The Nation's Favourite Motown Song

[Deleted User] · 05/07/14 - 19:02

A countdown of the top 20 Motown songs, as voted by the public. Tomorrow night at 9pm on itv.

Blueju · 05/07/14 - 19:10

Thanks for that...I didn't know it was on. Very hard to choose when you've been a Tamla fan for so long !!
Top Five maybe from....Heard It Through The Grapevine...Superstition...Get Ready... The Tracks Of My Tears...Reach Out I'll Be There...My Cherie Amour...I Want You Back.

[Deleted User] · 05/07/14 - 19:17

Blueju wrote: »

Thanks for that...I didn't know it was on. Very hard to choose when you've been a Tamla fan for so long !!
Top Five maybe from....Heard It Through The Grapevine...Superstition...Get Ready... The Tracks Of My Tears...Reach Out I'll Be There...My Cherie Amour...I Want You Back.

I'm pretty sure Stop! In The Name Of Love is going to be on the list

Blueju · 05/07/14 - 19:28

pjw1985 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure Stop! In The Name Of Love is going to be on the list

Yes or You Keep Me Hangin On. I prefer Diana Ross with the Supremes than as a solo artiste but I suppose for just her Im Still Waiting would be in with a chance. I'll probably spend a while shouting " No....not that !" at the telly when its on. Whats Goin On would be my No 1...just like Marvin !

Blondie X · 05/07/14 - 19:29

Best selling ever Motown song is I Just Called To Say I Love You which is rather depressing when you think if the great songs there have been on the label and that dirge outsold them all

[Deleted User] · 05/07/14 - 19:35

Blueju wrote: »

Yes or You Keep Me Hangin On. I prefer Diana Ross with the Supremes than as a solo artiste but I suppose for just her Im Still Waiting would be in with a chance. I'll probably spend a while shouting " No....not that !" at the telly when its on. Whats Goin On would be my No 1...just like Marvin !

I also prefer Diana Ross with the Supreme's but of her solo stuff i rate

My Old Piano
Mirror Mirror
Touch Me In The Morning
Chain Reaction
Upside Down
Love Hangover
I'm Coming Out
Missing You

Of the stuff with the Supremes i really like

Where Did Our Love Go
Stop! In the Name of Love
My World Is Empty Without You
Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart
You Can't Hurry Love
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Love Is Here and Now You're Gone
Reflections
In and Out of Love
Forever Came Today
Love Child
No Matter What Sign You Are
Someday We'll Be Together

I was never keen on The Happening

Blueju · 05/07/14 - 19:38

Blondie X wrote: »

Best selling ever Motown song is I Just Called To Say I Love You which is rather depressing when you think if the great songs there have been on the label and that dirge outsold them all

I agree. I saw Stevie live as a teenager in the 70s and then a few years ago at 02 and hes hardly had a duff one apart from that...esp the cheesy ending cha...cha...cha. I wasn't fussy on Ebony and Ivory either to be honest. I guess Im fussy I know but have loved Motown so long and have most of them in some format back to LPs/45s

Cressida · 05/07/14 - 19:49

So many great songs.

I didn’t know about it so just reading your post has rolled back the years and brought the memories back. I’ll have to watch to find out where my personal favourite I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye comes. It’s centuries since it was resurrected for the Levi’s ad and those dancing California Raisins so perhaps it’s due for another revival sometime soon.

Doghouse Riley · 05/07/14 - 19:53

We've been doing this on the Music Board.

Some records we might call Motown, aren't, but they're all R&B.

There's also a lot of TM records which we wouldn't call Motown, but strictly speaking they are.

Tamla Motown and it's subsidiaries, were just one record producing organisation. There were others of the same era, like Chess producing similar music but with different artists..

It's worth looking through this site,

Tamla Motown. The Complete British Singles Listing.

http://www.broadwayboogaloo.co.uk/boogooA56.htm

This lists every record produced by TM and its subsidiaries from 1959 to 1974. It gives the artist, title of both "A" and "B" sides, the catalogue number and the issue date.

It's a great help if your looking for a particular Motown record, as many vendors of 45rpm records, particularly on eBay, fail to list either the catalogue number or "B" side, which might be different, if it's a re-issue.

It's also handy as prompt to some records you might have forgotten about and even some by your favourite artists you've not known they recorded.

Most then can then be found on YouTube.

degsyhufc · 05/07/14 - 19:56

Would The Spencer Davis Group version of Keep On Running be classed as Motown?

[Deleted User] · 05/07/14 - 20:00

degsyhufc wrote: »

Would The Spencer Davis Group version of Keep On Running be classed as Motown?

Nope

Blueju · 05/07/14 - 20:16

I hope a few slip into the list that are prime Tamla but maybe forgotten. Im thinking of the likes of : What Does It Take - Jnr Walker...Heatwave - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas...Nathan Jones - The Supremes...Aint Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations.

ClareB · 05/07/14 - 20:31

I reckon it'll be I Heard It Through The Grapevine At No. 1. I remember Radio 2 doing a top 50 best selling Motown singles in the UK and high on the list were Bruce Willis Under The Boardwalk and Boys 2 Men End Of The Road.

david1956 · 05/07/14 - 20:36

degsyhufc wrote: »

Would The Spencer Davis Group version of Keep On Running be classed as Motown?

No. Absolutely not. It was by a Birmingham band.

degsyhufc · 05/07/14 - 20:40

david1956 wrote: »

No. Absolutely not. It was by a Birmingham band.

Is it about the lable, the style of music or where the artist came from?

There are plenty of classic songs in styles where the artist is not associated with being 'from' that style of music.

Blueju · 05/07/14 - 20:44

ClareB wrote: »

I reckon it'll be I Heard It Through The Grapevine At No. 1. I remember Radio 2 doing a top 50 best selling Motown singles in the UK and high on the list were Bruce Willis Under The Boardwalk and Boys 2 Men End Of The Road.

Don't know how Bruce Willis got signed to Motown singing just R&B non Motown songs but there you go...the label changed a lot late 80s+. Hopefully this show will have a different slant than 'best selling'

Yo Omars Comin · 05/07/14 - 20:46

This Old Heart of Mine by The Isley Brothers is not only the best ever Motown aong but possibly the besr song ever recorded.

Doghouse Riley · 05/07/14 - 20:48

I've a few concerns about the programme, having read the write-up in my telly mag..

Contributions from "those involved" I'd welcome.

Contributions from, "celebrity fans," who needs 'em?

Blueju · 05/07/14 - 21:08

Doghouse Riley wrote: »

I've a few concerns about the programme, having read the write-up in my telly mag..

Contributions from "those involved" I'd welcome.

Contributions from, "celebrity fans," who needs 'em?

Exactly. These shows are spoiled by those irrelevant talking heads who insult our intelligence by telling us why they think something was good...often when they werent even born when the item was topical. As you say its different if the person chipping in was directly involved with the subject matter.

degsyhufc · 05/07/14 - 21:16

Blueju wrote: »

Exactly. These shows are spoiled by those irrelevant talking heads who insult our intelligence by telling us why they think something was good...often when they werent even born when the item was topical. As you say its different if the person chipping in was directly involved with the subject matter.

That would put the majority of historians out of a job.

Billy_Value · 05/07/14 - 21:42

just check the companion CD track listings which is out on Monday, which will be identical to the show

solare · 05/07/14 - 22:19

pjw1985 wrote: »

A countdown of the top 20 Motown songs, as voted by the public. Tomorrow night at 9pm on itv.

In all these "The nation's favourite...." shows - how do the public get to vote?

NoseyLouie · 05/07/14 - 22:19

Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street is that a tamla one? Brilliant song anyway!

[Deleted User] · 05/07/14 - 22:36

solare wrote: »

In all these "The nation's favourite...." shows - how do the public get to vote?

I have no idea since the first i heard about it was when i was browsing through the tv guide today. So i never knew about it until it was already done

Blondie X · 05/07/14 - 23:22

NoseyLouie wrote: »

Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street is that a tamla one? Brilliant song anyway!

No it was on United and I think it's a far deeper, soulful sound than Motown.

Fabulous song though but then I'm biased as BW was one of my all time favourite artists. Was supposed to be seeing him live in 3 weeks

Doghouse Riley · 06/07/14 - 00:06

NoseyLouie wrote: »

Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street is that a tamla one? Brilliant song anyway!

I haven't checked, but I don't think so. A lot of songs we think are Motown weren't recorded by that company. There's a tendency to lump all the "R&B" tunes of the era under "Motown."

Check out my link to all the Tamla recordings.

http://www.broadwayboogaloo.co.uk/boogooA56.htm

The tune is more famous for its use in the introduction to the Tarantino Blaxploitation movie, Jackie Brown, starring Pam Grier, which was shown earlier this week?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMhxayjtNz0

Hey there!

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