!! “Truly Yours” and “For All We Know” for me were also great Motown mainstays..
What’s funny is, the first Spinners record I ever heard on the radio was “It’s A Shame” in 1970..the others cuts I mentioned above I had on Albums or 45’s I had purchased.
And yes, the Spinners were definately under rated!
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144man said:
I used to think the song’s lyrics deliberately referenced “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and “He Was Really Saying Something”, but it must have been coincidence as the Velvelettes hadn’t been released yet.
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Landini said:
FInally heard this one. Isn’t a bad little song, but not spectacular either. Not sure if has been mentioned, but didn’t Marvin Gaye do a version of this one? I think it was on one of his “Unreleased Songs’ collections.
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144man said:
Recorded in 1967, it finally appeared in 1990’s “The Marvin Gaye Collection”.
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Landini said:
Thank you sir! And a very happy new year to you!
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bogart4017 said:
This is a weird one. I always called it a “jittery” track. I didnt know what to make of it when it first came out but now i think it sounds like someone kidnapped Timbaland and Magoo and tossed them into a time machine set for destination Detroit Michigan 1964.
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Damecia said:
Yes! You’ve described this song perfectly! lmao
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bogart4017 said:
thanks—-i knew if anybody could catch that, you would!
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Damecia said:
lol = )
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The Nixon Administration said:
This is a really good point. I hadn’t picked up on it before, but this song (not the recording, but the song itself) sounds totally like something Invincible-era Michael Jackson might have done – I’m imagining a Rodney Jerkins rhythm bed and early-00s production all over this. Great call, Bogart.
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Damecia said:
Yes I could totally hear this on Incvincible!
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tomovox said:
After you listen to Motown’s 1960s recordings long enough, you start noticing each producer’s little musical signatures or tics. Smokey had a drum fill he favored; I call it The Skate because I can picture an ice skater gliding side to side to this figure. It features in “My Girl Has Gone”, the middle 8 of “When I Had Your Love” and wall-to-wall through The Temptations’ “Little Miss Sweetness.”
HDH favored the Roaring Twenties/Charleston beat and Harvey Fuqua loved, LOVED this peg leg drum pattern. I always imagine that Harvey saw a man walking down the street-a man who had one leg shorter than the other and came up with this lopsided drum pattern. For my money, it was perfected on The Contours’ “Can You Jerk Like Me.”
I give Harvey points for trying to expand the parameters of what could be done on an R&B/Pop record. Yeah, the beat is odd, strange and totally NOT like anything else but you can get “anything else” in a million places. “Sweet Thing” really was something new, at least to my ears. Took some time to warm up to it. It still challenges me! It’s not Number 1 material but I like it. Most of all, I really like that Motown was giving its producers and songwriters the freedom to move beyond the Been There, Done That musical forms.
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therealdavesing said:
Bobbie Smith lead records are ok. Their best Motown (possible any label) records are the ones with GC Cameron on lead.
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