Norman Whitfield and message songs

[lockhartgary]

I was thinking about Norman Whitfield's numerous "message" songs and how the Temptations were his primary means of communication. Considering how he also worked with others at Motown I wonder why Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye were not used more as his sounding boards? Was there internal concern at Motown?

[Motown Eddie]

I was thinking about Norman Whitfield's numerous "message" songs and how the Temptations were his primary means of communication. Considering how he also worked with others at Motown I wonder why Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye were not used more as his sounding boards? Was there internal concern at Motown?

Good question; except for Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Friendship Train" [[and remake of "Cloud Nine"), Whitfield gave most of his message songs to The Temptations [[and later on to The Undisputed Truth & Edwin Starr). As for Marvin Gaye, Motown didn't want anything to get in the way of his 'sex symbol image' [[that's why his classic "What's Going On" was held up for nearly a year).

[TomatoTom123]

Good question, gary, I was going to mention the one message song I could think of that Gladys & The Pips did record, but Eddie already did ;)

Maybe Norman used The Tempts more for message songs because David left in 1967 and change was in order! The arrival of Dennis and their Cloud Nine album gave the group a new sound and, as it was successful, one that Norman would continue... “Cloud Nine”... “Don’t Let The Joneses Get You Down”... “You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Bere On Earth”... “Unite The World”... :D