The Marvelettes: Don't Mess With Bill - Instrumental

[marv2]

Here's a GREAT example of how great the Funk Brothers were as musicians right here........


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42BTi8V0N7c

[daviddesper]

Great clip. Thanks for sharing. I could listen to ANY version of this song all day long!

[marv2]

Great clip. Thanks for sharing. I could listen to ANY version of this song all day long!

It never sounds old! Just great music period!

[Motown Eddie]

Thanks for sharing Marv2. Another great example of The Funk Brothers stellar work as musicians [[and The Andantes as background singers).

[marv2]

Thanks for sharing Marv2. Another great example of The Funk Brothers stellar work as musicians [[and The Andantes as background singers).

You're most welcome Motown Eddie. They were just so creative, innovative with their playing. I am still amazed all these years later.

[detmotownguy]

Hey thanks Marv. These guys were an integral component in creating the Detroit sound - one of the great wonders of the world. This song has such a great soulful feeling. Wanda gets so into the lyrics on the studio version. I hope she realizes how much we the fans appreciate her talent.

[kenneth]

Nice to hear just how tight the band is which you can really hear without the lead vocal. What talented guys.

[marv2]

Nice to hear just how tight the band is which you can really hear without the lead vocal. What talented guys.

I sometimes wished that Motown had recording more instrumentals from the Funk Brothers. Maybe even a few Jazz albums.

[Roger Polhill]

Wonderful thank you marv, a new bass line too!

[kenneth]

I sometimes wished that Motown had recording more instrumentals from the Funk Brothers. Maybe even a few Jazz albums.

The Earl Van Dyke set which Hip-O put out was such a standout. I too wish there were more albums like that in the Motown catalog.

Aside from that, I sure miss Hip-O. What great stuff they gave us for so long.

[marv2]

Wonderful thank you marv, a new bass line too!

You are most welcome Roger!

[marv2]

The Earl Van Dyke set which Hip-O put out was such a standout. I too wish there were more albums like that in the Motown catalog.

Aside from that, I sure miss Hip-O. What great stuff they gave us for so long.

It could inspire younger people to become musicians. For me, I would just love to hear more of their playing without vocals out front.

[kenneth]

It could inspire younger people to become musicians. For me, I would just love to hear more of their playing without vocals out front.

Here's a question. Choker Campbell was Motown's touring band, wasn't it? They had the album 'Hits of the 60s' I think it was. Were these original recordings of past Motown hits?

Then as to Earl Van Dyke, were his recordings the actual backing tracks of some of the Motown hits?

Marv or anyone, do you know?

[marv2]

Here's a question. Choker Campbell was Motown's touring band, wasn't it? They had the album 'Hits of the 60s' I think it was. Were these original recordings of past Motown hits?

Then as to Earl Van Dyke, were his recordings the actual backing tracks of some of the Motown hits?

Marv or anyone, do you know?

I am not sure, but I tend to believe that they were recorded specifically for those albums.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Here's a question. Choker Campbell was Motown's touring band, wasn't it? They had the album 'Hits of the 60s' I think it was. Were these original recordings of past Motown hits?

Then as to Earl Van Dyke, were his recordings the actual backing tracks of some of the Motown hits?

Marv or anyone, do you know?

You are right. The Choker Campbell album was all original recordings. Motown songs played with Big Band arrangements. Some of the cuts worked really well with the full-on brass
arrangement. I love whoever is playing drums on these tracks.

I believe the music was all recorded at the Greystone Ballroom- now, note that I used the word "believe". I think I read that somewhere.

The Earl Van Dyke album was basically Earl playing organ over the original backing tracks of Motown hits. You can also hear a few other overdubs, tambourine and guitar on a few cuts.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Just a little thing, but the vibraphone just going, going, going, ding, ding, ding- I LOVE how that thing sounds on this, especially when you hear it with the Earl's bluesy, middle-of-the-night organ swirls.

[marv2]

Just a little thing, but the vibraphone just going, going, going, ding, ding, ding- I LOVE how that thing sounds on this, especially when you hear it with the Earl's bluesy, middle-of-the-night organ swirls.


WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance I agree. It just adds that special little something to it.

[Nurnberg77]

So is the drummer here Benny Benjamin?

[thanxal]

So is the drummer here Benny Benjamin?
Yes. Its the instrumental track to the original song, so Benjamin was the drummer. Just to make this doubly sad [[Marv2 who originally posted this died last year), I'll link to John Perrone's [[Mosogotam) Extended Mix [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvffbBVD8Bs), which is excellent.
John died last year from COVID early in the wave that devastated the northeast US. We've lost John, Marv, Mary and several others in the last year. So much loss.

[jobucats]

It's also interesting in how the engineers and the folk responsible for mastering the Marvelettes output were able to produce another facet of the Motown Sound. To my ears, there was usually something distinctive about the sound of each of the Motown subsidiaries and this distinction was more than just the particular song or artist...it was the selection of the instruments and the way they were mixed and mastered with the vocals.

[Rmick66]

Yes. Its the instrumental track to the original song, so Benjamin was the drummer. Just to make this doubly sad [[Marv2 who originally posted this died last year), I'll link to John Perrone's [[Mosogotam) Extended Mix [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvffbBVD8Bs), which is excellent.
John died last year from COVID early in the wave that devastated the northeast US. We've lost John, Marv, Mary and several others in the last year. So much loss.


I had no idea that John [[Mosogotam) had passed. His extended remixes were fantastic. And as you said, too many losses.

[kenneth]

I had no idea that John [[Mosogotam) had passed. His extended remixes were fantastic. And as you said, too many losses.

John was the sweetest guy, and he just loved Motown music and did so much on his radio show to promote it.


I know Marv was a more polarizing figure but I liked him and nobody could say he didn’t add a lot of value to the forum. His archives of photographs and such were just amazing. He said that he got a lot of it from the old Motown headquarters in Detroit after they moved! I always wondered how much of it he had. He had so many photographs that I’ve never seen before that were so interesting.


And of course I mourn the loss of Mary Wilson. I think she did more to promote the legacy of not only the Supremes, but Motown than did anyone else.


Such a tough tough year.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

OMG, Kenny! I didn't know that John [[Mosogotam) had passed! When on earth did that happen? Had he been sick?

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Here's a question. Choker Campbell was Motown's touring band, wasn't it? They had the album 'Hits of the 60s' I think it was. Were these original recordings of past Motown hits?

Then as to Earl Van Dyke, were his recordings the actual backing tracks of some of the Motown hits?

Marv or anyone, do you know?
Kenny, Earl Van Dyke's "That Motown Sound" contained the same original backing tracks as the hit records except Earl's organ was added [[overdubbed) to replace the lead vocals. Choker Campbell's "Hits Of The Sixties" contained new arrangements.

[mysterysinger]

"Don't Mess With Bill". The outfits kinda remind me of something The Ronettes wore.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVsW_6AomOQ

[masterblaster]

It could inspire younger people to become musicians. For me, I would just love to hear more of their playing without vocals out front.

I bought a number of Original Artist Karaoke CDs a few years ago, there were 17 in the set each containing 16 tracks, 8 with and 8 without lead vocals. The original backing tracks were used for the recordings and they are just superb. I listen to the songs without vocals a lot and marvel at how incredible the backing musicians were, particularly those that feature The Funk Brothers. Worth seeking out but they are a bit pricey if you can find them.