Saturday, July 10, 2021

The Supremes, the #25 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One


In 1958, junior high school student Florence Ballard in Detroit met Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, who were in a group then known as the Primes.  Milton Jenkins, manager of the Primes, was impressed by Ballard's singing ability and set out to create a female counterpoint to the Primes that would be called the Primettes.  

Williams' girlfriend, Betty McGlown, was interested in joining the group, and Ballard invited her best friend Mary Wilson, who in turn recruited classmate Diana Ross.  Under the direction of Jenkins, the Primettes began performing at sock hops and talent shows around the Detroit area, singing covers of artists such as Ray Charles and the Drifters.  Guitarist Marvin Tarplin was added to the group so as to allow the three gals to sing live rather than lip-synching.

The Primettes won a local talent contest and in 1960, Ross asked an old neighbor, Smokey Robinson (lead singer of the Miracles) if he would help the group get an audition with Motown executive Berry Gordy.  Robinson arranged the audition, but hired Tarplin for his group with the permission of the Primettes.  Gordy felt the girls were too young and urged them to come back when they graduated from high school.  The Primettes recorded the single "Tears Of Sorrow" for Lu Pine Records, which went nowhere.  McGlown became engaged and left the group, replaced by Barbara Martin.

The Primettes were determined to win Gordy over and went to his Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio every day after school.  Finally, they persuaded Gordy to let them contribute background vocals and hand claps for other Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells.  In 1961, Gordy signed the group to Motown with the stipulation that they change their name.  Ballard suggested the Supremes and it stuck.

In the spring of 1962, Martin left the group shortly after recording some of he songs on the album Meet the Supremes, leaving a trio of Ballard, Wilson, and Ross.  They recorded six singles mostly written by Gordy and Robinson in the next two years, none of which were successful, leading to the label of the "no-hit Supremes" around the offices of the record label.  Meanwhile, the group continued to help out on songs recorded by Gaye and their friends the Primes, who by now had changed their name to the Temptations.

Brothers Eddie and Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier by this time had become established songwriting and production stars in the Motown stable.  Eddie's single "You" in 1958 was produced by Gordy for Mercury Records, Brian was a staff songwriter who penned the Marvelettes' #1 song "Please Mr. Postman", while Dozier had recorded for several labels in the late 1950's and early 1960's, including Anna Records (owned by Gordy's sister) and Motown subsidiary Mel-o-dy.  

 
The three, who became known as Holland-Dozier-Holland, would go on to write some of the biggest hits of the Rock Era while at Motown, and helped the Supremes to finally score a Top 40 hit in 1963 with their song "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes".  When they broke through, the Supremes were touring on one of Motown's revues with third billing, behind Martha and the Vandellas and the Contours.  The gals were backed by the incredible rhythm section of bassist James Jamerson and drummer Benny Benjamin as well as saxophonist Mike Terry.  


Gordy selected Diana Ross to be the official lead singer of the group, though Ballard and Wilson were given solos on several songs on the Supremes' albums.  Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "Where Did Our Love Go" for the Marvelettes, who rejected it.
 
A breakup inspired Dozier to write the lyrics.  He had just split from a woman who "wanted more than a casual fling", Dozier said, and he wasn't ready to commit to her.  When he was playing the piano, the phrase "where did our love go" came to him.  "It hit me thinking about how something so strong as love could be so fragile and then go poof, just like that," Dozier said.  

Dozier ran through the list of artists on the Motown roster and thought of the Supremes.  But they didn't want to record it either.  It may have gone unrecorded were it not for Lamont's persistence:


     I told them it was tailor-made for them, knowing that 
     they had nothing going on at the time and needed a 
     song. Much to my surprise, they said no. Gladys told
     them I was looking for someone to record it. I wasn’t 
     giving up. Brian (Holland), Eddie (Holland) and I 
     finally persuaded them to do it, convincing them that 
     it was their saving grace and they couldn’t refuse it. 
     We had already had Top 40 hits with Martha and the               Vandellas but they hadn’t had recordings of any                       significance yet.

Instead, the Supremes turned it into Gold and the first of what would be a record five consecutive #1 songs in the U.S.  The talented group also recorded a great German version.  The song also hit #3 in the U.K.


 
Now on their way, the Supremes recorded songs to complete the album Where Did Our Love Go.  The trio promoted the album touring with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars and released their second single "Baby Love", #1 in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and New Zealand.

"Baby Love" became the Supremes' first Gold record.  Wilson told The Guardian newspaper in 2014 what the song meant to her:


The upbeat feeling of the music is counterbalanced by the lyrics: someone pleading with a lover not to leave them. It's the Motown way: the music is beautiful but the words are stories about life and hurt, which reflect the way life is. The combination of the two made the music last.



"Baby Love" was nominated for Best R&B Song at the Grammys.  One month after releasing the single "Come See About Me", the Supremes made their debut on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting the song.  The trio went on to perform 19 more times on the show, more than any other artist.  "Come See About Me" made it three consecutive #1's in the U.S., and it also went to #1 in Canada and #2 in New Zealand.
The Supremes then recorded the album A Bit of Liverpool, featuring songs made popular by the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five, and the Animals.  Early in 1965, the group released the album The Supremes Sing Country, Western, and Pop, which included covers of country songs.  The trio followed that up with the tribute album We Remember Sam Cooke, featuring covers of songs made popular by the star who died the previous December.

In July, the group released the album More Hits by the Supremes.



 
The Supremes released the single "Stop!  In The Name Of Love", nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance.  Yet another #1 for the legendary group, which stretched their streak to four, the first time that feat had ever been achieved. 




  

 
The Supremes made it an incredible five straight #1 songs with "Back In My Arms Again", a record that still stands.  The group performed the song on The Mike Douglas Show twice and on the NBC show Hullabaloo!






 
The original title of this song was "I Can't Break Away".  "Nothing But Heartaches", released just prior to the Supremes' first appearance at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City,  stopped just short of the Top 10 at #11.






 
By now, the Supremes were superstars and toured the world.  They appeared in the movie Beach Ball.  Their prolific year concluded with their fourth album of the year, Merry Christmas, which included two songs that have become holiday standards.  The first is "Silver Bells".





 
Also included on the Christmas album is the Supremes' cover of the Julie Andrews song in the classic movie The Sound of Music, "My Favorite Things".







 
The album is approaching two million in sales.  The Supremes released the single "I Hear A Symphony", which returned them to #1.  Dozier told Songfacts:


     I used to go to the movies and I would see that the 
     main stars had their own theme songs. When they                   appeared on the screen, you would hear this
     melody behind them - they had their own little melody
     each time they appeared in the movie. So the lyrics,                 "Whenever you are near, I hear a symphony," it was
      about this guy. Whenever he came around, in her
     mind she got this feeling and she heard this melody. 
     He brought out the music in her.




 
"My World Is Empty Without You" became the group's next big hit, going to #1 in the United States and Canada.

Those two singles were included on the Supremes' next album I Hear a Symphony.

Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" at a time when the Holland brothers were going through terrible times in their personal lives.  "The lyrics were coming from two broken hearts," Eddie said to Songfacts.  "Love isn't only yearning and burning in the heart, it's an itching that you can't make go away - it taunts you."






 
The group's unprecedented run of consecutive #1 songs had been broken, so what did they do?  The began another streak of four straight with "You Can't Hurry Love".


No artist has ever had five #1 songs in a row, and no one in history has had two runs of five consecutive #1's and then another run of four straight.  These were truly historic times.  The Supremes A' Go-Go, featuring those two singles,  became the first album by an all-female group to reach #1 in the U.S., knocking the classic Beatles album Revolver out of the top slot.  

There has never been anyone like them--join us for Part Two of the Supremes!

Friday, July 9, 2021

Aretha Franklin, The #26 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Four

 



(Continued from Part Three)


 
In 1985, the state of Michigan declared Franklin a "natural resource".  She scored a comeback with her album Who's Zoomin' Who, which yielded the #3 smash "Freeway Of Love".  Aretha won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song while the video was nominated for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.






On the strength of that album, Aretha captured Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the American Music Awards in both 1984 and 1986.  The title song reached #7.







 
 "Sweet Bitter Love" is another Franklin tune on which she shines brilliantly.







In 1987, Franklin was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards for her cover of the Rolling Stones' classic "Jumpin' Jack Flash".

 Franklin teamed up with George Michael for the second #1 of her career, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", featuring the great sax of Clarence Clemons.

Aretha captured Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her album Aretha and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for her duet with Michael and she was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Video Artist at the American Music Awards.  The duet was the last Top 10 song in Franklin's career. 
In 1987, Aretha became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and she received an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Michigan.  Franklin recorded her next album, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, at her late father's New Bethel church in Detroit in 1988.  She continued to be well recognized at the Grammy Awards, earning a statue for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female for the album.

 "Through The Storm", Franklin's duet with Elton John, reached #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart.  

Franklin was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 1990 for "Through The Storm", 1992 ("What You See Is What You Sweat") and 1994 ("Someday We'll All Be Free").





She received the Grammy Legend Award in 1991 and in 1994, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the same year she received Kennedy Center Honors.





In 1994, Franklin released the album The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1:  The 60's and The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 2:  The 70's.  The former has sold over one million copies.  





 
In 1992, Lisa Fischer sang backing vocals for Aretha on "A Deeper Love".

Aretha was nominated again at the Grammy Awards in 1995 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "A Deeper Love".



Emerging talent Lauryn Hill wrote and produced "A Rose Is Still A Rose".  Forty years into her career, Aretha landed at #5 on the R&B chart with this great song.

In 1997, the New England Conservatory of Music bestowed an honorary doctorate degree upon Franklin.  In 1998, she substituted for Luciana Pavarotti and sang the opera aria "Nessun dorma" at the Grammy Awards show.  The following year, Aretha was nominated for Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her work on A Rose Is Still A Rose.  

 "Holdin' On" is from the 2003 Gold album So Damn Happy.  Mary J. Blige joined Franklin on vocals.




In 2005, Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President George W. Bush.  The following year, she was given an honorary doctorate in music from the Berklee College of Music.





 "Wonderful" is another outstanding song on the album.  Aretha proved she could scat with the best of them.






  
"A House Is Not A Home" was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick.  Aretha recorded it for the tribute album So Amazing:  An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross.


Aretha scored two more Grammy wins for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Wonderful" in 2004 and "A House Is Not A Home" in 2006.  She sang The Star-Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl in 2006.  Her song "Never Gonna' Break My Faith" with Mary J. Blige, recorded for the movie Bobby, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

When Aretha's duet with Fantasia ("Put You Up On Game") entered the R&B chart in 2007, it gave Franklin her 100th career R&B hit.  She is the only woman to accomplish the feat.

 

Aretha recorded "What Y’All Came to Do" with John Legend.







In 2008, she sang "My Country 'Tis Of Thee" at U.S. President Barack Obama's inaugural ceremony in 2008.  Franklin was named the 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year and won her 22nd career Grammy for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance (for "Blessed & Highly Favored" and "Never Gonna' Break My Faith".

In 2010, Aretha received an honorary degree from Yale University.  She founded the label Aretha's Records and released the album Aretha:  A Woman Falling Out of Love.



In 2012, Aretha received an honorary doctorate in music from Princeton.

Franklin signed a recording contract with RCA Records and released the album Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics in 2014.  


Aretha received an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts from Harvard University.

On August 13, 2018 Aretha was gravely ill and under hospice care at her home in Detroit, Michigan.  The Queen of Soul succumbed to a malignant pancreatic tumor.  President Obama said she "helped define the American experience."

A memorial was held for Franklin at her home church, the New Bethel Baptist Church, on August 19.  Thousands paid their respects, including former president Bill Clinton, the Reverend Al Sharpton, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Faith Hill, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Holliday and Queen Latifah.

Franklin has charted more hits than any female artist in history, 76, with 17 of those reaching the Top 10 and two going to #1.  Franklin has been dominant on the R&B scene, racking up 102 career hits with 49 Top 10's and 20 #1's.

Aretha has sold over 75 million records around the world.  She has won 18 Grammy Awards.
So dominant was Aretha among the R&B crowd that she won the Grammy for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance eight years in a row from 1968-1975 and 11-of-28 years from 1968-1995.  All told, Franklin has won 21 Grammy Awards from 28 nominations and three American Music Awards out of five nominations and was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Aretha Franklin, The #26 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 



(Continued from Part Two)


 
In 1972, Aretha wrote "Rock Steady", #2 R&B and #9 overall, but got plenty of help from Donny Hathaway on organ and Dr. John on percussion.  "There were lots of good vibes," producer Arif Mardin said.  "It was a dream come true."







 Franklin went back to Gospel for the great live album Amazing Grace, which reached #7, sold over two million copies and yielded her version of the amazing title song.  It was recorded in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, with Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir accompanying Franklin in performance.



 

The recording was originally released as a double album on June 1, 1972, by Atlantic Records.  It also won Franklin the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance.






 
On the heels of that classic, Aretha turned to the Young, Gifted and Black album again for the single "Day Dreaming", her 12th #1 song on the R&B chart that also reached #9 overall and sold over one million copies.






 
The album went Gold and gave us this amazing track--Aretha's cover of the Nina Simone song "Young, Gifted And Black".








 
She scored another big hit in 1974 with a song co-written by Stevie Wonder which featured lavish production, "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna' Do)", a #3 smash.  Aretha recorded the song after Wonder played it for her. 





 However, Aretha went through another dry spell that consisted of 13 single releases and 12 years before she scored another big hit.  Nevertheless, she continued to be rewarded with Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (for "To Be Young, Gifted And Black") and Best Soul Gospel Performance (for "Amazing Grace" in 1973) and her seventh straight win for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1974 for "Master Of Eyes (The Deepness Of Your Eyes)".  




Aretha got the help of esteemed producer Quincy Jones on "Angel" in 1973.  Franklin's sister Carolyn (who recorded several albums of her own) wrote it for her.









 Bethune Cookman College presented Franklin with an honorary Doctor of Law in 1975 and Aretha won her eighth consecutive Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing".  Her dominance from 1968-1975 is still a record in that category.  






   
"Mr.DJ (5 for the DJ)" is from the 1975 album You.








Curtis Mayfield wrote "Something He Can Feel" for the soundtrack to the 1976 movie Sparkle.  The film, about a female trio's struggle for success in Harlem in the '60's, starred Irene Cara in an early role along with Lonette McKee and Dwan Smith.  Mayfield told Billboard he wrote it based on "how I thought a woman might feel when she was to love a man."





Franklin was nominated at the Grammys for Best Female Soul R&B Performance in 1977 ("Something He Can Feel"), 1978 ("Break It To Me Gently") and 1979 ("Almighty Fire").  Aretha earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979.

In 1980, Aretha left Atlantic for Arista Records and appeared in the movie The Blues Brothers.  She sang for Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Albert Hall in London and also appeared in the movie The Blues Brothers.  She was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 1981 for "I Can't Turn You Loose" and captured the award the following year for "Hold On!  I'm Comin'".  

 "United Together" is the standout track on from Franklin's album Aretha.

In 1983, Franklin was nominated for another Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the album Jump to It and won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.  Aretha was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1984 for "Get It Right".

 
"Every Girl (Wants My Guy)", co-written by Luther Vandross for Franklin's album Get It Right features the great Paulinho da Costa on percussion.

More from the Queen of Soul in Part Four!

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Aretha Franklin, The #26 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 



(Continued from Part One)

 Aretha released a successful double-sided hit that later appeared on her compilation album Aretha's Gold.  "The House That Jack Built" raced to #2 on the R&B chart and #6 Popular.








 Aretha's version of "I Say A Little Prayer" went Gold and hit #4 in the U.K. and #10 in the U.S.









Franklin released another single from Aretha Now, "See Saw", a song written by Don Covay and Steve Cropper which sold over one million copies despite peaking at #14.







 
Other artists can record songs, and do fine, but somehow when Aretha does it, she gives it "The Weight". 







 
"I Can't See Me Leaving You" from Aretha Now coasted to #3 on the R&B chart.








 
In 1969, Aretha released the albums Soul '69 and This Girl's In Love With You, followed by the 1970 albums Spirit in the Dark and Young, Gifted and Black.  Franklin received good airplay and hits on the smaller R&B format, and won Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Share Your Love With Me" and "Don't Play That Song".

Now that Franklin had found her groove, "Share Your Love With Me" became Aretha's seventh #1 R&B smash in just two years. It peaked at #13 overall.




 
Aretha wrote "Call Me" after she saw a young couple talking on New York's Park Avenue.  Before leaving each other, Franklin heard them say "I love you...call me."  Franklin played piano on the song with backing from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.  The song also made it to the top of the R&B chart and reached #13 Popular.





 "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" shot up to #1 R&B and #11 overall and sold over one million copies. her next 12 releases failed to catch on with the masses.  








 Aretha wrote "Spirit In The Dark" with backing from the Dixie Flyers.  It is a gem from the 1970 album of the same name.

In 1971, Franklin released the album Aretha Live at Fillmore West (recorded March 5-7 in San Francisco, California), which went Gold and went to #7. Aretha released her Greatest Hits compilation album in 1971, which included three new songs. 




 
It wasn't until her cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in 1971 that she revisited the Top 10. When Franklin won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Bridge Over Troubled Water", it was her fifth consecutive award in that category.  The single sold over one million copies. 





Aretha received help from Dr. John on keyboards for the #2 smash "Spanish Harlem", another Gold single that is part of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

Join us for Part Three of Aretha!