Kim Weston “A Little More Love” (Tamla 54106, 1964) It’s rare that I say I have a favorite anything. Fickle Gemini and all. But I do, about 75% of the time say I do have a favorite singer, and that’s none other than Kim Weston. Born 76 years ago today as Agatha Nathalia Weston in…
Category: Motown
Blinky “I Wouldn’t Change The Man He Is” (Motown 1134, 1968)
Blinky “I Wouldn’t Change The Man He Is” (Motown 1134, 1968) Perhaps the most overlooked, poorly treated woman in Motown’s later golden years was Sondra “Blinky” Williams Oakland born, L.A. raised and recording almost exclusively in gospel settings through 1966, Blinky brought a visceral fire to most every recording she laid down for the Motor…
Mary Wells “He Holds His Own” (From the LP Mary Wells Sings My Guy, 1964)
Mary Wells “He Holds His Own” (From the LP Mary Wells Sings My Guy, 1964) Today we celebrate what would have been the 72nd Birthday of The First Queen of Motown, Mary Wells. From 1960 through 1964, with from her fiery self penned debut to her swinging #1 Swan Song, she was the prized possession that…
Stevie Wonder “I Gave Up Quality For Quantity” (1965, Unreleased. From Cellarful of Motown, Volume 2, 2005)
Stevie Wonder “I Gave Up Quality For Quantity” (1965, Unreleased. From Cellarful of Motown, Volume 2, 2005) Motown has two Taurus legends that celebrate birthdays on May 13th, so we’re gonna take a full 48 hours to pay proper tribute to both. First up, we’re paying tribute to Stevie Wonder on the eve of his…
Jimmy Ruffin “On The Avenue” (1965, Unreleased. From Cellarful of Motown, Volume #1, 2002)
Jimmy Ruffin “On The Avenue” (1965, Unreleased. From Cellarful of Motown, Volume #1, 2002) Today we celebrate the Senior Brother Ruffin on what would have been his 78th Birthday. Like his brother David, he found his way by serendipity to be a part of the Motown machine (kind of like how Joe Stubbs followed brother…
Tammi Terrell “My Heart” (1966 Unreleased, From Cellarful of Motown Volume 2, 2005)
Tammi Terrell “My Heart” (1966 Unreleased, From Cellarful of Motown Volume 2, 2005) It was a little hard to think of a choice for celebrating Tammi Terrell’s 70th Birthday. Surprisingly, although she didn’t have a super huge Solo catalog like a number of her contemporaries, she did record for a healthy portion of the 1960s…
Kim Weston “Fancy Meeting You Here” (1966, Unreleased. From The Motown Anthology, 2005)
Kim Weston “Fancy Meeting You Here” (1966, Unreleased. From The Motown Anthology, 2005) The complications of the Motown release and promotional schedule putting The Supremes first, and just about everyone else second-to-never really did a disservice in getting audiences some rather wonderful performances by a host of Motown artists. The most wonky in stories would…
Marvin Gaye “For The Both Of Us I’ll Be Concerned” (1971, Unreleased. From Love Starved Heart: Rare And Unreleased, 1994)
Marvin Gaye “For The Both Of Us I’ll Be Concerned” (1971, Unreleased. From Love Starved Heart: Rare And Unreleased, 1994) It’s perhaps the more bittersweet soulful moments of Spring. Perhaps the most everlastingly cruel April Fools Joke. A Day before his 45th Birthday, the complex relationship between Marvin Gaye Jr. and Sr. was cemented forever…
Diana Ross “Surrender” (Motown 1188, R&B#16 Pop#38, 1971)
Diana Ross “Surrender” (Motown 1188, R&B#16 Pop#38, 1971) Icon, legendary, mystery and controversy, where would the world be without Diana Ross, who celebrates her 71st Birthday today. 56 years of performing and still touring strong and gracefully, she has a remarkably vast catalog of popular song that one can barely begin to dissect and analyze and…
The Marvelettes “Learning To Forget You” (1965, Unreleased. From The Marvelettes: Forever More, 2011)
The Marvelettes “Learning To Forget You” (1965, Unreleased. From The Marvelettes: Forever More, 2011) The Marvelettes are in heavy rotation as the hours wind down to me taking the microphone at the 2nd ever Queer Astrology Conference where their songs and story will figure prominently in the proto-feminist discussions of the Astrology of the early to mid-1960s….
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