Norman Whitfield - Motown's Most Prolific Producer?

Now, I have worked it out and come to the conclusion that Norman Whitfield has produced the most Motown acts, like, EVER! I know Smokey was pretty busy too but I think Norman still beats him...

So, the brilliant Norman Whitfield has worked with:

The Temptations
The Four Tops
The Undisputed Truth
The Isley Brothers
The Jackson Five
Rare Earth
Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
The Supremes
The Marvelettes
The Velvelettes
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
The Miracles
The Monitors
The Elgins
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Marvin Gaye
Jimmy Ruffin
David Ruffin
Junior Walker
Edwin Starr
Chuck Jackson
Marv Johnson
Billy Eckstine
Mary Wells
Kim Weston
Yvonne Fair
Barbara McNair

Amazing, right!?

Also, have I missed any?!

La Brenda Ben, Carolyn Crawford, The Downbeats, The Spinners, Tammi Terrell and Earl Van Dyke.

Dwight David, Vincent Dimirco, Alfie Silas,

Tommy Good, Eddie Holland, Brenda Holloway and Freddie Gorman.

Wow! There's even more!!!! Thanks Mike & Roger

Oh, and also, The Underdogs!

What a legacy! I don't think he even gets the adulation that he deserves.

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Originally Posted by kenneth

What a legacy! I don't think he even gets the adulation that he deserves.

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Oh yes, kenneth! Definitely. The guy is a genius, from start to finish... right through from those stomping productions on The Velvelettes and Marvelettes, classic soul songs with The Temptations and Marvin Gaye, magnificent, extended epics with The Tempts and even those funk-tastic floorfillers with The Undisputed Truth and Yvonne Fair.

I don't understand why Norman Whitfield isn't in the Rock Hall yet for his work as songwriter and producer.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

I don't understand why Norman Whitfield isn't in the Rock Hall yet for his work as songwriter and producer.

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When I first read that I thought you were mistaken, but it's actually only the Songwriters Hall of Fame that he [[and Barrett Strong) has been inducted into... why on earth is he not in the R&R Hall??? Can't we start a petition or something... lol :)

For anyone who missed this one, a video with Russ and me honoring Norman.

https://youtu.be/SFZmG3keN7s

Norman Whitfield was indeed one of Motown's most prolific producers, and also a very good mixing engineer as well!

I haven't checked all the Duplicate Master [[DM) codes of the producers who were allowed to mix, but he certainly managed to get a fair few of his mixes [[of his own product) as the released mix that chosen for release as the 45!

I always found it fascinating that in his early days at Hitsville [[as Berry Gordy noted in his biography), that Norman was extremely shy of his boss, and would often hide or make himself less conspicuous when Berry was around.

Yet, only a few years later [[after taken the run of hits on the Temptations from Smokey) he was apparently driving Berry nuts, pestering him wherever he bumped into him over his latest tune, 'I Heard it Through The Grapevine'.

Well, we all know what happened there!

Of course a few years after that, I seem to recall he had himself mocked up as Superman on one of the Temptations album covers.

Quite a turnaround from that shy, newbie songwriter, to one of Motown's top writers and producers!

Cheers

Paul

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Originally Posted by ralpht

For anyone who missed this one, a video with Russ and me honoring Norman.

https://youtu.be/SFZmG3keN7s

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Hi Ralph, I watched this recently and loved every second of it. Such a great video. It was fascinating and a fitting tribute to a great man! It sent me on a YouTube watching spree and I have since watched your ones on Marvin Gaye, Levi Stubbs, the closure of Motown and I plan to watch them all!!! You guys are so great. Thanks so much!

[[Love the earthquakes too... I didn't know making YouTube videos could be so dangerous ;))

Glad you enjoyed the video, Tom. I don't remember how the earthquake riff got started. Probably from my brother who is a little goofy.

Hehe! I like it :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by kenneth

What a legacy! I don't think he even gets the adulation that he deserves.

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Me neither. In my opinion, Norman is an absolute genius.

Norman's first production on the temps is my alltime fav...girl[why you wanna make me blue]1964.

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Originally Posted by arr&bee

Norman's first production on the temps is my alltime fav...girl[why you wanna make me blue]1964.

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Oh yes, that one is brilliant, arr&bee... the Tempts-Norman collaboration was pure class from the first record to the last

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nJvyMxjOqA&app=desktop

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

So, the brilliant Norman Whitfield has worked with:

The Temptations
The Four Tops
The Undisputed Truth
The Isley Brothers
The Jackson Five
Rare Earth
Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
The Supremes
The Marvelettes
The Velvelettes
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
The Miracles
The Monitors
The Elgins
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Marvin Gaye
Jimmy Ruffin
David Ruffin
Junior Walker
Edwin Starr
Chuck Jackson
Marv Johnson
Billy Eckstine
Mary Wells
Kim Weston
Yvonne Fair
Barbara McNair

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We forgot one...!

I was just listening to LeBrenda Ben's "Do You Know What I'm Talking About?" and the backing track sounds identical to that of "I Want My Baby Back"....

I checked and "Do You Know" was produced by Norman... and so was "I Want My Baby Back"... which means we can add Stevie Wonder to the list!

;)

Seeing it all written down like you guys have done I’m gobsmacked at how much Norman has done, it’s phenomenal. Love all the works he did with The Temptations

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Originally Posted by McMotown

Seeing it all written down like you guys have done I’m gobsmacked at how much Norman has done, it’s phenomenal. Love all the works he did with The Temptations

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Yea, McMotown, it's just amazing! This is of course just the work he did at Motown. At Whitfield Records he worked with Rose Royce, Willie Hutch, Spyder Turner [[etc!) and so there's even more!

Tom, if I remember didn't Jr Walker go to Whitfield records and record Back Street Boogie?

Yes indeed he did, McMotown! Norman produced that whole album for Junior in 1978. But, luckily we can count Norman as having produced Junior at Motown thanks to one track on Junior's 1983 Motown album Blow The House Down called "T-O-O [[T Double O)" which was written by John and Michael Whitfield [[relatives I assume?) and produced by Norman. I havent heard the song yet though!! :)

No I've not heard it either, I can only find the single Blow The House Down.

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Originally Posted by McMotown

No I've not heard it either, I can only find the single Blow The House Down.

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Hey McMotown, all of the tracks from the album except "T Double O" are available on YouTube.

"In And Out": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs1Z3iXKpRo

"Rise And Shine": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y6eJOEv_hyg

"Closer Than Close": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpg91fBf3CQ

"Urgent": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vyPxRolUlbg

"Sexpot": https://rutube.ru/video/4e4b78594c00...0b7e8a46663f1/

"Ball Baby": https://rutube.ru/video/38a55d12da2e...ac7f5b0f7c8e5/

Check your private messages too ;)

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

Hey McMotown, all of the tracks from the album except "T Double O" are available on YouTube.

"In And Out": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs1Z3iXKpRo

"Rise And Shine": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y6eJOEv_hyg

"Closer Than Close": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpg91fBf3CQ

"Urgent": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vyPxRolUlbg

"Sexpot": https://rutube.ru/video/4e4b78594c00...0b7e8a46663f1/

"Ball Baby": https://rutube.ru/video/38a55d12da2e...ac7f5b0f7c8e5/

Check your private messages too ;)

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Thanks Tom - Loving all those Jr Walker tracks. Can't think of a bad Jr track, just love all his stuff.

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Originally Posted by McMotown

Thanks Tom - Loving all those Jr Walker tracks. Can't think of a bad Jr track, just love all his stuff.

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Yo' welcome, Paul... I love a bit of Junior Walker. And this album was apparently supposed to be somewhat sex-orientated... songs like "Ball Baby", "Sexpot" and "In And Out" are self-explanatory! :p

TomatoTom, I finally dug out the Blow The House Down vinyl album and ripped "T-O-O [[t Double O) for you as requested. I hope you find it interesting.
Cheers
Mike
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/m...05_42_43-07_00

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Originally Posted by MIKEW-UK

TomatoTom, I finally dug out the Blow The House Down vinyl album and ripped "T-O-O [[t Double O) for you as requested. I hope you find it interesting.
Cheers
Mike
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/m...05_42_43-07_00

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Hi Mike, thank you very much!

I actually have a confession to make: I tried to download Junior Walker's entire Blow The House Down album from some random website, and -- surprisingly -- it worked! So I have already heard and listened to "T Double O" but your podcast sounds better and doesn't cut out at the end. So thank you, Mike.

However, 'interesting' is an understatement!!! "T Double O" is both fascinating and BRILLIANT in equal measure... I cannot believe how fantastic a song it is... the non-stop '80s-Funk-Disco style from Norman Whitfield, the hilarious lyrics, the wonderfully cheeky vocal performance from Junior, and, of course, THAT SAX! I LOVE IT! :D

Mike, great podcast and agree with Tom great track and with thar sax it was aways a sure winner for me

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Originally Posted by McMotown

Mike, great podcast and agree with Tom great track and with thar sax it was aways a sure winner for me

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Hey thanks Paul. It's definitely my favourite track from the album. You can always count on Norman Whitfield for a stellar piece of funktastic Soul.