entertainment Motown


Miracles’ “Shop Around” be- comes Motown’s first million seller. Gordy also signs the Temptations and Marvin Gaye. Mary Wells has a hit with a song she wrote, “Bye Bye Baby.” The Primettes audi- tion but are told to come back when they have finished high school.


1961: “Please Mr. Post-


man” by the Marvelettes is Motown’s first No. 1 hit on national Pop charts and the second million seller. The company signs Jimmy Ruffin, as well as the Primettes, re- named the Supremes.


1962: By this time Mary


Wells is Motown’s queen, with hits like “The One Who Really Loves You,” “Two Lovers” and “You Beat Me to the Punch.” The Contours have a smash with the raucous — and now classic — “Do You Love Me?”


The first Motortown Revue


hits the road featuring the Miracles, Mary Wells, the Con- tours and others.


1963: The industry starts


to really pay attention to this Black owned record com- pany in Detroit that is having one smash hit after another.


Those hits include “Fin-


gertips (Part II)” (Little Stevie Wonder), “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” (the Miracles), “Can I Get a Witness?” (Marvin Gaye) and “Heat Wave” (Martha & the Vandellas).


Motown’s signs an already professional group that is not


Reflections From page D-1


the MG’s, and Felix Cavaliere, singer/organist from the Ras- cals, have an album as a duo titled “Midnight Flyer” coming out June 15.


And next month we can


expect a new release from Fantasia.


A few weeks ago I wrote


about great stars who cannot be replaced, such as Nina Simone, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne and Marvin Gaye.


Well, reader Von Harrell


had more to add, including Ray Charles, the classic Tempta- tions (David, Eddie, Otis, Melvin and Paul), Steve Allen, the Nicholas Brothers, Pearl Bailey, Marilyn Monroe, Curtis May-


Levi Stubbs


field, Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, Dorothy Dandridge, Otis Redding, Dean Martin, Richard Pryor and Teddy Pen- dergrass.


Erykah Badu, in typical


style, pulled no punches in defending the video for “Window Seat” in which she walks down the street, takes off all her clothes and is gunned down. (Everything in it has a sociological meaning.)


“I have no regrets,” she


said. “Human beings don’t scare me. Only my own lack of will scares me. If you choose to watch the video, you don’t have to like it. You can complain. You can protest. But that’s where your rights stop. You don’t have the right to censor art or anyone else’s opinion.”


BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW


…that despite popular belief, Mary Wells had several successful recordings after leaving Motown, namely “Dear Lover” (No. 6 on the national charts), “Use Your Head” (No. 13), “Never, Never Leave Me” (No. 15), “The Doctor” (No. 22) and “Ain’t It the Truth” (No. 6). But the songs are rarely heard today.


MEMORIES: “One in a


Million You” (Larry Graham), “Let’s Wait Awhile” (Janet Jackson), “Don’t Be Cruel” (Bobby Brown), “Tell Mama” (Etta James), “Call Me” (Aretha Franklin), “Jack and Jill” (Raydio), “Dare Me” (the Pointer Sisters), “I Love Your Smile” (Shanice), “Out of Sight” (James Brown), “Young Hearts Run Free” (Candi Staton), “Overjoyed” (Stevie Wonder).


BLESSINGS to Deborah


McIntosh, Arnold Hannon, Renita Clark, Ingrid Hatcher, Robert McTyre, Carmela McTyre, Eddie Allen, Joan Rogers, Bobby Rogers and Sylvia Quarles.


WORDS OF THE WEEK,


from the Bible: “There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge someone else?”


Let the music play! (Steve Holsey can be


reached at Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.)


Join The in celebrating our


Dads and Grad’s Dad’s and Grad’s edition


if you want your Dad or Grad in our June 16th Edition


Please call Trina 313-963-5522 ext. 251 or Fax us at 313-963-8788


Our E-mail address is chronicle4@aol.com


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known for R&B, the Four Tops. The company also acquires Jr. Walker & the All Stars.


1964: Mary Wells has


the biggest hit of her career, “My Guy,” written and pro- duced by Smokey Robinson, like nearly all of her hits. But, shockingly, she leaves Motown in mid-year.


The Supremes, after many


mild hits and one big one (“When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes”), finally break through with “Where Did Our Love Go?” written by Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland. Many others were to follow, all written by HDH, in- cluding “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.”


Diana Ross, Mary Wilson


and Florence Ballard make the first of many appearances on the highly prestigious Ed Sul- livan show. The Supremes’ unprecedented success opens the Motown floodgates.


Martha & the Vandellas


have a smash with the classic “Dancing in the Street.”


1965: Everyone seems to


be hot: the Temptations (“My Girl”), the Four Tops (“I Can’t Help Myself”), Martha & the Vandellas (“Nowhere to Run”), the Miracles (“The Tracks of My Tears”), the Supremes (“I Hear a Symphony”), etc.


Brenda Holloway is focused


on more following Mary Wells’ departure. She has a big hit with “When I’m Gone,” which was intended to be Wells’ follow-up to “My Guy.” She even does a North American tour with the Beatles.


The Supremes appear at


the ultimate nightclub, the Copacabana in New York City.


1966: Motown, surpris-


ingly, signs the Isley Brothers, who have a huge hit with “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You).” The company also signs another veteran act not from Detroit, Gladys Knight & the Pips, as well as Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson as staff writers/producers.


Motown opens a West


Coast office. (A sign of things to come?) The company also introduces a popular concert series at the Roostertail called Motown Mondays.


The Temptations enjoy


classics: “Get Ready,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Beauty


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE The Temptations, in a


shocking move, let David Ruffin go because of his inflat- ed ego, bad behavior and (re- ported) drug use. Dennis Ed- wards is recruited and, as they used to say on radio, “the hits just kept on comin’,” starting with “Cloud Nine.”


Diana Ross & the Supremes


and the Temptations have their own TV special on NBC titled “T.C.B.: Taking Care of Business.” They have also re- corded an album together.


Marvin Gaye’s slowed down Marvin Gaye


Is Only Skin Deep,” “(I Know) I’m Losing You.”


1967: Marvin Gaye and


Tammi Terrell score the first of many duet hits, includ- ing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Your Precious Love.”


The Miracles become


Smokey Robinson & the Mir- acles. The Supremes become Diana Ross & the Supremes. Martha & the Vandellas become Martha Reeves & the Vandellas.


Kim Weston leaves Motown,


as does her husband, producer/ songwriter Mickey Stevenson. Motown fires Florence Ballard from the Supremes and she is replaced with Cindy Birdsong, formerly of Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles.


1968: Holland-Dozier-Hol-


land leave Motown and subse- quently start their own record company, Invictus.


version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” becomes an even bigger hit than the ver- sion by Gladys Knight & the Pips had been the year before. (However, the classic song had originally been recorded by Smokey Robinson as an album cut.)


1969: Motown signs the


Jackson 5. Jean Terrell is seen performing in a nightclub by Berry Gordy Jr. and signed as a solo artist, unaware of the fact that the company has other plans for her. The Jack- son 5 hit No.1 with “I Want You Back,” and it was virtually non-stop hits after that.


1970: The Supremes per-


form for the last time with Diana Ross as a member, and Jean Terrell is brought on stage to be introduced as the famed trio’s new lead singer.


The re-formed group has


major hits with “Up the Ladder to the Roof” and “Stoned Love.” Meanwhile, Diana Ross is on her way to legendary status with “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” and the completely rearranged version of “Ain’t No Mountain


Marvin Isley dies On June 6, Ernie Isley, a member of the Isley Brothers


from 1973 to 1984, and 1991 to 1997, lost his long battle with diabetes. The bass guitarist was 56.


Isley, brother Ernie and brother-in-


law Chris Jasper joined the Isley Broth- ers in 1973, making their debut on one of the legendary group’s most success- ful albums, “3 + 3.” This was the start of another era of major hits for the Isley Brothers.


In 1984, Marvin, Ernie and Chris


formed a trio called Isley, Jasper, Isley. Their biggest hit was “Caravan of Love.”


Marvin Isley


Isley rejoined the Isley Brothers in 1991, but left again in 1997 due to health issues.


June 9-15, 2010 Page D-2 From page D-1


High Enough.” The Four Tops and the new


Supremes record an album to- gether titled “The Magnificent 7,” featuring the hit “River Deep, Mountain High,” first recorded by Tina Turner and produced by Phil Spector.


1971: Diana Ross has her own TV special, with Bill


Cosby, the Jackson 5 and Danny Thomas as guests, as do the Jackson 5 later in the year. Michael Jackson, still a member of the group, has his first solo hit, “Got To Be There.”


1972: Motown leaves De- troit.


7th annual ‘Jazzin’ on Jefferson’ The Jefferson East


Business Association (JEBA) will present the seventh annual “Jazzin’ on Jefferson,” a music and arts festival celebrating the jazz, blues and cultural heritage of the Jefferson East Business District. This free festival has been


expanded to two days, June 26-27, from noon to 9 p.m., on a closed- off section of East Jefferson Ave., between the streets of Chalmers and Alter. “Jazzin’ on Jefferson” will feature world-class jazz, blues, and gospel performances. It will also include an artist market, children’s area and cuisine, as well as shopping.


Headlining this year will


be the world renowned Joe Krown Trio! featuring Joe Krown on the Hammond B3, Walter “Wolfman” Washington on guitar/vocals and Russell Batiste on drums. This trio has developed a unique sound steeped in the rich musical gumbo of New Orleans. Headlining Sunday will be the Hot Club of Detroit. Led by Evan Perri, the fast fingered disciple of Django Reinhardt, the Hot Club offers a fresh take on the tradition of gypsy jazz. Other performers include the Thorenetta Davis Band,


Marion Hayden & the Detroit Legacy Band, Codish & Hughes, RJ Spangler Trio wsg Akunda Hollis, Larry Smith w/ Duncan McMillian Trio, Sky Covington & Trio, and many more. “Jazzin’ on Jefferson” is produced by the Jefferson East


Business Association (JEBA), a non-profit community development organization, whose mission is to be a collaborative leader in fostering economic development on Detroit’s lower eastside by creating an environment that is conducive to business and residential growth. For more information, visit www.jazzinonjefferson.com or


call (313) 331-7939.


“SENSATIONAL!” Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV


PERFORMED BY JUSTIN BIEBER INCLUDES“NEVER SAY NEVER”


FEATURING JADEN SMITH


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