269. The Supremes: “My Heart Can’t Take It No More”
An album filler track with ideas above its station, a strange curio with limited replay value. (3)
Category Archives: Writing credit: Clarence Paul
253. The Valadiers: “I Found A Girl”
Really quite poor indeed, and unforgiveably boring to boot, it’s utterly mystifying to me why this was ever released at all. (2)
252. Little Stevie Wonder: “Sunset”
A striking statement of intent from a young man determined even then to be taken seriously as an artist, and a fine note on which to end Motown’s fourth year. (7)
249. Marvin Gaye: “Hitch Hike”
Fun enough on its own merits, and it certainly did its job – there’s plenty to enjoy here. I’d just be surprised if this was anyone’s favourite Marvin Gaye record. (6)
228. Little Stevie Wonder: “La La La La La”
A virtually instrumental dancer, not much more than a glorified jam session, but plenty of fun, and even if it’s not really all that strong on its own merits, the context makes it a highly likeable breath of fresh air. (5)
227. Little Stevie Wonder & Clarence Paul: “Little Water Boy”
A complete waste of Stevie Wonder. Unfunny, meandering, pointless, slightly unsettling, badly performed pap. (1)
226. The Pirates: “I’ll Love You Till I Die”
This would have made a super Temptations single in its own right, and absolutely doesn’t deserve to lie forgotten as a B-side to a cash-in record under a novelty name. (8)
201. Henry Lumpkin: “Break Down And Sing”
A jaunty, relatively restrained R&B pop number that reminds me of a couple of other records without ever managing to be as good as any of them. 3
200. Henry Lumpkin: “Mo Jo Hanna”
I guess it’s just one of those songs that works better as communal property, as a vehicle for a live jam or for singalong high-jinks, than something you’d choose to listen to over and over again. 3
199. Mike & The Modifiers: “It’s Too Bad”
This would probably have worked quite nicely as a group harmony number circa 1959. (3)
198. Mike & The Modifiers: “I Found Myself A Brand New Baby”
A catchy, R&B-influenced pop-rock song, exactly the sort of thing that was just catching on over in the UK in 1962 and which, two years later, would storm the USA under the catch-all heading of “the British Invasion”. (5)
Motown Junkies 