As we wind down Women’s History Month we head back to Detroit. While we worship at the temples of Marvin, Stevie and The Temptations, The Sound Of Young America was built on the clicking of high heels. Not only was it the matriarchy of The Gordy Family that had Berry’s Back, early acts such as Mable John…
Tag: The Marvelettes
Bacharach’s Brilliance: Burt’s Bevy of Beauties 1960-1975
The Post-War world of Rock and Roll and Popular Music didn’t lend itself to the type of standards generated by Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart and Irving Berlin. Or we’re lead to believe. Of course, we would be remiss not to honor names like Leiber & Stoller, Goffin & King, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Gamble & Huff and…
Your Sister Soul Ones For ’61: A Ladies List Of Uncovered Pearls from 55 years ago.
The further we inch away from the Mid Century Modern era in time, the more we try to unravel the gems of that era as well. 1961 was a pretty big breakthrough year in terms of Pop Music for women, and women of color in particular. I’ve presented at The 2nd Queer Astrology Conference and…
Hitsville Vaults ’66: The Top Twenty Motown potential hits you didn’t know existed.
You may or may not know, Motown records in its Golden Years from 1961 through 1968 was a constant hive of activity. The operations worked 24 hours a day each day of the year, some Motown gems were recorded and pressed on major holidays, some efforts saw release on others. Was December 31, 1965 a…
♌ A Lady Leo:A Long Long List of Feline Gems from the Heart ♌
We enter the dog days of summer. These long, luxuriant days are ruled by Leo, the sign that rules the sun and the heart. So I dive into the heart of the matter, what’s better than a radiant lady of the stage? Fixed Fire lights up the stage with an extended romp with some of…
A Girl Named Gladys: The Marvelous Marvelette Gladys Horton
I originally wrote this post 5 years ago when Gladys Horton passed away at the age of 65 in 2011. Horton’s voice on Marvelettes singles had been a profound link into me digging deeper into my experience as an outsider observing the inside, taking no shit from no one, and living a life from steadfast…
Black Magic: Girl Group Solidarity, Queer Love and Black Lives Remembered – A Mixtape
I’ve said quite often, for little Black Queer Boys 20 something years ago like myself, Girl Group Songs saved a life quite often. Well, mine. I should really speak for myself. In the weird role play between gender expression and having even in the 1990’s so few cultural placeholders to identify with, I grasped full-hearted…
Bye Bye ’65: The Golden Girls Golden Anniversary set of 1965
A lot of what I’ve done as a DJ, writer, and even public speaker has been carrying the legacy of R&B, Pop, and Soul female singers. For years, I’ve wanted to highlight the efforts and the narratives around the women in Post-War Popular Music, because they are far too often neglected or overshadowed. When DJ…
In An Alternate Universe: Potential Hit Singles From Hitsville U.S.A. from 1965 (Ladies Edition)
If you know your Motown as I know The Sound Of Young America, You’ll know, beyond the bevy of hit records, at the peak of the label the studios cranked out potential hits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some records have release dates on Holidays: The Supremes “My World Is Empty Without You” and…
The Marvelettes “Now Is The Time For Love” (From the LP In Full Bloom, 1969)
The Marvelettes “Now Is The Time For Love” (From the LP In Full Bloom, 1969) Our next leading Lady Leo is one of the Motown pioneers. As the eldest member of The Marvelettes when they arrived at Motown in 1961, Wanda Young stood alongside Gladys Horton as the other lead singer in The Marvelettes. Over…
DJ Larsupreme 