Love Is Like An Itching "Motown geek" observation

[rovereab]

Listening to this song a short while ago I noticed that it only has one drum roll a fair way into the song which, in comparison to other 60s Motown songs, seems unusual to me.

Is this song unique in this way?

[bradburger]

Good observation Eamonn , and I would never put you down as a Motown Geek! ;)

I'm trying to think of some other tracks like this, but none are springing to mind at the moment, but I'm sure they'll come to me.

Talking of the Supremes, the unreleased 'Don't Let True Love Die' is in a similar grove to 'Itching' with Benny laying down his trademark '4 on the Floor' in a way that only he could execute.

Interestingly, for a track from that period cut in the 'Snakepit', this has no classic Benny or 'what most would call Motown’ fills at all.

Cheers

Paul

[thomas96]

I don't think it's Benny on LILAIIMH. In addition to the fills, it just doesn't sound like him.

[BayouMotownMan]

It has two drum rolls. The first at the point where Diana goes WOOOO and the other before going into the final verse before the fade, [[after keeps me tossing, keeps me turning, keeps me yearing.) It sounds like Benny to me

[soulwally]

Jr Walker's Roadrunner explodes with a typical roll, but his other two early-on hits, Shotgun and How Sweet it is, don't have any rolls, if memory serves. It could be that the All Stars played on the tracks, rather than the Funks.

Do you recall the SITSOM film, where Pistol attempts to differentiate between his, Benny, and Uriel's fills? I've watched it loads of time and it still isn't clear!

[rovereab]

Thanks for pointing out the second roll BMM. I was working out on a cross trainer at the gym when I was listening to the song [[great song for that might I add) so I missed the first roll out in my recollection.

In some respects, thinking about other similar songs, it is strange there is not a drum roll at the very start of the song a la This Old Heart and Ain't To Proud To Beg.

Got me thinking about a new thread - which Motown songs do you listen to at the gym :)

[Sotosound]

Another track missing classic drum fills is "Behind A Painted Smile" by The Isley Brothers.

It was a US B-side [[to "All Because I Love You") but a UK smash A-side, and one of several US singles where it seems that the better track was put on the B-side and where Motown GB wisely flipped the single over to get a smash hit.)

This was apparently the last session that Benny played on before his sad and premature demise.

When I started to explore the subject of Motown drummers and listened to the track to try and spot who the drummer was, I thought that it might have been Uriel Jones due to the funky style and the lack of variety in the fills but, on further listens, the timing is tighter and the touch is lighter than what I would have expected from Uriel.

Moreover, the lack of classic Motown-style drum fills actually suits the track better as it keeps the energy levels high. Great track with non-standard, funky drumming by BB.

[soulster]

Listening to this song a short while ago I noticed that it only has one drum roll a fair way into the song which, ... Can you be more specific?

[rovereab]

Can you be more specific?

Most Motown songs from the 60s era have several drum rolls and other fills. This song has just 2 rolls which is not characteristic of the era.

[Motown4Ever518]

From the mid eighties when I thought that Mr. Double B played on every song a la Mr. Double J, to now, where I feel that Benny was featured in the beginning of the label and had been augmented by Mr. Allen and Mr. Jones before his tragic passing away. This song, I don't feel is Papa Zita. IMO the moving around of the bass pattern while playing an explosive snare probably is Pistol. To me if it was Benny, he would have added accents where the bass drum would be. Think of the quirky placements of the additional snare hits on You Can't Hurry Love. Best Motown song for the Gym, It's The Same Old Song.

[Boogiedown]

this is exactly the kind of "geeky" insight about this music some of us enjoy coming here to be enlightened about.

takes years of Motown schooling to realize some of these nuances .

thanks!