• About Motown Junkies
  • Artists
    • A
      • Alan, Lee
      • Andantes
      • Anthony, Richard
    • B
      • Ben, LaBrenda
      • Blakely, Cornell
      • Bohanon, George
      • Breen, Bobby
      • Burnadettes
      • Burnette, Dorsey
    • C
      • Campbell, Choker
      • Channel, Bruce
      • Charters
      • Chuck-a-Lucks
      • Clark, Chris
      • Contours
      • Crawford, Carolyn
      • Creations
      • Crockett, Howard
    • D
      • Dalton Boys
      • Darnells
      • Day, Danny
      • Dean, Debbie
      • Diamond, Hank & Carol
      • Downbeats
      • Dozier, Lamont
    • E-F
      • Eckstine, Billy
      • Elgins
      • Equadors
      • Four Tops
      • Funk Brothers
    • G
      • Gaye, Marvin
      • Golden Harmoneers
      • Good, Tommy
      • Gorman, Freddie
      • Gospel Stars
      • Greer, Paula
      • Griffin, Herman
      • Griffith, Johnny
      • Griner, Linda
    • H
      • Hamilton, Dave
      • Haney & Armstrong
      • Hartfield, Pete
      • Headliners
      • Heard, Oma
      • Henslee, Gene
      • Hillsiders
      • Hit Pack
      • Holland, Eddie
      • Holland-Dozier
      • Holloway, Brenda
      • Holloway, Patrice
      • Hornets
    • I-J
      • Isley Brothers
      • Joanne & the Triangles
      • John, Mable
      • Johnson, Marv
      • Jones, Wade
    • K-L
      • Kayli, Bob
      • Lands, Liz
      • Lee & the Leopards
      • Leverett, Chico
      • Lewis Sisters
      • Little Iva
      • Little Lisa
      • Little Otis
      • Littles, Hattie
      • Long, Shorty
      • Lumpkin, Henry
    • M
      • Majestics
      • Mallett, Saundra
      • Mann, Columbus
      • Martha & the Vandellas
      • Martin, Tony
      • Marvelettes
      • McCullers, Mickey
      • McKenzie, Don
      • McNair, Barbara
      • Merced Blue Notes
      • Merritt, Billy
      • Mike & the Modifiers
      • Milburn, Amos
      • Miracles
      • Monitors
      • Morrocco Muzik Makers
      • Mullins, Dee
    • N-R
      • Nick & the Jaguars
      • Oddis, Ray
      • Parks, Gino
      • Paul, Bunny
      • Pirates
      • Remus, Eugene
      • Ron & Bill
      • Ruffin, Jimmy
    • S
      • Satintones
      • Sebastian, Joel
      • Serenaders
      • Spinners
      • Strong, Barrett
      • Stylers
      • Supremes
      • Swinging Tigers
    • T
      • Taylor, R. Dean
      • Taylor, Sherri
      • Temptations
      • Terrell, Tammi
      • Turner, Sammy
      • Twistin’ Kings
    • U-V
      • Valadiers
      • Valvano, Mike
      • Van Dyke, Connie
      • Van Dyke, Earl
      • Vells
      • Velvelettes
      • Vows
    • W-Z
      • Walker, Junior (& All-Stars)
      • Ward, (Singin’) Sammy
      • Washington, Earl
      • Wells, Mary
      • Weston, Kim
      • Williams, André
      • Wilson, Frank
      • Wonder, Stevie
      • Woods, Mickey
      • Wright Specials
      • Wylie, Richard “Popcorn”
  • Great Songwriters
  • Labels
    • Britain
    • Chisa
    • Divinity
    • Gordy
    • Inferno
    • Manticore
    • Mel-o-dy
    • Melodyland
    • Miracle
    • Miscellaneous
    • Motown
    • MoWest
    • Prodigal
    • Rare Earth
    • Soul
    • Tamla
    • VIP
    • Workshop Jazz
  • Marks Out Of Ten
    • I Disagree!
  • Master Index
  • Radio

Motown Junkies

~ because it's what's in the grooves that counts

Motown Junkies

Category Archives: Barrett Strong

85. Barrett Strong: “Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right”

December 20, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

84. Barrett Strong: “Misery”

December 20, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

58. Barrett Strong: “You Got What It Takes”

October 17, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

57. Barrett Strong: “Money And Me”

October 17, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

37. Barrett Strong: “I’m Gonna Cry (If You Quit Me)”

October 8, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

36. Barrett Strong: “Whirlwind”

October 8, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

31. Barrett Strong: “You Knows What To Do”

October 8, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

30. Barrett Strong: “Yes, No, Maybe So”

October 8, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

16. Barrett Strong: “Oh I Apologize”

October 6, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

15. Barrett Strong: “Money (That’s What I Want)”

October 6, 2009

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)

Continue reading →

6. Barrett Strong: “Do The Very Best You Can”

October 5, 2009

Three singles, three B-sides which might, all told, be better than the plug sides. Hmmm. (6)

Continue reading →

← Older posts

MOTOWN JUNKIES

This is Motown Junkies, an unofficial track by track history of Motown: in-depth analysis and discussion of both sides of every Motown single ever released between 1959 and 1988. Enjoy!

 

Index of all reviews to date

Lucky Dip (a random review)


Wales Blog Awards

Best Music & Entertainment Blog
Wales Blog Awards 2012


Recent Posts

  • 694. The Temptations: “Get Ready”
  • 693. The Four Tops: “Just As Long As You Need Me”
  • 692. The Four Tops: “Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over)”
  • 691. Marvin Gaye: “When I Had Your Love”
  • 690. Marvin Gaye: “One More Heartache”

Recent Comments

Bogart4017 on 442. The Four Tops: “Cal…
yellosoul on 442. The Four Tops: “Cal…
Rockin' Ed Pauli on 675. Tony Martin: “Ask A…
bogart 4017 on 318. The Temptations: “F…
Dewey Gill on 226. The Pirates: “I…
yellosoul on 318. The Temptations: “F…
144man on 330. The Morrocco Muzik Makers…
yellosoul on 337. Little Stevie Wonder:…
yellosoul on 330. The Morrocco Muzik Makers…
Álvaro on 177. The Supremes: “(He…

Popular Right Now

  • Master Index
  • 442. The Four Tops: "Call On Me"
  • Labels
  • Tamla
  • Great Songwriters

Links

  • Soulful Detroit Motown Forum Motown discussion forum
  • Soul Source Forum Great discussion forum.
  • Discovering Motown: our radio show Listen to old episodes here
  • Seabear Studios LG Nilsson’s Motown discography and collection of label scans
  • Don't Forget the Motor City Keith Hughes’ indispensable guide to Motown recording and songwriting information

Twitter

My Tweets

RADIO

Motown Junkies presents
"Discovering Motown"
a Motown radio show

Hand-picked hits, harmonies and hard-hitting soul from the world's greatest record label, specially chosen by Motown historian and writer Steve Devereux. Whether you're new to Motown or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something good here

LATEST EPISODES:


Episode 81


Episode 80


Episode 79


Episode 78


Episode 77


Episode 76


Episode 75

Made in Wales

* * *

Check out our radio show:
Discovering Motown

Motown Junkies

This is Motown Junkies, an unofficial guide to every Motown single ever released, or planned for release, on every US Motown label (or via Tamla Motown in the UK), featuring reviews of each A-side and B-side in chronological order. New reviews appear every couple of days.

Think of it as an unauthorised track-by-track companion to the magnificent The Complete Motown Singles CD box sets, and beyond, with marks out of ten.

I'm NOT Paul Nixon.

FURTHER INFORMATION

More info about the blog (and me) can be found here. If you want to leave a comment on any review, please feel free to do so - all feedback, corrections, disagreements and encouragements gratefully received. If you've something you'd rather not say in public, I can be contacted at fosse8 at gmail dot com.

(Oh, and if you arrived here looking for the Motown Junkies music group, they're nothing to do with me, I'm afraid - but they are very nice people, and they can be found at www.motownjunkies.com instead.)

HOW TO USE THIS BLOG

You can jump straight to the full list of reviews so far in the Master Index, or browse by label instead.

If you're looking for something a bit more specific, you can click an artist's name in the "Artist" menu at the top of the screen to see a little biography and all the reviews we've done for them so far. Only people whose records I've already discussed appear there at the moment - more names will be added to the lists all the time as I work my way through Motown's history, so do keep checking back!

Alternatively, the front page displays excerpts from the most recent reviews, and on the right hand side of the screen you'll see a list of the most recent entries and also a sampling of the most popular entries from the last 48 hours, as well as the latest comments left by visitors.

Dive in, explore and have fun!

LEGAL STUFF

This is an unofficial site, and is not affiliated in any way with Universal Motown, Hip-O Select or any of the artists referred to in the blog.

Where indicated, label scan images appear by kind permission of Lars "LG" Nilsson (as originally prepared for the Complete Motown Singles series).

Digital images courtesy of Gordon Frewin are supplied for use at motownjunkies.co.uk by arrangement. All applicable rights reserved. No unauthorised republication is permitted.

Many label images were kindly provided by Robb Klein, together with invaluable historical research.

All text © Motown Junkies, 2009-19. All rights reserved.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy