The Beatles weren’t civil rights activists, but a soul singer said the group’s success was “a civil rights breakthrough.” He wasn’t the only one to say something like that. Here’s a look at how Black singers inspired the Fab Four.
A singer said The Beatles and Elvis Presley moved helped the civil rights movement
Maxwell is a neo-soul singer known for tunes such as “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” “Sumthin’ Sumthin,” and “Lake by the Ocean.” His music doesn’t sound much like The Beatles’. However, Maxwell works in a musical idiom that paved the way for the Fab Four.
During a 2017 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Maxwell discussed the issue of The Beatles and cultural appropriation. “It’s a very touchy subject,” he said. “Because it’s like it was appropriation, but there was a certain window that was opened that never would have...
A singer said The Beatles and Elvis Presley moved helped the civil rights movement
Maxwell is a neo-soul singer known for tunes such as “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” “Sumthin’ Sumthin,” and “Lake by the Ocean.” His music doesn’t sound much like The Beatles’. However, Maxwell works in a musical idiom that paved the way for the Fab Four.
During a 2017 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Maxwell discussed the issue of The Beatles and cultural appropriation. “It’s a very touchy subject,” he said. “Because it’s like it was appropriation, but there was a certain window that was opened that never would have...
- 1/9/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tl;Dr:
John Lennon noted that one of The Who’s songs was originally by an American artist. John felt The Beatles’ covers of songs by American artists weren’t always so good. The Who’s cover song had a major connection to a few Elvis Presley hits.
John Lennon didn’t like one of The Who’s songs. Despite this, he liked a version of the song by another artist. Notably, John didn’t think The Beatles always did a good job covering other artists’ songs.
John Lennon felt 1 of The Who’s songs was a subpar cover that was emblematic of the time
The book Lennon on Lennon: Conversations With John Lennon features an interview from 1974. During the interview, John discussed Swinging London. “There was a discotheque scene in London, and the main club we all went to was the Ad Lib,” he said. “There was a couple more,...
John Lennon noted that one of The Who’s songs was originally by an American artist. John felt The Beatles’ covers of songs by American artists weren’t always so good. The Who’s cover song had a major connection to a few Elvis Presley hits.
John Lennon didn’t like one of The Who’s songs. Despite this, he liked a version of the song by another artist. Notably, John didn’t think The Beatles always did a good job covering other artists’ songs.
John Lennon felt 1 of The Who’s songs was a subpar cover that was emblematic of the time
The book Lennon on Lennon: Conversations With John Lennon features an interview from 1974. During the interview, John discussed Swinging London. “There was a discotheque scene in London, and the main club we all went to was the Ad Lib,” he said. “There was a couple more,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles‘ “Money (That’s What I Want)” wasn’t the original version of the song. Subsequently, a bizarre rendition of “Money (That’s What I Want)” blew The Beatles’ cover out of the water. The later cover was recorded for a few dollars.
The Beatles’ ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ was originally by a Motown singer
“Money (That’s What I Want)” is a song with an fascinating history. It was originally recorded by Motown singer and songwriter Barrett Strong. Besides singing “Money (That’s What I Want),” Strong is most known for writing hits for other artists like “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”
Strong’s rendition of “Money (That’s What I Want)” is a rhythm and blues song. When The Beatles covered “Money (That’s What I Want)” during their early years, they transformed it into a rock ‘n’ roll song.
The Beatles’ ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ was originally by a Motown singer
“Money (That’s What I Want)” is a song with an fascinating history. It was originally recorded by Motown singer and songwriter Barrett Strong. Besides singing “Money (That’s What I Want),” Strong is most known for writing hits for other artists like “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”
Strong’s rendition of “Money (That’s What I Want)” is a rhythm and blues song. When The Beatles covered “Money (That’s What I Want)” during their early years, they transformed it into a rock ‘n’ roll song.
- 7/8/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles sometimes advocated antimaterialism. Despite this, some of the best Beatles songs are about money. In addition, one of the best Beatles songs is implicitly about how money is unnecessary.
Piles of money | Harold M. Lambert / Contributor 4. ‘Baby, You’re a Rich Man’
The Beatles gave us many silly songs and many serious songs, “Baby, You’re a Rich Man” is somewhere in the middle. On one level, it’s a ridiculous song about keeping money in a big brown bag inside a zoo. On another level, there was probably a little twinge of introspection in it since the Fab Four members each became very wealthy.
“Baby, You’re a Rich Man” was the B-side of “All You Need Is Love.” The former reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the latter topped the chart for one week. While “All You Need Is Love” has more pop appeal, “Baby,...
Piles of money | Harold M. Lambert / Contributor 4. ‘Baby, You’re a Rich Man’
The Beatles gave us many silly songs and many serious songs, “Baby, You’re a Rich Man” is somewhere in the middle. On one level, it’s a ridiculous song about keeping money in a big brown bag inside a zoo. On another level, there was probably a little twinge of introspection in it since the Fab Four members each became very wealthy.
“Baby, You’re a Rich Man” was the B-side of “All You Need Is Love.” The former reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the latter topped the chart for one week. While “All You Need Is Love” has more pop appeal, “Baby,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Many of The Beatles‘ songs were original Lennon-McCartney compositions. Despite this, the band still performed many covers. Notably, one of the Fab Four’s covers has the distinction of being one of the shortest tunes ever recorded by the band.
The Beatles | Bettmann / Contributor 5. ‘Maggie Mae’
The title track of Let It Be remains one of the most famous and beloved songs in The Beatles’ catalog. It’s emotive, simple, and powerful. And it’s immediately followed by a cutesy cover of the traditional folk song “Maggie Mae.”
The recording lasts a total of 40 seconds, making it feel like an unnecessary joke. It puts an end to the song “Let It Be” in the same annoying, irreverent fashion that “Her Majesty” put an end to Abbey Road. “Maggie Mae” and “Her Majesty” are not the group’s best work, but they encapsulate their humor.
4. ‘Boys’
The Beatles often had to...
The Beatles | Bettmann / Contributor 5. ‘Maggie Mae’
The title track of Let It Be remains one of the most famous and beloved songs in The Beatles’ catalog. It’s emotive, simple, and powerful. And it’s immediately followed by a cutesy cover of the traditional folk song “Maggie Mae.”
The recording lasts a total of 40 seconds, making it feel like an unnecessary joke. It puts an end to the song “Let It Be” in the same annoying, irreverent fashion that “Her Majesty” put an end to Abbey Road. “Maggie Mae” and “Her Majesty” are not the group’s best work, but they encapsulate their humor.
4. ‘Boys’
The Beatles often had to...
- 2/3/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Barrett Strong, artist and songwriter credited with having given Motown its first hit with “Money (That’s What I Want),” has died. He was 81.
Motown founder Berry Gordy confirmed Strong’s death in a statement where he called his songs “revolutionary.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Bertha Barbee McNeal Dies: Cofounder Of Motown's Velvelettes Was 82 Related Story Mable John Dies: First Female Solo Artist Signed By Motown Records Founder Was 91
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of Barrett Strong, one of my earliest artists, and the man who sang my first big hit,” Gordy said in a statement shared by Billboard. “Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitefield, created an incredible body of work, primarily with the Temptations. Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit...
Motown founder Berry Gordy confirmed Strong’s death in a statement where he called his songs “revolutionary.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Bertha Barbee McNeal Dies: Cofounder Of Motown's Velvelettes Was 82 Related Story Mable John Dies: First Female Solo Artist Signed By Motown Records Founder Was 91
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of Barrett Strong, one of my earliest artists, and the man who sang my first big hit,” Gordy said in a statement shared by Billboard. “Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitefield, created an incredible body of work, primarily with the Temptations. Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit...
- 1/30/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Barrett Strong, one of Motown‘s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and later collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” has died. He was 81.
His death was announced Sunday on social media by the Motown Museum, which did not immediately provide further details.
“Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work,” Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement.
Strong had yet to turn 20 when he agreed to let his friend Gordy, in the early days of building a recording empire in Detroit, manage him and release his music. Within a year, he was a part of history as the piano player and vocalist for “Money,...
His death was announced Sunday on social media by the Motown Museum, which did not immediately provide further details.
“Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work,” Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement.
Strong had yet to turn 20 when he agreed to let his friend Gordy, in the early days of building a recording empire in Detroit, manage him and release his music. Within a year, he was a part of history as the piano player and vocalist for “Money,...
- 1/30/2023
- by Sarah Curran
- ET Canada
More than 73 years ago, Barrett Strong, as a singer, declared “Money (That’s What I Want)” — for the first hit single from the Motown empire.
What he actually wound up getting was musical immortality. As a songwriter.
Strong — who died Sunday, Jan. 29, at the age of 81 in Detroit — co-wrote some of Motown’s most enduring hits, with a variety of collaborators but primarily the late Norman Whitfield. Those included “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” for Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips, “War” for Edwin Starr, the Undisputed Truth’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes” and a wealth of material for the Temptations — “I Wish It Would Rain,” “Just My Imagination,” “Cloud Nine,” “Psychedelic Shack” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” for which Strong shared a Grammy Award.
The transition from performer to songwriter suited him well. “I never felt comfortable with myself as a recording artist,” Strong told Billboard in...
What he actually wound up getting was musical immortality. As a songwriter.
Strong — who died Sunday, Jan. 29, at the age of 81 in Detroit — co-wrote some of Motown’s most enduring hits, with a variety of collaborators but primarily the late Norman Whitfield. Those included “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” for Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips, “War” for Edwin Starr, the Undisputed Truth’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes” and a wealth of material for the Temptations — “I Wish It Would Rain,” “Just My Imagination,” “Cloud Nine,” “Psychedelic Shack” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” for which Strong shared a Grammy Award.
The transition from performer to songwriter suited him well. “I never felt comfortable with myself as a recording artist,” Strong told Billboard in...
- 1/30/2023
- by Gary Graff, Billboard
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Barrett Strong, the Motown artist who sang the label’s first major hit “Money (That’s What I Want)” and wrote songs for the Temptations and others, has died. He was 81.
“Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work, primarily with the Temptations,” Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement. “Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit of the times like ‘Cloud Nine’ and the still relevant, ‘Ball...
“Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work, primarily with the Temptations,” Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement. “Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit of the times like ‘Cloud Nine’ and the still relevant, ‘Ball...
- 1/30/2023
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Tl;Dr:
A star once said The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” was inspired by Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog.”She also felt the song was inspired by Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want).”Paul McCartney and John Lennon discussed how the song came together. The Beatles | Bettmann / Contributor
A star once said The Beatles‘ “Love Me Do” was inspired by Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog.” In addition, she felt the song was different from its inspirations. Notably, Paul McCartney and John Lennon both gave fans insight into the composition of “Love Me Do.”
Singer Lulu said she liked The Beatles when she was young because they looked cute without looking threatening
Lulu is a singer known for her hits “To Sir with Love” and “Boom Bang-a-Bang,” as well as the title song from the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. During a 2022 interview with The Guardian,...
A star once said The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” was inspired by Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog.”She also felt the song was inspired by Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want).”Paul McCartney and John Lennon discussed how the song came together. The Beatles | Bettmann / Contributor
A star once said The Beatles‘ “Love Me Do” was inspired by Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog.” In addition, she felt the song was different from its inspirations. Notably, Paul McCartney and John Lennon both gave fans insight into the composition of “Love Me Do.”
Singer Lulu said she liked The Beatles when she was young because they looked cute without looking threatening
Lulu is a singer known for her hits “To Sir with Love” and “Boom Bang-a-Bang,” as well as the title song from the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. During a 2022 interview with The Guardian,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Jaded Hearts Club — the Los Angeles-via-u.K. all-covers supergroup featuring members of Muse, Blur, Jet and the Zutons — have dropped their new video for “I Put a Spell on You,” their spin on the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins classic that features on the band’s upcoming first studio LP You’ve Always Been Here.
“I’ve always loved Nina Simone’s version and the original version by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins,” Matt Bellamy, Muse frontman and Jaded Hearts Club bassist, tells Rolling Stone of the cover; along with Bellamy, the supergroup features Blur guitarist Graham Coxon,...
“I’ve always loved Nina Simone’s version and the original version by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins,” Matt Bellamy, Muse frontman and Jaded Hearts Club bassist, tells Rolling Stone of the cover; along with Bellamy, the supergroup features Blur guitarist Graham Coxon,...
- 9/29/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
47 years ago today, on December 14, 1968, Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” hit No.1 on the U.S. singles chart. The soul classic held that top position for seven weeks. Written by Motown Records producer Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, the song was one of many that the label recorded with multiple acts. A year before the release of Gaye’s 1968 version, Gladys Knight & the Pips also charted with the song. The success of this 1968 recording of the song took Gaye’s career to another level, and it’s secured its place in music history — Rolling Stone placed the track high on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, at #81. In 1998, Gaye’s “Grapevine” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Other notable December 14 happenings in pop culture history: • 1963: The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” rose to #1 on the U.K. charts,...
- 12/14/2015
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
"Dancing with the Stars" Season 18 has begun!
Find out all of the scores, dances and highlights of the "DWTS" premiere here -- everyone from NeNe Leakes to Cody Simpson is hitting the dance floor on Monday (March 17).
Note: Votes tonight will -- when combined with the judges' scores tonight only -- will determine next week's elimination. The first couple cut will just not know about their elimination until the end of next Monday night.
NeNe Leakes and Tony Dovolani
Dancing the cha-cha-cha to "Give It 2 U" by Robin Thicke
Attitude? Check. Basic dance moves? Check. Really a good start for the season.
Len: "NeNe, I tell you what -- that's the way to get the party started!"
Bruno: "Sister Sassy -- that's my kind of girl!"
Carrie Ann: "You have this incredibly larger-than-life personality, and that shows in the dancing."
Scores: 7+7+7 = 21
James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd
Dancing the foxtrot...
Find out all of the scores, dances and highlights of the "DWTS" premiere here -- everyone from NeNe Leakes to Cody Simpson is hitting the dance floor on Monday (March 17).
Note: Votes tonight will -- when combined with the judges' scores tonight only -- will determine next week's elimination. The first couple cut will just not know about their elimination until the end of next Monday night.
NeNe Leakes and Tony Dovolani
Dancing the cha-cha-cha to "Give It 2 U" by Robin Thicke
Attitude? Check. Basic dance moves? Check. Really a good start for the season.
Len: "NeNe, I tell you what -- that's the way to get the party started!"
Bruno: "Sister Sassy -- that's my kind of girl!"
Carrie Ann: "You have this incredibly larger-than-life personality, and that shows in the dancing."
Scores: 7+7+7 = 21
James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd
Dancing the foxtrot...
- 3/18/2014
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
On this day in history...
Marvin Gaye scored his first #1 hit with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine."
The Motown Records ditty was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and had been recorded previously by at least two other groups on the label: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Gladys Knight & The Pips.
But it was Gaye who took the song and made it his own. Released on October 30, 1968, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" reached the top of the Billboard chart on December 14, 1968. Listen closely, and you can hear the Funk Brothers, the famed Detroit sessions band, playing on the track, as well as strings performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which had been arranged by Detroit's own Paul Riser.
Writes This Day In Music:
The session featuring Gaye led to arguments between the producer and singer; Whitfield struggled to convince Gaye to perform the song in a high rasp,...
Marvin Gaye scored his first #1 hit with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine."
The Motown Records ditty was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and had been recorded previously by at least two other groups on the label: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Gladys Knight & The Pips.
But it was Gaye who took the song and made it his own. Released on October 30, 1968, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" reached the top of the Billboard chart on December 14, 1968. Listen closely, and you can hear the Funk Brothers, the famed Detroit sessions band, playing on the track, as well as strings performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which had been arranged by Detroit's own Paul Riser.
Writes This Day In Music:
The session featuring Gaye led to arguments between the producer and singer; Whitfield struggled to convince Gaye to perform the song in a high rasp,...
- 12/14/2012
- by Ashley Woods
- Huffington Post
Welcome to No Fact Zone’s weekly roundup of cultural references on The Colbert Report. From Darcy to Danger Mouse, String Theory to Shakespeare, we’ve got the keys to this week’s obscure, oddball, and occasionally obscene cultural shout-outs (hey!).
Konnichi wa /Konbanwa Zoners! What a great week back after vacation. Stephen and the gang were in top form yet again. I don’t think I have ever been as hungry after watching a show as I was after this weeks episodes – candy bars, pistachio ice cream, shawarmas – I was practically chomping at the bit to run for a midnight treat, but I refrained…this time. I was moved by the attention to the needs of the Japanese with his donation reminders. With everything going on right now, it’s easy for us to lose focus. Oh and Jimmy Fallon – what can I say? He found a devoted fan...
Konnichi wa /Konbanwa Zoners! What a great week back after vacation. Stephen and the gang were in top form yet again. I don’t think I have ever been as hungry after watching a show as I was after this weeks episodes – candy bars, pistachio ice cream, shawarmas – I was practically chomping at the bit to run for a midnight treat, but I refrained…this time. I was moved by the attention to the needs of the Japanese with his donation reminders. With everything going on right now, it’s easy for us to lose focus. Oh and Jimmy Fallon – what can I say? He found a devoted fan...
- 3/28/2011
- by Toad
- No Fact Zone
'American Idol' Top 11: It's Motown night! What should the contestants sing? What should they avoid?
Baby, American Idol’s Top 11 need your loving tonight, for the contestants will be tackling their first genre night: Motown. You know what this means: No more comfort zones, and (gasp!) no more country, Scotty McCreery! So, on what will likely be the Idol’s first truly challenging evening, let’s lend them a hand. What Motown classics should they sing? Click the jump for some suggestions:
Casey Abrams
Do Sing: “Just My Imagination,” The Temptations
Do Not Sing: “Hello,” Lionel Richie
Naima Adedapo
Do Sing: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” Stevie Wonder
Do Not Sing: “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave,...
Casey Abrams
Do Sing: “Just My Imagination,” The Temptations
Do Not Sing: “Hello,” Lionel Richie
Naima Adedapo
Do Sing: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” Stevie Wonder
Do Not Sing: “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave,...
- 3/23/2011
- by Kate Ward
- EW.com - PopWatch
On top of getting full lists of "Just Dance 2" tracks and "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock" songs this week, we've also received a complete soundtrack listing for a game you may not have been looking forward to for its tunes — "Mafia 2." 2K Games released the rundown ahead of a live one-hour playthrough they're hosting today at 2Pm Pst via Ustream.
Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Louis Prima and Little Richard all appear on the game's soundtrack, which has been posted on the "Mafia 2" website. If "GTA Godfather" has always been something you thought you might like to play with some bona fide Ratpack music in the background, you should find the entries here to your liking:
• Gatemouth Moore - "Did You Ever Love A Woman"
• Al Hibbler - "After the Lights Go Down Low"
• Al Hibbler - "Count Every Star"
• The Ames Brothers - "My Bonnie Lassie"
• The Andrews Sisters -...
Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Louis Prima and Little Richard all appear on the game's soundtrack, which has been posted on the "Mafia 2" website. If "GTA Godfather" has always been something you thought you might like to play with some bona fide Ratpack music in the background, you should find the entries here to your liking:
• Gatemouth Moore - "Did You Ever Love A Woman"
• Al Hibbler - "After the Lights Go Down Low"
• Al Hibbler - "Count Every Star"
• The Ames Brothers - "My Bonnie Lassie"
• The Andrews Sisters -...
- 8/20/2010
- by Brian Warmoth
- MTV Multiplayer
With [Rec] 2 featuring a gun-toting Swat team, Matt Edwards attempts to cram military personnel in a few sequels of his own devising
"War! Huh! Good God y'all! What is it good for?" - Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong, War
"I only need to know one thing: where they are." - Vasquez, Aliens
Jesus wept. Apparently, Michael Bay is producing a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Surely we're at a point now where someone needs to take this guy to one side and say, ‘Look, what you're doing is awful. From now on it'd probably be best if you stopped producing anything that can't be caught in a tissue.'
The link between Michael Bay and this week's column is tenuous at best. You know how in a lot of his films there's a considerable amount of army-related action? Well, that's about as far it goes.
I went to see the excellent [Rec] 2 this bank holiday weekend.
"War! Huh! Good God y'all! What is it good for?" - Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong, War
"I only need to know one thing: where they are." - Vasquez, Aliens
Jesus wept. Apparently, Michael Bay is producing a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Surely we're at a point now where someone needs to take this guy to one side and say, ‘Look, what you're doing is awful. From now on it'd probably be best if you stopped producing anything that can't be caught in a tissue.'
The link between Michael Bay and this week's column is tenuous at best. You know how in a lot of his films there's a considerable amount of army-related action? Well, that's about as far it goes.
I went to see the excellent [Rec] 2 this bank holiday weekend.
- 6/2/2010
- Den of Geek
The city's financial problems are no secret. But the former Martha and the Vandellas singer thinks Detroit needs to look to the spirit of 60s music to revive itself
A glut of fatalist headlines and documentaries have recently given outsiders the impression that Detroit is a city with no money and even less hope. The statistics seem to give credence to this notion. Its unemployment rate, at around 30%, is higher than anywhere else in America, and crime, while on the decrease since 2000, still makes Detroit the sixth most violent city in the Us.
For Detroit's older residents, this just feels like history repeating itself. Many talk about the 1960s, the last time the city was struck by economic strife, as if it were only yesterday. But the doom and gloom of foreigners is dismissed by natives, who remind outsiders that it was hope, not help or hyperbole, that got the city out of its depression.
A glut of fatalist headlines and documentaries have recently given outsiders the impression that Detroit is a city with no money and even less hope. The statistics seem to give credence to this notion. Its unemployment rate, at around 30%, is higher than anywhere else in America, and crime, while on the decrease since 2000, still makes Detroit the sixth most violent city in the Us.
For Detroit's older residents, this just feels like history repeating itself. Many talk about the 1960s, the last time the city was struck by economic strife, as if it were only yesterday. But the doom and gloom of foreigners is dismissed by natives, who remind outsiders that it was hope, not help or hyperbole, that got the city out of its depression.
- 5/28/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
For the first time in Motown history, the Top Ten American Idol will be singing their vocals over the original instrumental tracks recorded in the ‘60s and ’70s. “Everyone will recognize these instrumental tracks, and we’re very grateful to Motown for the unprecedented move of unlocking their vaults and allowing our American Idol finalists to record their vocals over these famous recordings and make them available exclusively on iTunes," says American Idol creator, Simon Fuller. The songs will be available exclusively on iTunes Thursday, March 26 for all the AI and Motown fans out there. Get caught up and find out who sang what last night during one of the most unforgettable Motown nights in Idol history. Without a doubt the men ruled the American Idol stage and once again Adam Lambert took home the highest praise. Lambert took the stage looking like a new man in his new digs...
- 3/26/2009
- by cjoyce@corp.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- TVStar
For the first time in Motown history, the Top Ten American Idol will be singing their vocals over the original instrumental tracks recorded in the ‘60s and ’70s. “Everyone will recognize these instrumental tracks, and we’re very grateful to Motown for the unprecedented move of unlocking their vaults and allowing our American Idol finalists to record their vocals over these famous recordings and make them available exclusively on iTunes," says American Idol creator, Simon Fuller. The songs will be available exclusively on iTunes Thursday, March 26 for all the AI and Motown fans out there. Get caught up and find out who sang what last night during one of the most unforgettable Motown nights in Idol history. Without a doubt the men ruled the American Idol stage and once again Adam Lambert took home the highest praise. Lambert took the stage looking like a new man in his new digs...
- 3/26/2009
- by cjoyce@corp.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- TVStar
For the first time in Motown history, the Top Ten American Idol will be singing their vocals over the original instrumental tracks recorded in the ‘60s and ’70s. “Everyone will recognize these instrumental tracks, and we’re very grateful to Motown for the unprecedented move of unlocking their vaults and allowing our American Idol finalists to record their vocals over these famous recordings and make them available exclusively on iTunes," says American Idol creator, Simon Fuller. The songs will be available exclusively on iTunes Thursday, March 26 for all the AI and Motown fans out there. Get caught up and find out who sang what last night during one of the most unforgettable Motown nights in Idol history. Without a doubt the men ruled the American Idol stage and once again Adam Lambert took home the highest praise. Lambert took the stage looking like a new man in his new digs...
- 3/26/2009
- by cjoyce@corp.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- TVStar
Legendary Motown Records songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield has died at the age of 67. Whitfield reportedly died of complications from his long struggle with diabetes. He also had a history of heart and kidney ailments. The New York-born musician was known for adding a rock quality to soul music and helped create some of the label's most famous tracks, including 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' and 'War'. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 along with co-writer Barrett Strong. (more)...
- 9/18/2008
- by By Sarah Rollo
- Digital Spy
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