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  1. #1
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    Favorite Motown String Arrangements?

    Hi everyone,
    I was listening to my MP3 player today while donating plasma. A Motown track was playing and I was SOOOOOOO moved by the string arrangement, I was almost moved to tears. So here goes.

    What Motown songs have string arrangements that you absolutely love?

    Here are some of mine:

    1. Just My Imagination - Temptations.
    2. Someday We'll be Together - Diana Ross and the Supremes
    3. Neither One of Us - Gladys Knight and the Pips
    4. Love is Here and Now You're Gone - Diana Ross and the Supremes
    5. Baby, I'm for Real - The Originals
    6. The Bells - The Originals

  2. #2
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    Well lockhartgary what you listed are all fabulous. But let's not forget the daddy of them all . . . . JAMIE

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    Great question Gary and great list!

    How 'bout "Gotta Hold On To This Feeling"...! Beautiful, smooth, groovy... just fantastic!!!!

  4. #4
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    Great choices!

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    And, in a completely opposite way, the strings on "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" are also fantastic. Not beautiful, but dramatic!

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    Stevie Wonder-I'm Wondering
    Stevie Wonder- Shoe Be Do Be Do Dah Day
    Four Tops-I Can't Help Myself
    Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston- It Takes Two
    Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Loving

    There are also some fabulous little arrangements on R Dean Taylor's Back Street, Edwin Starr-Soul City [[Open Your Arms To Me)-Blinky & Edwin-Oh How Happy

    but the biggest prize from me goes to

    Temptations - Smiling Faces Sometimes


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    Great examples have already been listed. I'll add:

    "My Girl"
    "Ask the Lonely"

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    Well, just from my recent remix of Marvin & Tammi's "Ai'nt Nothing Like The Real Thing", I must say I really, really like the strings in that particular song.

  10. #10
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    The Isley Brothers This Old Heart Of Mine......https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=606T2LQN--I

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5sD8tuRCsec

    [[seems mosotogram extended mixes won't play on Apple iPads in U.K. )
    Last edited by MIKEW-UK; 03-09-2017 at 05:43 PM.

  11. #11
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    Temptations - I Could Never Love Another
    Supremes - Someday We'll Be Together

  12. #12
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    Just My Imagination
    My Girl
    Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
    What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
    Got To Be There
    Still
    Maybe Tomorrow
    Darling Dear
    What's Going On
    Neither One Of Us
    Endless Love
    Touch Me In The Morning

    And the list goes on and on. Some of which I've had the privelage to hear isolated on their own. Absolutely beautiful stuff

  13. #13
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    Lockhartgary. Firstly well done for being a blood donor!

    So many fabulous string arrangements to choose from, but one I have always liked is on Bonnie Pointer's extended disco version of Heaven Must Have Sent You.

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    Lonely Lonely Girl Am I - The Velvelettes

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    I've been good to you - Brenda Holloway
    My world is empty without you - the supremes
    Gotta hold on to this feeing - Jr. walker
    Don't you miss me a little bit baby - jimmy Ruffin
    Helpless - Kim Weston

  16. #16
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    I Can't Help Myself
    My Baby Must Be A Magician
    My World Is Empty Without You
    Honey Chile
    Ask Any Girl
    I Wish It Would Rain
    Stoned Love
    Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day
    Shake Me Wake Me

  17. #17
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    Everything's Coming Up Love

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan View Post
    Everything's Coming Up Love
    Oh YES! Anything by Van McCoy on Motown really, but that one in particular...
    Last edited by TomatoTom123; 03-10-2017 at 07:01 AM.

  19. #19
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    Diana Ross - Remember Me
    Marvin Gaye - Grapevine
    The New Supremes - I Guess I'll Miss The Man
    Diana Ross - All The Befores
    Marvin Gaye - That's The Way Love Is
    Jackson 5 - Who's Loving You

    And, you're right, Tom -- ANYTHING by Van McCoy -- on Motown or on ANY label! Van McCoy was the King of Strings!!!
    Last edited by Philles/Motown Gary; 03-10-2017 at 05:30 AM.

  20. #20
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    I'm surprised no one has mentioned "What's Going On" with Dave Van De Pitt's haunting string arrangement.

  21. #21
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    Here we go;
    1. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"- Diana Ross
    2. "My Girl" - The Temptations
    3. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye
    4. "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" - Stevie Wonder
    5. "The Tracks Of My Tears" - The Miracles
    6. "My Baby Loves Me" - Martha & the Vandellas
    7. "My World Is Empty Without You" - The Supremes
    8. "You're My Everything" - The Temptations
    9. "I'll Try Something New" - The Miracles
    10. "Save The Children" - Marvin Gaye

  22. #22
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    I forgot to mention this one. For me it's Motown's first great use of strings.
    "What's So Good About Goodbye" - The Miracles

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    Name:  av-5.jpg
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    Here are some not mentioned above:
    Since I Lost My Baby - Temptations
    Blackmail - Bobby Taylor
    Truly Yours - Spinners
    Everybody Needs Love - Gladys Knight & Pips
    California Soul - Messengers
    Don't Look Back - Temptations
    Say You - Monitors
    That's How Heartaches Are Made - Marvelettes
    On The Avenue - Jimmy Ruffin
    Crying In The Night - Monitors
    All I Have Left Are Memories - Sammy Turner & Serenaders
    Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me - Gladys Knight & Pips
    I Guess I'll Always Love You - Isley Brothers
    Just The Way You Are - Marv Johnson

    I also really did love those early strings sessions that Riley Hampto arranged for the 1962/63 Miracles, and My Girl, Ask The Lonely, What Becomes of The Brokenhearted, and some others listed above.
    Last edited by robb_k; 03-10-2017 at 09:02 PM.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by ralpht View Post
    I'm surprised no one has mentioned "What's Going On" with Dave Van De Pitt's haunting string arrangement.
    Dave was a terrific arranger in his own right and did volumes of outstanding work at Motown and elsewhere. The thing about the Whats Going On project, however, is that Dave complained to people you and I know throughout that project that he was largely reduced to doing takedowns, as it was actually Marvin dictating most of those arrangements with Dave doing a lot of transcribing...Marvin ran that entire project with an iron fist...

  25. #25
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    Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - "You're All I Need To Get By"

    Chris Clark - "If You Should Walk Away"

    Stevie Wonder - "Why Don't You Lead Me To Love"

    Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - "I Tried"

    The Marvelettes - "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game"

    The Supremes - "Forever Came Today"

    The Supremes - "The Composer"

  26. #26
    1.Jimmy Ruffin - Love Gives, Love Takes Away, East Side West Side
    2. David Ruffin- I Know She's Not A Mannequin, That World I Lived In
    3.The Four Tops- Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever, I'm In A Different World, Yesterday's Dreams, Lost For Words, Can't Stop This Feeling, What You Gonna Do With Me Baby

  27. #27
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    Stu, we both know Marvin could be difficult at times, but he definitely knew what he was looking for in the studio.

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    I love Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing. When I first heard the strings isolated from the rest of the arrangement, it sounded like an entirely new song. I then went back to listen to the complete song and realized how perfectly it blended in. But now, when listen to the song, I can't help but isolate those beautiful strings in my mind and appreciate them even more.

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  30. #30
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    Name:  av-5.jpg
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    I find it interesting that most of my favourite string arrangements were Fuqua-Bristol or Stevenson-Hunter productions. I don't think that's a coincidence. Perhaps those 2 writing teams depended more on strings, while HDH and Smokey and Whitfield-Strong had more balance in featuring musician sections [[percussion, horns, strings, woodwinds)? Any thoughts on this?

  31. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by ralpht View Post
    I'm surprised no one has mentioned "What's Going On" with Dave Van De Pitt's haunting string arrangement.
    Your comment motivated me to work on a new reconstruction - a stripped down version of "What's Going On", focusing on those gorgeous strings. Here's the result, hope you find it as satisfying as I did putting it together. Enjoy, my friends.

    Last edited by DJMoch; 03-12-2017 at 08:53 PM. Reason: Reworked my reconstruction a bit, so uploaded new video for it.

  32. #32
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    Stoned Love - especially at end of bridge when they sing On and On and On and On. The strings just swirl around the girls. Especially great in the stereo lp version

    I Hear A Symphony - supremes

    Marionette - marvelettes

    When You're Young and In Love - marvelettes

    Just my imagination - temptations

    Bring Me Together - four tops track from Still Water

    It's My Turn - Diana Ross

  33. #33
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    Four Tops- "I'm in A Different World." My favorite Four Tops somg and the way the strings glide in when Levi sings the hook is masterful.

  34. #34
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    I Love The Man - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
    Lonely Lonely Girl Am I - The Velevelettes
    A Little More Love - Kim Weston
    My Girl - The Temptations
    What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
    Ask The Lonely - The Four Tops
    Everybody Needs Love - The Temptations
    Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins
    Keep Off, No Trespassing - The Marvelettes
    Little Girls Grow Up - The Marvelettes
    Make It With You - The Supremes
    My Baby Moves Me - Brenda Holloway
    We've Got A Way Out Love - The Undisputed Truth
    You Can't Keep A Good Man Down - The Four Tops
    Till Johnny Comes - Diana Ross & the Supremes

    I could go on and on and on...

  35. #35
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    I was in a supermarket this week while My Girl was playing on Muzak when the instrumental bridge came on. The only other person in the aisle, started whistling the horn part, totally oblivious to anything else, meanwhile I was focusing on the Granddaddy of Motown string parts, we passed each other, and broke out into big smiles. Two people from divergent backgrounds, interests, economic strata, favorite sports teams, political affiliations connecting on something written over 50 years ago on Woodward Avenue.
    My second favorite Motown string arrangement involves You're My Everything where the strings are overly dramatic just as I like them.
    Third, would have to be the string bridge of Don't Look Back, where I used to ring door bells to that arrangement, fortunately it was at my childhood home back in Philadelphia, and my sainted mother then knew that I was a little odd.
    Closing out this Temptations theme, as much as I love the unreleased version of Ain't Too Proud To Beg with the strings throughout from "You've Got To Earn It". I feel that the released version was the right choice. The strings would have subdued the urgency.

  36. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by bradsupremes View Post
    I Love The Man - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
    Lonely Lonely Girl Am I - The Velevelettes
    A Little More Love - Kim Weston
    My Girl - The Temptations
    What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
    Ask The Lonely - The Four Tops
    Everybody Needs Love - The Temptations
    Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins
    Keep Off, No Trespassing - The Marvelettes
    Little Girls Grow Up - The Marvelettes
    Make It With You - The Supremes
    My Baby Moves Me - Brenda Holloway
    We've Got A Way Out Love - The Undisputed Truth
    You Can't Keep A Good Man Down - The Four Tops
    Till Johnny Comes - Diana Ross & the Supremes
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    How could I forget "A Little More Love" by Kim Weston? That's one of the very best!

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    Last summer I made my first trip to Hitsville. At the end of the wholly satisfying tour, once the actual tour was over, I hung back to immerse myself in all that took place in the studio, which was not very big. One of my reflections was, how did they fit all of the string players in this studio before the strings were recorded at Golden World? And was it the relatively small size of the studio that contributed to the unique sound?

  38. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Motown4Ever518 View Post
    Last summer I made my first trip to Hitsville. At the end of the wholly satisfying tour, once the actual tour was over, I hung back to immerse myself in all that took place in the studio, which was not very big. One of my reflections was, how did they fit all of the string players in this studio before the strings were recorded at Golden World? And was it the relatively small size of the studio that contributed to the unique sound?
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    I've seen films of some of the classic mid '60s sessions. The string sections used from Detroit Symphony Orchestra were just a few players, - NOT full orchestra string sections, as they were recorded at the same time as the other musicians. Most that I saw from 1964-66 used 4 to 6 string players. Later, for elaborate string pieces, the strings were on a separate track, with no other musicians. So, they could fit more string players in The Snakepit. And Golden World had even more room. So, I guess that string ensambles may have ranged up to 10-15 at most. Otherwise, they probably would have had to be recorded in a larger studio/room somewhere else. But, from the sound of the strings in all the Motown recordings I've heard, I doubt that they ever used more than a small orchestra string section.

    Does anyone here know how many string players were in the most elaborate string tracks Motown used, and where they were recorded?

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    I would say most of those films were definitely staged. 99% of the string sessions were done after the rhythm tracks and vocals were finished, and on their own track starting with the 8 track recordings around 1965

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    instrumental track for Stoned Love

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1jobamPSPM

  41. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by kje71 View Post
    I would say most of those films were definitely staged. 99% of the string sessions were done after the rhythm tracks and vocals were finished, and on their own track starting with the 8 track recordings around 1965
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    "My Girl" was recorded in late 1964. The famous clip shows Eddie Willis, Joe Messina and, I think, Robert White, on guitars, James Jamerson on bass, Benny Benjamin on drums, two trombone players and two trumpet players, and, I think 4 woodwind players, including 2 clarinets, and 4 string players, I think 3 violins and one cello, or just 4 violins. Was that one of the "staged" films? This was NOT the staged clip with them playing behind David singing.

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    Yes it was. My Girl was recorded on 3 track, Smokey played it for them at the apollo iirc. Then the vocals were recorded and finally the strings at a later date

  43. #43
    That STAGED clip was in late 65. You can tell by David's shorter processed hairdo. It's like on their Classic Clips GET READY DVD when they did MY BABY and DON'T LOOK BACK.

  44. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by kje71 View Post
    Yes it was. My Girl was recorded on 3 track, Smokey played it for them at the apollo iirc. Then the vocals were recorded and finally the strings at a later date
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    So, how many string players played on most of Motown's hit side efforts after they went to 4 track, and had the entire Snakepit or Golden World to themselves? Or did they record them elsewhere?

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    Decided to upload one of my favorites for all to hear, the isolated strings to the Jackson 5's "Darling Dear"

    https://soundcloud.com/imaginationmi...g-dear-strings

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    Ooh, that's such a beautiful string arrangement, kje. Thanks for sharing that.

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    And also "Who You Gonna Run To?" by The Temptations... beautiful, lush, smooth... etc!

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    I agree with most if not all of the above! Not sure if anyone mentioned the Miracles If Your Mother Only Knew from 1962, recorded, according to DFTMC, not in the Snakepit but in Chicago. The strings are there from the intro, and play a fabulous instrumental break too.

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    Quote Originally Posted by soulwally View Post
    I agree with most if not all of the above! Not sure if anyone mentioned the Miracles If Your Mother Only Knew from 1962, recorded, according to DFTMC, not in the Snakepit but in Chicago. The strings are there from the intro, and play a fabulous instrumental break too.
    Name:  av-5.jpg
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    All The Miracles' string sessions in 1962 and probably all of 1963, as well, were recorded in Chicago, with Riley Hampton arranging them. He was a major arranger for Carl Davis at VJ, Bunky Sheppard's labels, and then with Curtis Mayfield, and then Carl Davis with Okeh and Brunswick.

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    Quote Originally Posted by theboyfromxtown View Post
    Stevie Wonder-I'm Wondering
    Stevie Wonder- Shoe Be Do Be Do Dah Day
    Four Tops-I Can't Help Myself
    Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston- It Takes Two
    Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Loving

    There are also some fabulous little arrangements on R Dean Taylor's Back Street, Edwin Starr-Soul City [[Open Your Arms To Me)-Blinky & Edwin-Oh How Happy

    but the biggest prize from me goes to

    Temptations - Smiling Faces Sometimes

    Another vote for "Soul City" by Edwin Starr. Absolute showstopper.

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