Clockwise: Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles; Jennifer Holiday; and Levi Kreis.
I think I found some great music that will surely inspire some this Sunday morning. And it all comes courtesy of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, who makes great music for all who care to listen. For over thirty years, the Chorus has been been a strong voice in the performing arts community, performing locally, touring nationally, and internationally. First I will bring up the clip of the group paying tribute to the late, great Marvin Gaye tribute, as they sing his amazing song about oppression and abuse, "What's Going On". The chorus starts the song with an intro of "War", the Edwin Starr hit written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1969.
The chorus has never shied away from bringing in talented people to share their stage. I simply could not resist posting the performance of the gifted Jennifer Holiday sharing the stage with the chorus to sing "Family", the amazing song from the Broadway musical 'Dreamgirls'. With music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen, Jennifer delivers the song as only she can, and offers her support to the community. Of course, she brings the audience with her on the journey, which ends with a standing ovation for this 2009 performance.
From one Tony Award-winning actor to another, out and proud performer Levi Kreis sings "His Eye Is On The Sparrow". The song, written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel, has become a classic spiritual, sung by some of the great names in Gospel music. As far as I can tell from this video, which was recorded about a year ago, you can certainly add Levi's name to the list of performers who sing the song to perfection. turn up the volume, and put the video to full screen, and enjoy this.
For more about the Gey Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, visit their official website. There you can support the chorus with a donation, or you can purchase their music at CD Baby. You can also find their music on iTunes and Amazon.
With my Motown posts earlier in the week, I was reminded of the immense talent of Marvin Gaye, who made great music throughout his career. Gaye's music was a dominant force, both at Motown and in the world. Whether it was songs he had written, or song he was performing, it was a great part of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Either as a solo singer or paired with Tammi Terrell or Mary Wells, Gaye helped define Pop and Soul music during those decades. The depth and quality of his voice, as well as his connection to the music, making most of his recordings memorable. Marvin also enjoyed a variety of music, and would sometimes include the spiritual music with secular on his albums. On his 1971 album, 'What's Going On', Gaye recorded "God Is Love", written by Marvin, Anna Gordy Gaye, James Nyx and Elgie Stover.
On that same album, he recorded "Wholy Holy", the eighth track. It was written by Gaye, Al Cleveland, and Renaldo "Obie" Benson. And while Gaye might have been seen as a sexual icon for the time, in "Wholy Holy" he combines thoughts of love and his faith.
Earlier in his career, Marvin participated in a Motown compilation with a song written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. In 1968, Marvin offered up "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" to be a track on 'In Loving Memory', dedicated to the memory of Motown founder Berry Gordy's sister, Mrs. Loucye S. Gordy Wakefield.
I already mentioned that Berry Gordy, Jr., founded Motown Record Company in 1959, after discovering that writing hit songs will not guarantee making a living in music. So Motown was born, in a nod to his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, known as the Motor City for the auto industry that was at the core of the area. Gordy was making music with a strong stable of writers and talent, with the Motown label, as well as the other companies under the umbrella, like the Tamla label.
So I happened across a list of the top-selling Motown hits, and I decided to feature the songs released from 1959 to 1975, a period I consider the 'classic' years of the record company. The list is from Billboard magazine, and is an amazing collection of talent. The #5 song on the list was written by The Corporation, made up of Berry Gordy, Jr., Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards. It was also the second single for a young family group, as well as their second #1 song. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Randy and Michael were first discovered by Gladys Knight, who recommended Gordy sign them, but Gordy was hesitant to sign young boys. Later, when Gordy saw a videotape of the boys performing, he decided to sign them, and it wasn't long before he was grooming the Jackson 5 to be the next big thing from Motown. The second single from the family act is the #5 best-selling single for Motown, "ABC", as it was debuted on 'American Bandstand' in 1970.
In the #4 position, we have the last entry from the ladies many consider the most successful 'girl group' of all time. In 1968, Diana Ross & the Supremes had a huge hit with "Love Child". But it wasn't the Supremes everyone knew. While it was still Diana Ross and Mary Wilson, in 1967 Florence Ballard was let go, and Cindy Birdsong was brought on. (Many see this rift as the core for the Broadway musical 'Dreamgirls') by Diana Ross & the Supremes in 1968. But right after the change, the sales fell off. So Gordy got together with the team called The Clan; R. Dean Taylor, Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer, Deke Richards, and Henry Cosby. Out of this came "Love Child, which spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.
It is hard for me to imagine a song that is more sultry, and more suggestive than the #3 entry on the list. In a song written by performer Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend, "Let's Get It On" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and #1 on the Billboard Soul chart for an amazing 8 weeks. Marvin certainly put the finishing touches on his reputation for being a sexual icon with the 1973 song released on the Tamla label.
For the #2 song on the list, we will have to return to the boys from Gary, Indiana. The Jackson 5 were already on a roll, having the first three singles top the Pop charts. But with "I'll Be There", they changed things up by offering a beautiful ballad instead of the frothy bubblegum Pop they had previously offered. The song, written by Berry Gordy, Bob West, Willie Hutch, and Hal Davis, went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for five weeks. This made the Jackson 5 the first group of African American males to have four consecutive #1 Pop hits. The lead vocals were shared by Michael and his brother Jermaine.
And finally, after a long wait, we find out what was the best-selling song of the Motown classic years. It only seems right we return to one of the great talents already on the list. In his second appearance on the list, and his second in the top 3, we have Marvin Gaye and the amazing "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966 for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, but was rejected by Berry Gordy, Jr., who thought it wasn't strong enough. Whitfield and Strong worked on it more, and had Gaye record it in 1967, only to have Gordy once again veto the release. With a few more touches, it was recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips, and went to #2 on the Billboard Pop chart. So Whitfield returned to the studio with Marvin, and produced the song that became the biggest selling single for Motown Record Company between 1959 and 1975. This was released the year following Gladys' version, and was on top of the charts for seven straight weeks, from December 1968 to January 1969. This is Marvin Gaye singing his best-selling hit on the Tamla label, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".
So there you have it, folks. Hope you enjoyed visiting all these great songs!
Clockwise: Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Paul McCartney & Wings, Tony Orlando & Dawn, and Jim Croce.
When you look back at 1973, it was quite the tumultuous time in America, with national politics going through things no one ever thought possible. In January, President Richard Nixon held his second inauguration. Shortly thereafter, he announced the end of the involvement of US troops in Vietnam, a military action that had begun almost a decade earlier on the orders of President John F. Kennedy. But the honeymoon was soon over, as the Supreme Court ruled on Roe V. Wade, legalizing abortion in the US, and evidence was building in the Watergate Scandal. Vice-President Spiro Agnew was convicted of tax evasion, and Rep. Gerald Ford of Michigan was confirmed as his replacement. And in December, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the list of psychiatric disorders. So perhaps it is with all this news coming 'round every corner, both political and social, that the musical tastes tended toward the escapism of fun Pop music. The #5 song from 1973 reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in March. McCartney wrote the song about Linda, his wife and bandmate. Here are Paul McCartney & Wings singing My Love.
Now, I think that Marvin Gaye is a gifted and strong songwriter. Still, I am not sure how the next song made it this high on the charts, no matter how much I love it. Let's Get It On made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September for 2 weeks, topped the Soul chart for 8 weeks, and became the most successful single to come out of Motown. The song was sexually charged, and performed perfectly by Gaye, blending earnest feelings with hyped up desire. While I would think the materials was a bit too much for many, it was just right in 1973.
Coming off the success of First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack was riding in rarefied air, to be sure. She was first known for her gorgeous duets with Donny Hathaway, but soon came into her own as a soloist with a stunning voice. She sang with Donny on Where Is The Love, which sent to #5 on the chart, but soon released Killing Me Softly With His Song, which brought her back to #1, this time for an impressive 5 weeks.
A boy from South Philadelphia, Jim Croce was singer/songwriter of note, parlaying his own music into a string of hits in the early 70s. He was certainly in line to reach superstar status, and in July he had his first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. The song spent two weeks atop the chart, and was also nominated for a few Grammy Awards. Unfortunately, it was the only #1 Croce knew, for he was killed in a plane crash in September of the year, and his next success with Time In A Bottle came after his death.
The success of the top song for the year comes as no surprise to anyone who was alive that year. In a time of war in foreign lands, a war much of the country did not understand or support, when Tony Orlando & Dawn sang Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree in support of the prisoners of war and soldiers still needing to come home, the public flocked to buy the single. It went to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April, and spent four weeks on top. In 2008, Billboard ranked the song as the 37th biggest song of all time in its issue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hot 100.
