"UNSUNG"...really?

[ejluther]

Well, I'd say the focus of UNSUNG has certainly turned towards the SUNG, at least with some episodes; Otis Redding is being profiled tonight and Rick James, Ike Turner, and Nile Rodgers/Chic have also gotten the show's attention. Don't get me wrong - I always enjoy/watch the show and I'm fine with them profiling more well-known artists who might be considered unappreciated if not unknown. Especially since that might bring around an episode on the post-60's Supremes, as well as other artists who deserve a reappraising. Who would you like to see get the UNSUNG treatment?

[milven]

Stylistics, EWF, Supremes, Gladys and Pips . And it would be nice if they changed the name of Unsung.

[sansradio]

Switch, Yvonne Fair, Johnny Bristol and Bettye LaVette come to mind. I've felt the same way for a while now; a name change [[or more imaginative programming) would make all the difference.

[lockhartgary]

Moments/Ray, Goodman and Brown, Bloodstone, Paul Williams just to name a few.

[blackguy69]

You won't see The Supremes or the Temptations on unsung lol. I would like to see Jimmy Ruffin, Main Ingredient, or the Dynamic Superions. If possible, the Raelettes.

[caliluv]

David Porter, especially since he is still with us

[jobucats]

Tevin Campbell, Patti Austin

[thomas96]

Still waiting on the bobby taylor unsung!

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Van McCoy and Faith, Hope & Charity.

[jobeterob]

The 70's Supremes deserve it though.

It isn't that some of these people didn't have hits and things and certainly Otis had a memorable one, but they are from another era and many of today's youth do not know them or if they know the name, they don't know much more.

[sansradio]

Tevin Campbell, Patti Austin

Patti Austin is the PERFECT candidate.

[Ngroove]

What I believe, criteria of requirements of UNSUNG, have to have made a significant mark on R&B / Rap / Gospel, have made multiple hits, but is no Aretha Franklin / James Brown / Diana Ross.

Motown-wise:

Junior Walker
Jermaine Jackson
Switch
Dazz Band
The Boys / Suns of Light

Soul / R&B:

Sam & Dave - that would be awesome - what, according to Sam Moore, was his feelings around realization that, after the "Stax" hits and Stax / Volt tours, they were under contract to Atlantic, not Stax, 1968, and losing Hayes / Porter when Stax did splinter from Atlantic?

Jackie Wilson
Barbara Mason
The Intruders
Patrice Rushen

[arr&bee]

The whispers..gene chandler..the impressions.

[Ngroove]

The whispers..gene chandler..the impressions.

The Whispers' already were UNSUNG-ed. Although my favorite part was the "And the Beat Goes On" - "Rock Steady" eighties peroid, the coverage of their "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong" - "A Song For Donny" seventies peroid, was just as generous and appreciated.

Ah yeah, and how about Edwin Starr? From soul shouting, to protest songs, to psychadelic funk, to disco, from America, to Britain?

Or Thelma Houston? From early seventies Mowest, to "Don't Leave Me This Way", "I'm Here Again", "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" and a string of other mid-late seventies disco dances, to even being given the Jimmy Jam / Terry Lewis treatment in the eighties, "You Used To Hold Me So Tight"?

[JimBagley]

Jackie Moore
Margie Joseph
Barbara Lewis [[sub-plot of how Babs' records stopped being promoted at Atlantic as soon as Aretha was signed; the first two ladies listed here also weren't allowed to potentially cut into the attention thrust upon Aretha at Atlantic)
The Velvelettes
Brenda Holloway [[discussion of Patrice's illness as an important subplot)
70s Supremes [[with as many giggles from Susaye as possible)
Edwin Starr
Jimmy Ruffin [[how could two brothers be so different?)
Dee Dee Warwick [[some emotional problems to be discussed)
The Jones Girls [[able to play up the dead group member/sibling angle)
Moms Mabley [[clips without her teeth in preferred)
Glenn Jones
Dennis Edwards [[I interviewed him for two hours. He is a fascinating, well spoken man)
The Stylistics/Russell Thompkins Jr
The Intruders
Brenda Russell
Dawn [[Telma, Joyce, Pam but NOT Tony Orlando)
Love Unlimited [[featuring a sup-plot on Glodean's finger nails
Marlena Shaw
Candi Staton [[Ask her to elaborate on how she allowed her blind husband Clarence Carter to continually beat her, as she claims in her book. Were her shoes filled with lead?)
First Choice/Rochelle Fleming
Sister Sledge/Kathy Sledge [[why do the other Sledge sisters resent the talented Kathy and won't let her sing with the group unless Oprah calls)
MFSB
Brenda and her Tabulations [[why did Brenda go through so many Tabulations?)
Jean Carne
Blue Magic
Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash [[Nona Hendryx is the only person in the entire world who doesn't like Cindy Birdsong. That alone makes her interesting.)
Dee Dee Sharp
The Trammps
The Soul Children
Yvonne Fair / Sammy Strain [[two careers in show business puts a strain on a marriage)
Dynamic Superiors [[Tony Washington predated Sylvester by several years)
The Elgins [[didn't know Saundra Edwards suffered from mental illness until I read Marc Taylor's stellar piece on the group in his essential publication A Touch Of Classic Soul)

[Cadeho]

I have not seen every episode, but have the Andantes had one? They need more recognition bad!

[sansradio]

Since we're on non-Motown acts, The Honey Cone and Esther Phillips come to mind as well.

[captainjames]

MOTOWN: Ashford & Simpson, The Funk Brothers, The Andantes and The Dynamic Superiors.
NON MOTOWN: Martha Wash, The Sweet Inspirations and Freda Payne

[Motown Eddie]

Well, I'd say the focus of UNSUNG has certainly turned towards the SUNG, at least with some episodes; Otis Redding is being profiled tonight and Rick James, Ike Turner, and Nile Rodgers/Chic have also gotten the show's attention. Don't get me wrong - I always enjoy/watch the show and I'm fine with them profiling more well-known artists who might be considered unappreciated if not unknown. Especially since that might bring around an episode on the post-60's Supremes, as well as other artists who deserve a reappraising. Who would you like to see get the UNSUNG treatment?

Here's a list of classic acts that I'd love to see profiled on "Unsung";
1. Brenda Holloway
2. Kim Weston
3. The Velvelettes
4. Jr. Walker & the All-Stars
5. The Contours
6. Jimmy Ruffin
7. Kool & the Gang
8. The New Birth
9. Syreeta
10. Chuck Jackson

[marv2]

They really need to change the name of the program in order to legitimately cover more artists. Maybe change it to something like "Profiles in Soul & Jazz".

[midnightman]

TBF, their lineup hasn't changed that much but apparently I think some people tend to look at some "sung" artists that had an "unsung" reputation [[Ike's was usually "oh look at how much of a businessman he is, he wasn't the 'monster' Hollywood portrayed him as, winning a solo Grammy, etc."; Otis' was similar, I guess). But then you have truly unsung artists on there like Chuck Brown in the lineup.

[detmotownguy]

They really need to change the name of the program in order to legitimately cover more artists. Maybe change it to something like "Profiles in Soul & Jazz".

I agree. I don't believe there is a definition of unsung. An artist profile seem to be an objective; without the drama of "unsung".

[lockhartgary]

My problem is I am stuck in a time warp. :D