I'm an old '60s rocker........

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I sang male leads in 5 musicals. I took vocal lessons for 4 years. I played in several chump change rock bands.

When the Beatles came over....what a refreshing change in music. I was so tired of playing and singing "Johnny be good".

Then Motown came to be...............

In '67 I moved to a little farming town outside Chicago and I got to listen to a lot of the 60's Chicago groups in their early days.......

Yesterday TCM played a movie....Standing in the Shadow of Motown....concerning the Funk Brothers band. A group of unrelated musicians that became the sessions musicians on most of the biggest hits that came out of Motown in the 60's and early 70's. Wow! Unbelieveable!

I will be ordering the DVD tomorrow. I found some new vocalists to buy for my CD collection too......Joan Osborne.......Ben Harper....
 
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Its always great when I come across some artist that I haven't heard of. I'm always struck by the "how did I miss that?" sort of feeling. Shows like you describe are great ways of doing that. I heard some great guitar work about a year ago and tracked down Sonny Landreth . . . how had I missed that? So many others . . .
 
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Sows like you describe are great ways of doing that. I heard some great guitar work about a year ago and tracked down Sonny Landreth . . . how had I missed that? So many others . . .

Ken isn't a sow!! :eek::rofl: Even if he qualified for porcine species, wrong gender!! :doh::rofl::rofl::rofl:
Oh thanks for the new artists Ken. WLS sure isn't the station it used to be.:(
The old rock n roll hits are in my stereo in the shop! :thumb:
 
Here's a list of just the #1 pop hit songs they played on....think about this...just the #1 hits...

List of #1 Songs on which The Funk Brothers played
  • "Please Mr Postman" The Marvelettes
  • "Fingertips Pt. 2" Little Stevie Wonder
  • "My Guy" Mary Wells
  • "Where Did Our Love Go" The Supremes
  • "Baby Love" The Supremes
  • "Come See About Me" The Supremes
  • "My Girl" The Temptations
  • "Stop! In the Name of Love" The Supremes
  • "Back in My Arms Again" The Supremes
  • "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" The Four Tops
  • "I Hear a Symphony" The Supremes
  • "You Can't Hurry Love" The Supremes
  • "Reach Out I'll Be There" The Four Tops
  • "You Keep Me Hangin' On" The Supremes
  • "The Happening" The Supremes
  • "Respect" Aretha Franklin
  • "Love Child" Diana Ross and the Supremes
  • "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Marvin Gaye
  • "I Can't Get Next to You" The Temptations
  • "Someday We'll Be Together" Diana Ross and the Supremes
  • "ABC" The Jackson Five
  • "The Love You Save" The Jackson Five
  • "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" Diana Ross
  • "I'll Be There" The Jackson Five
  • "The Tears of a Clown" Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
  • "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" The Temptations
  • "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" The Temptations
  • "Superstition" Stevie Wonder
  • "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" Stevie Wonder
  • "Touch Me in the Morning" Diana Ross
  • "Let's Get It On" Marvin Gaye
  • "Midnight Train to Georgia" Gladys Night and the Pips
  • "Keep on Truckin' (Part 1)" Eddie Kendricks
  • "You Haven't Done Nothin'" Stevie Wonder
 
... I heard some great guitar work about a year ago and tracked down Sonny Landreth...

Oh yeah, Sonny Landreth. :thumb: He's what I consider a greasy guitarist (pronounced "greazy"...with a drawl), and that's meant in a good way. The notes just ooze out of the amplifier.
 
I love motown music.....

I had a CD made of my favorites and when I get in the 69 Chevelle SS to go for a cruise.....that is the CD I listen to most of the time. And when I am not listening to that CD...I play ACDC.
 
To my chagrin, I never paid much attention to music in the '60's.. I went into the Navy in 1960.. the big name in music was still Elvis.. almost got into a fight in boot camp because I said he couldn't sing worth a damn and a young recruit from Memphis took offense..:huh:

Never heard of the Funk Brothers either, but surprisingly, I know of almost all of the songs listed..

Here's a list of just the #1 pop hit songs they played on....think about this...just the #1 hits...

List of #1 Songs on which The Funk Brothers played
  • "Please Mr Postman" The Marvelettes
  • "Fingertips Pt. 2" Little Stevie Wonder
  • "My Guy" Mary Wells
  • "Where Did Our Love Go" The Supremes
  • "Baby Love" The Supremes
  • "Come See About Me" The Supremes
  • "My Girl" The Temptations
  • "Stop! In the Name of Love" The Supremes
  • "Back in My Arms Again" The Supremes
  • "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" The Four Tops
  • "I Hear a Symphony" The Supremes
  • "You Can't Hurry Love" The Supremes
  • "Reach Out I'll Be There" The Four Tops
  • "You Keep Me Hangin' On" The Supremes
  • "The Happening" The Supremes
  • "Respect" Aretha Franklin
  • "Love Child" Diana Ross and the Supremes
  • "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Marvin Gaye
  • "I Can't Get Next to You" The Temptations
  • "Someday We'll Be Together" Diana Ross and the Supremes
  • "ABC" The Jackson Five
  • "The Love You Save" The Jackson Five
  • "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" Diana Ross
  • "I'll Be There" The Jackson Five
  • "The Tears of a Clown" Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
  • "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" The Temptations
  • "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" The Temptations
  • "Superstition" Stevie Wonder
  • "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" Stevie Wonder
  • "Touch Me in the Morning" Diana Ross
  • "Let's Get It On" Marvin Gaye
  • "Midnight Train to Georgia" Gladys Night and the Pips
  • "Keep on Truckin' (Part 1)" Eddie Kendricks
  • "You Haven't Done Nothin'" Stevie Wonder
 
Chuck,

The point of the movie was......these guys .....these musicians were given the unofficial name of "The Funk Brothers"......they played on more #1 hits than the Beatles.....the BeachBoys....the Rolling Stones........ and they were totally unknown......just session musicians.....no fame...no royalties......just some of the best there was at the time.....

If you get a chance to see the movie....it's a documentary....and they play some of the old stuff live......with new vocalists...it is good stuff!

Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxenoFmGBFQ
 
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