A final teaming of Strong with the then-Motown songwriting “A” squad of Smokey Robinson and company boss Berry Gordy, this is a good song, but Strong’s performance, while fun as far as it goes, doesn’t go far enough. Competent, but ultimately disappointing. (4)
The final throw of the dice for Barrett Strong, who had spent almost two years trying in vain to score a follow-up hit. (6)
A straight, almost note-for-note cover of a bluesy R&B song taken to the Top Ten in a version by Motown alumnus Marv Johnson on United Artists in 1959, this is pretty much an exercise in pointlessness; if you listen to that one, you’ve listened to this one. (3)
It seems to be intended as a gentle bit of comedy, but Strong delivers it deadpan and without flair so that it falls flat on its arse, preachy and unfunny. Unusual for all that songwriting talent to miss the mark so comprehensively; a case of too many cooks, perhaps. (3)
The start of the “Motown Sound” is traditionally dated to 1963 and the Vandellas’ Come And Get These Memories, but the band had it in them all along, as evidenced by this throwaway B-side performed the best part of two and a half years earlier. (5)
Instead of crafting a better follow-up to Money, this is instead an excellent follow-up to Yes, No, Maybe So, with Strong once again giving it the full Ray Charles in his vocal, and the band apparently bringing the same music to the session (apart from a bit more sax instead of trumpet). In summary: Almost the same as Yes, No, Maybe So, but not as good. (4)
It’s actually a strong song which might have made a respectable showing as a single, rather than being tucked away on the flip side of a flop as turned out to be the case. (7)
It’s a fun little song, and the chorus is catchy (though I struggle not to think of Lord Rockingham XI’s Hoots Mon at the same time), but as a follow-up to a classic hit single it fails to hit the mark; also, the production is weak and muddy, and the sound quality is especially poor. (6)
It would be at least another two years before Motown consistently delivered singles approaching this level of quality, but this pair of sides is such a major leap forward compared to what went before that Barrett Strong should be considered the first great Motown artist. (8)
The whole thing is just an unstoppable, nasty, mean, sexy groove. Everything on the record just demands attention – the raw-throated, almost-shouted vocals, the thundering bass, the spiky, twanging guitars, everything. And somehow it all works. (9)
Three singles, three B-sides which might, all told, be better than the plug sides. Hmmm. (6)
