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15 More Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 3) ๐ŸŽง [๐Ÿ“ท: Brent Faulkner, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Israel Palacio, John Alan Sperry, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay]๐ŸŽง 15 More Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 3) features Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson & Teddy Pendergrass.  

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โ€™m an โ€˜old soulโ€™ that loves soul oldies! Yes, Iโ€™m a millennial.  My parents are baby boomers, so, they heart music from the 60s and 70s.  That music encompasses various styles, with soul topping the list.  Over the course of multiple evergreen playlists and columns, I always try to incorporate oldies into the mix โ€“ more so than I did when the site was born.  After looking back through many lists and picking ๐ŸŽง 15 Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy and ๐ŸŽง 15 More Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 2), Iโ€™m back with ๐ŸŽง 15 More Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 3).

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Gracing the soulful ๐ŸŽง 15 More Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 3) are contributions from ๐ŸŽ™ Aretha Franklin, ๐ŸŽ™ Luther Vandross, ๐ŸŽ™ Michael Jackson, ๐ŸŽ™ Smokey Robinson, and ๐ŸŽ™ Teddy Pendergrass among others. So, without further ado, letโ€™s take it back and enjoy these oldies!

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1. Michael Jackson, โ€œBillie Jeanโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Thriller โ€ข ๐Ÿท MJJ Productions โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1982

Michael Jackson, Thriller [๐Ÿ“ท: MJJ Productions]โ€œShe was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene / I said, โ€˜Donโ€™t mind, but what do you mean, I am the one / Who will dance on the floor in the round.โ€ One of the greatest songs of all time is none other than ๐ŸŽต โ€œBillie Jeanโ€ by the late, great, King of Pop, ๐ŸŽ™ Michael Jackson.  โ€œBillie Jeanโ€ is just one of many hits from one of the greatest albums of all time, ๐Ÿ’ฟ Thriller, released in 1982. Yes, Jackson has been a leading candidate to be cancelled for a fair share of controversies, but the genius of his music and artistry has never been disputable. โ€œBillie Jeanโ€ is the perfect, timeless name song.

โ€œShe told me her name was Billie Jean / And she caused a sceneโ€ฆโ€ The lyrics are catchy as albeit, while the music (produced by Jackson and the legendary ๐ŸŽ› Quincy Jones) successfully fuses pop, funk, and R&B.  Jackson blesses us numerous times with his signature ad-libs โ€“ โ€œHee-heeโ€ and โ€œHoo!โ€ โ€“ adding to the decadent listening experience. Iโ€™ll leave you with the most famous, memorable lyrics from the chorus:

โ€œBillie Jean is not my lover
Sheโ€™s just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son!โ€

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2. Roberta Flack, โ€œKilling Me Softly With His Songโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Killing Me Softly โ€ข ๐Ÿท Atlantic โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1973

Roberta Flack, Killing Me Softly [๐Ÿ“ท: Atlantic]โ€œStrumming my pain with his fingers / Singing my life with his words / Killing me softly with his songโ€ฆ / Telling my whole life, with his wordsโ€ฆโ€ Back in the day โ€“ the late 60s and 70s โ€“ ๐ŸŽ™ Roberta Flack had a fabulous run.  She had solo hits in addition to striking gold in the duets department.  One of her crowning achievements is ๐ŸŽต โ€œKilling Me Softly with His Song,โ€ which, amazingly, wasnโ€™t originally recorded by her.  Even so, โ€œKilling Me Softlyโ€ฆโ€ in her hands became the โ€˜ITโ€™ version โ€“ the definitive recording.

Why is the Roberta Flack version so good? First and foremost, her voice is angelic, radiant, and incredibly soothing.  Flack has a way of โ€˜packing a punchโ€™ without having to over-sing. She doesnโ€™t need gospel histrionics to sell the pain that she sings about, even considering this isnโ€™t an original by herself.  It also helps that the songwriting by (๐ŸŽผโœ Charles Fox and ๐ŸŽผโœ Norman Gimbel) is impeccable.  โ€œI felt all flushed with fever / Embarrassed by the crowd,โ€ she sings expressively, on the second verse, adding, โ€œI felt he found my letters / And read each one out loud.โ€  Throw in colorful production work (๐ŸŽ› Joel Dorn) that plays well to both pop and soul crowds, and you have a ๐Ÿ† Grammy-winning, no. 1 hit.  Hard to imagine anyone topping this ultra-successful version, right? Well, ๐ŸŽ™ Fugees remade this gem with their own epic rendition.

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง Roberta Flack vs. Fugees: Head 2 Head ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ No. 22


3. Prince & The New Power Generation, โ€œMy Name is Princeโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ The Love Symbol Album โ€ข ๐Ÿท NPG / Warner โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1992

Prince & The New Power Generation, [Love Symbol] [๐Ÿ“ท: Warner]โ€œI got two sides and they both friends / Donโ€™t try to clock โ€˜em, theyโ€™re much too fast / If you try to stop โ€˜em they kick that assโ€ฆโ€ Before ๐ŸŽ™ Prince lost his name (he was โ€˜The Artist Formerly Known as Princeโ€™ at one point), he made it clear that EVERYONE knew his name.  While you can take the subtle approach, obviously, we know that when it came to performances and writing songs, The Purple One wasnโ€™t subtle in the least.  Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s not surprising that on ๐Ÿ’ฟ The Love Symbol Album from 1992 he wrote a gem called ๐ŸŽต โ€œMy Name is Prince.โ€ I should note, that the album is credited to ๐ŸŽ™ Prince & The New Power Generation.  I should also note, โ€œMy Name is Princeโ€ falls under the New Jack Swing style that became a popular R&B substyle in the 1990s.

โ€œMy name is Prince and I am funky
My name is Prince, the one and only
I did not come to funk around
โ€˜Til I get your daughter I wonโ€™t leave this town.โ€

Hmm, โ€œI did not come to funk aroundโ€ โ€“ thatโ€™s a musical euphemism right there! Prince is a metaphorical โ€˜chest pufferโ€™ throughout โ€œMy Name is Princeโ€ โ€“ understatement! โ€œIn the beginning God made the sea / But on the seventh day he made me,โ€ he asserts on the first verse, continuing, โ€œHe was tryinโ€™ to rest yโ€™all when he heard the sound / Sound like a guitar cold gettingโ€™ downโ€ฆโ€ While some may consider The Purple One is being a bit, um, blasphemous, he addresses spiritual matters on the third verse.  You could say heโ€™s woke to the wages of sin and the utterly mad world. Also, worth noting, we get a rap verse by ๐ŸŽ™ Tony M.

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4. The Spinners, โ€œItโ€™s a Shameโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ 2nd Time Around โ€ข ๐Ÿท UMG Recordings, Inc. โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1970 

The Spinners, 2nd Time Around [๐Ÿ“ท: UMG Recordings, Inc.]What better way to close this utterly shameful playlist with one of the biggest shames of them all! ๐ŸŽต โ€œItโ€™s a Shameโ€ marks one of the best songs in the ๐ŸŽ™ The Spinnersโ€™ catalogue, period.  It serves as the opener on their 1970 LP, ๐Ÿ’ฟ 2nd Time Around.  Honestly, the music speaks for itself, but as always, weโ€™ll drop a little blurb.

โ€œItโ€™s a Shameโ€ is incredibly funky and infectious from the jump.  The Spinners provide us with stellar vocals harmonies, accentuating the lead (๐ŸŽ™ G.C. Cameron), of course.  Listening to the record, it reminds us of the golden days of soul, a truly irreplaceable sound.  โ€œItโ€™s a Shameโ€ features brilliant production.  The vintage sound is constructed by the horns, rhythm guitar, and a prominent bass line.  Whatโ€™s better than a fat bass line? Nothing! Of course, the cherry on top are those sweet, colorful lead vocals by Cameron. Nothing shameful about this joint!

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
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5. Shirley Murdock, โ€œAs We Layโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Shirley Murdock โ€ข ๐Ÿท Elektra / Asylum โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1986

Shirley Murdock, Shirley Murdock [๐Ÿ“ท: Elektra Asylum]Sometimes it just takes one song to solidify your legacy.  For big-voiced R&B singer ๐ŸŽ™ Shirley Murdock, that one gem is ๐ŸŽต โ€œAs We Lay.โ€  A truly breathtaking mid-80s R&B record, Murdock โ€˜gives her allโ€™ as she performs.  Her performance is characterized by incredible authenticity, expression, and nuance.  Perhaps itโ€™s not fair when some folks assert โ€˜they donโ€™t make music like this anymore.โ€™ That said, are they totally wrong or wrong in the least?

๐ŸŽ™ Kelly Price would go on to remake this beloved classic on her superb sophomore album, Mirror Mirror from 2002.  Also, โ€œAs We Layโ€ has become a popular sample and for good reason โ€“ the harmonic progression, the arrangement, and overall sound are totally on-point. Of course, it all goes back to Shirley Murdock, who masterfully imparts the tale of two people in a separate relationship having a one-night stand. Damn.  The chorus, the centerpiece, perfectly captures the repercussions:

โ€œAs we lay
We forgot about tomorrow
As we lay
As we lay
We didnโ€™t think about the price weโ€™d have to pay.โ€

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
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๐Ÿ”— ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ2 ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Shirley Murdock vs. Kelly Price: Head 2 Head ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ No. 14


 

6. Teddy Pendergrass, โ€œThe Whole Townโ€™s Laughing at Meโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Teddy Pendergrass โ€ข ๐Ÿท Sony Music Entertainment โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1977

Teddy Pendergrass, Teddy Pendergrass [๐Ÿ“ท: Sony Music Entertainment]โ€œThe whole townโ€™s laughing at me / Silly fool, howโ€™d you lose, such a good friend?โ€ ๐ŸŽ™ Teddy Pendergrass was one of the greatest soul musicians of all time.  Honestly, his soulful, masculine baritone screamed orgasm, chocked full of sexiness.  While his voice never reached the peak of his heyday prior to a paralyzing accident, he still possessed a fire so many R&B musicians envied. A prime example of TP at his prime is his 1977 debut album, ๐Ÿ’ฟ Teddy Pendergrass, which features the โ€˜wholeโ€™ gem, ๐ŸŽต โ€œThe Whole Townโ€™s Laughing at Me.โ€

โ€œThe Whole Townโ€™s Laughing at Meโ€ appears as the sixth track on this landmark soul LP that also features the likes of ๐ŸŽต โ€œI Donโ€™t Love You Anymoreโ€ and ๐ŸŽต โ€œThe More I Get, The More I Want.โ€  A four-and-a-half-minute ballad penned by ๐ŸŽผโœ Sherman Marshall and ๐ŸŽผโœ Ted Wortham, Pendergrass laments losing a love because he was foolish.  โ€œYeah, I had your love right here in the palm of my hands / And I lost it,โ€ he sings on the first verse.  On the second, he asserts, โ€œHad my dream so near, I could reach out and touch it / And I lost it, and I lost it.โ€ You get the picture.  On the pre-chorus/bridge, he reflects on what he couldโ€™ve done to keep this good thing he had, while the chorus finds him feeling utterly stupid.  Besides the elite, once-and-a-lifetime vocals by TP, Sherman Marshall does a beautiful job crafting that 70s, lush, Philly soul backdrop ๐ŸŽ›. If youโ€™re too young to have experienced Pendergrass during his heyday, well, thereโ€™s no better time to explore his iconic music now!

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7. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, โ€œThe Tracks of My Tearsโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Best of โ€ข ๐Ÿท Motown / UMG Recordings Inc. โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 2010

Smokey Robinson, My World: The Definitive Collection [๐Ÿ“ท: Motown / UMG Recordings Inc.]โ€œAlthough I might be laughing loud and hearty / Deep inside Iโ€™m blue.โ€  On the 1965 classic ๐ŸŽต โ€œThe Tracks of My Tearsโ€ (๐Ÿ’ฟ Going to a Go-Go), ๐ŸŽ™ Smokey Robinson is talking about showing face โ€“ a faรงade.  He may pretend with jovialness, but heโ€™s really feeling down because sheโ€™s not there.  Oh, the plight of love Mr. Robinson!

โ€œSo, take a good look at my face / Youโ€™ll see my smile looks out of place,โ€ he sings on the iconic chorus, continuing, โ€œIf you look closer, itโ€™s easy to trace / The tracks of my tears / I need you, I need you.โ€  The best line must be, โ€œMy smile is my makeup / I wear since my breakup with you.โ€ โ€œThe Tracks of My Tearsโ€ NEVER grows old โ€“ that vintage, old-school R&B by ๐ŸŽ™ Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
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8. Wilson Pickett, โ€œLand of 1000 Dancesโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ The Exciting Wilson Pickett โ€ข ๐Ÿท Atlantic โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1966

Wilson Pickett, The Exciting Wilson Pickett [๐Ÿ“ท: Atlantic]โ€œ1-2-3 / 1-2-3 / Ow! Uh! Alright! Uh!โ€ Ah, ๐Ÿ’ฟ The Exciting Wilson Pickett โ€“ what a great way to characterize legendary soul singer ๐ŸŽ™ Wilson Pickett.  He was, indeed, quite exciting, infusing ample energy into his music.  The 60s marked the ascent of Pickett, with ๐ŸŽต โ€œLand of 1000 Dancesโ€ ranking among his best and most important songs of his career.  โ€œLand of 1000 Dancesโ€ was written by and originally performed by ๐ŸŽ™ ๐ŸŽผโœ Chris Kenner in 1962.  Pickett, of course, would record the definitive version in 1965.

What makes โ€œLand of 1000 Dancesโ€ so awesome? Itโ€™s fun, infectious, and TONGUE-N-CHEEK period.  You canโ€™t listen to this Wilson Pickett classic without smiling, singing along, or moving and grooving.  The โ€œna-naโ€™sโ€ rank among the most memorable parts.  That said, there are plenty of fun lyrics, including those that reference other songs such as โ€œGot to know how to pony / Like โ€˜Bony Maronieโ€™.โ€  Music doesnโ€™t sound like โ€œLand of 1000 Dancesโ€ anymore, but honestly, thatโ€™s part of the charm of hearing this six-decade-old gem in the 2020s.

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9. The Brothers Johnson, โ€œStrawberry Letter 23โ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Right on Time โ€ข ๐Ÿท A&M โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1977

The Brothers Johnson, Right on Time [๐Ÿ“ท : A&M]๐ŸŽต โ€œStrawberry Letter 23โ€ was written and originally performed by a 17-year-old named ๐ŸŽ™ Shuggie Otis.  However, often, this R&B classic is attributed to the funk/soul group, ๐ŸŽ™ The Brothers Johnson.  Why? Sometimes, when it comes to covers, they just arrive at the right place at the right time.  Honestly, itโ€™s much like the title of their 1977 album โ€“ ๐Ÿ’ฟ Right On Time.  The biggest hit from that album, as well as The Brother Johnsonโ€™s career is *drum roll please* โ€œSTRAWBERRY LETTER 23โ€!

Shuggie Otis โ€˜put in workโ€™ on the original in 1971, but you could say it took an iconic producer (๐ŸŽ› Quincy Jones) and another soul act to make the record a hit. Naturally, there are differences between both versions; theyโ€™re distinct despite being the same song, which is cool.  In the case of The Brothers Johnson take, it runs longer, by one minute. Furthermore, it features more robust bass, and generally, more polished, sleeker sounds.  Compared to the original, you can hear the advancements in production, even in six short years.  Then again, keep in mind WHO is behind the boards โ€“ a L-E-G-E-N-D.  As for the vocals, they are buttery smooth, idiomatic of the late 70s soul sound.  Smoother than Shuggie? Yes, but that doesnโ€™t necessarily dictate a better-rounded performance โ€“ just an observation.

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๐Ÿ”— ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Shuggie Otis vs. The Brothers Johnson: Head 2 Head ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ No. 17


10. Commodores, โ€œEasyโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Commodores โ€ข ๐Ÿท Motown โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1977

Commodores, Commodores [๐Ÿ“ท: Motown]โ€œThatโ€™s why Iโ€™m easy / Iโ€™m easy like Sunday morning.โ€ The greatest EASY song of all time arrives courtesy of ๐Ÿ† Grammy winning group ๐ŸŽ™ Commodores and itโ€™s simply undisputed!  The collective marks one of the truly legendary R&B groups of the 70s and 80s, incorporating numerous styles into their music.  Of course, the key piece, early on, was none other than ๐Ÿ† Grammy winner ๐ŸŽ™ Lionel Richie, whoโ€™d eventually have a monster career as a solo artist.  But long before he spread his wings, heโ€™d pen the iconic ๐ŸŽต โ€œEasy,โ€ which ranks among the most beloved Commodores songs.

โ€œEasyโ€ appears on the 1977 album, simply titled ๐Ÿ’ฟ Commodores, alongside ๐ŸŽต โ€œBrick House,โ€ another iconic cut.  While it would be easy to associate easy as slang with openness to making love, thatโ€™s simply NOT the context here. Instead, Richie and company seem to be referring to being easy and simple to love โ€“ down to earth and most comfortable being true to self.  Even so, โ€œEverybody wants me to be what they want me to be,โ€ and simply, โ€œIโ€™m not happy when I try to fake it.โ€ Understandable.  Beyond the incredibly memorable chorus, as well as those standout lines from the second verse, the bridge marks a key moment:

โ€œI wanna be high, so high
I wanna be free to know the things I do are right
Just wanna be free
Just me, oh babe
Ooh.โ€

Follow that up with a sweet guitar solo, plus more of that sweet, late 70s soul production, and โ€œEasyโ€ remains as beloved and fresh as it was back in the day.  This is the perfect way to cap off this EASY driven playlist.

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11. Luther Vandross, โ€œSuperstarโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Busy Body โ€ข ๐Ÿท Sony Music Entertainment โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1983

Luther Vandross, Busy Body [๐Ÿ“ท: Sony Music Entertainment]There are few singers who could sing as smooth as ๐ŸŽ™ Luther Vandross.  Vandross was the exemplification of cool energy and finesse.  His vocal performances can be characterized by being refined.  One of Vandrossโ€™ best, most iconic performances was his cover of ๐ŸŽต โ€œSuperstar,โ€ popularized by ๐ŸŽ™ The Carpenters, who covered the songs themselves.  Appearing as the seventh track on his 1983 album, ๐Ÿ’ฟ Busy Body, the original nine-minute-long song is fused with the soul gem, ๐ŸŽต โ€œUntil You Come Back to Me (Thatโ€™s What Iโ€™m Gonna Do)โ€.  On various greatest hits compilations, itโ€™s released as a standalone, five-and-a-half-minute-long number.

 

Listening to Luther sing โ€œSuperstarโ€ is a heavenly experience โ€“ itโ€™s almost spiritual! His tone is silky smooth, riding lush production work with incredible ease.  He sings with utmost expression yet never forces things.  Furthermore, that backdrop, intact with keys, strings, and backing vocals, never crowds or inhibits Vandross โ€“ heโ€™s always in command. Speaking of background vocals, I love it when we get those sweet โ€˜Lutheranโ€™ (not religious) harmonies.  The Carpenters performed this ๐ŸŽผโœ Bonnie Bramlett / ๐ŸŽผโœ Leon Russell classic sensationally, but Vandross makes it his own, gorgeous adult contemporary R&B masterpiece.

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
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12. The Main Ingredient, โ€œEverybody Plays the Foolโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Bitter Sweet โ€ข ๐Ÿท RCA โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1972

The Main Ingredient, Bitter Sweet [๐Ÿ“ท : RCA]In case you needed to know, โ€œEverybody plays the fool, sometime / Thereโ€™s no exception to the rule.โ€ Facts, courtesy of classic soul collective, ๐ŸŽ™ The Main Ingredient.  Those iconic lyrics, of course, hail from the groupโ€™s biggest hit, the ๐Ÿ† Grammy-nominated gem, ๐ŸŽต โ€œEverybody Plays the Fool.โ€  Thereโ€™s nothing โ€˜foolishโ€™ about this hit, which appears on their 1972 album, ๐Ÿ’ฟ Bitter Sweet. Also, worth noting, another soul icon, ๐ŸŽต Aaron Neville, would cover this classic and achieve his own success.  Still, the OGโ€™s of โ€œEverybody Plays the Foolโ€ is none other than The Main Ingredient.

 

So, what makes โ€œEverybody Plays the Foolโ€ so epic? The production is colorful and incredibly soulful โ€“ certainly idiomatic of the smooth, sleek 70s sound (piano, robust bass, winds, strings, etc.).  The vocals are elite โ€“ shout out ๐ŸŽ™ Cuba Gooding, Sr..  The lyrics are relatable, capturing that foolishness we all experience at some time with love. โ€œOh, heaven on earth is all you see,โ€ goes the second verse, continuing, โ€œYouโ€™re out of touch with reality / And now you cry, but when you do / Next time around, someone cries for you.โ€ Of course, the chorus nails it, continuing from earlier, โ€œListen baby / โ€œIt may be factual, may be cruel / I wanna tell you that / Everybody plays the fool.โ€  FACTS!

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13. Marvin Gaye, โ€œThe World is Rated X โ€“ Alternate Mixโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Youโ€™re the Man โ€ข ๐Ÿท Motown โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 2019

Marvin Gaye, You're the Man [๐Ÿ“ท: Motown]๐ŸŽต โ€œThe World is Rated Xโ€ keeps ๐Ÿ’ฟ Youโ€™re the Man, the โ€˜lostโ€™ album by the late, great soul icon, ๐ŸŽ™ Marvin Gaye, going strong early on. A superb, socially charged standout, the production is masterful, led by the agile, robust bass lines, and the lush, dramatic strings. Gaye is locked-in, showing incredibly authenticity as he laments the corrupt state of the world.

 

At the end of โ€œThe World is Rated Xโ€, Gayeโ€™s totally disturbed and totally riled up:

โ€œWhereโ€™s the love? Whereโ€™s the peace?
Whereโ€™s the joy? Whereโ€™s the hope for us all?
God is watching, He knows where youโ€™re at
Yes, heโ€™s watching the situation, thatโ€™s a fact.โ€

โ€œThe World is Rated Xโ€ has appeared as a bonus track on various Marvin Gaye reissues, as well as Youโ€™re the Man for good reason.  Itโ€™s a damn good song that epitomizes 70s soul through and though.

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง 11 Songs That are X-Rated, to Some Extent
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง X: 5ive Songs No. 64 (2021)


14. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, โ€œThe Tears of a Clownโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Best of โ€ข ๐Ÿท Motown / UMG Recordings Inc. โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 2010

Smokey Robinson, My World: The Definitive Collection [๐Ÿ“ท: Motown / UMG Recordings Inc.]โ€œNow if thereโ€™s a smile on my face / Itโ€™s only there tryinโ€™ to fool the public.โ€ ๐ŸŽ™ Smokey Robinson ranks among the greatest songwriters of all time. His 1967 record, ๐ŸŽต โ€œThe Tears of a Clownโ€ (๐Ÿ’ฟ Make it Happen) is among the best of his illustrious catalog.  Like on another tearful gem, โ€œThe Tracks of My Tears,โ€ ๐ŸŽ™ Smokey Robinson & The Miracles put on a faรงade:

โ€œBut donโ€™t let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression.โ€

Ultimately, he has โ€œThe tears of a clown, when thereโ€™s no one around / OH YEAH BABY.โ€ The funny thing is that โ€œTears of a Clownโ€ is an up-tempo soul record that makes you want to dance.  Despite this, that faรงade is real.  

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง A Compendium Filled with Tears


15. Aretha Franklin, โ€œThe Long and Winding Roadโ€

๐Ÿ’ฟ Young, Gifted and Black โ€ข ๐Ÿท Atlantic โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… 1972

Aretha Franklin, Young, Gifted and Black [๐Ÿ“ท: Atlantic]๐ŸŽ™ Aretha Franklin is one of the greatest musicians of all-time โ€“ DUH! Her voice is nothing short of amazing, angelic, and heaven-sent. โ€˜The Queen of Soulโ€™ possesses a rich catalog of music, interestingly, with some of her best songs being covers.  ๐ŸŽต โ€œRespectโ€, of course, tops the list of covers, written and originally recorded by another icon, ๐ŸŽ™ Otis Redding.  Anyways, Franklin could sing any- and everything, so, itโ€™s not surprising her knack for reinterpretation considering her vocal gifts. Franklin made ๐ŸŽ™ The Beatlesโ€™ classic, ๐ŸŽต โ€œThe Long and Winding Roadโ€, truly her own.

When it comes to The Beatles, pretty much anything they recorded could be considered the definitive version โ€“ THEY ๐Ÿ‘ ARE ๐Ÿ‘ THE ๐Ÿ‘ EFFING ๐Ÿ‘ BEATLES!  Did โ€œThe Long and Winding Roadโ€ require a cover? Absolutely not โ€“ the iconic British group nailed it! That said, the transformation that Aretha Franklin bestows upon us is nothing short of anointed โ€“ prodigious to the nth degree! Franklin adds a deep, southern soul sensibility to her 1972 interpretation, which hails straight out the church, and precedes her landmark ๐Ÿ’ฟ Amazing Grace album.  One part of โ€œThe Long and Winding Roadโ€ that is starkly different from the original is the chorus.  The original lacks a true chorus, though this rousing rendition takes the bridge and transforms it into the role of a chorus:

โ€œMany times, Iโ€™ve been alone
And many times, Iโ€™ve cried
Anyhow, youโ€™ll never know
All the things Iโ€™ve tried
Still, they lead me back to the long and winding road.โ€

This soul-a-fied version of โ€œThe Long and Winding Roadโ€ marks one of many gems on the cover-laden ๐Ÿ’ฟ Young, Gifted and Black (1972). Something about this cover right here โ€“ it hits different!

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Also appears on ๐Ÿ”ฝ:
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง 10 Favorite Soul Classics by Aretha Franklin
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽถ Day 28: Aretha Franklin, โ€œThe Long and Winding Roadโ€
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง 30-Day Song Challenge ๐ŸŽถ: The Complete Playlist
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง 13 Ear Catching Covers, Vol. 2 ๐ŸŽง
๐Ÿ”— ๐ŸŽง 11 Songs in It for the Long Haul, Vol. 1
๐Ÿ”— ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ The Beatles vs. Aretha Franklin: Head 2 Head ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ No. 24


 


15 More Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 3) ๐ŸŽง [๐Ÿ“ท: A&M, Asylum, Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Elektra, Israel Palacio, John Alan Sperry, MJJ Productions, Motown, The Musical Hype, NPG, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay, RCA, Sony Music Entertainment, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner]