Hello Detroit

[mysterysinger]

Always loved this song by Sammy Davis Jr. since I got the single years ago on UK Motown. He sings it live here - but how about a version from Pat Lewis too?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9kiXtK2-vw



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dca_G6hIU8

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Mystery, I've gotta say that I really like Pat Lewis A LOT! Of all the 100+ Motorcity artists, she's solidly in my Top 5.

[mysterysinger]

Mystery, I've gotta say that I really like Pat Lewis A LOT! Of all the 100+ Motorcity artists, she's solidly in my Top 5.

Yes I'm with you there - some of her tracks are stunning - I really like "I Want You Back" and "I'll Be There" but her voice sounds great on so many songs - as Ian Levine notes she was his most recorded artist.

[grapevine]

Bobby St Thomas & Sun Messengers sing a great Live! version ...enjoy...!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9BMA3NYC2Y

Grape :)

[Graham Jarvis]

Kim Weston "Detroit" This version is live in 1978, she also recorded it on 45 Rahkim 101 1975.
There is also 10 other "Detroit" record titles, How many more can you find?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr9ci6xDhys

[reese]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoMgMiNW2NY

[PauloRich]

I always loved Sammy Davis Jr.'s 'Hello Detroit' by Berry Gordy and Willie Hutch. A deserved love song for Detroit in the form of old school big band orchestra.

It got me thinking on the other tribute songs recorded and released by Motown which reference Motown, Berry Gordy, other Motown artists, and of course - Detroit!

Here are some;
The Satintones - 'Motor City' [[1959) - Detroit
Patrice Holloway - 'Stevie' [[1963) - Stevie Wonder
Dave Hamilton - 'Motown Express' [[1963) - Motown / Detroit
Martha & The Vandellas - 'Dancing In The Street' [[1964) - Detroit & everywhere
Earl Van Dyke - 'Blue Berry' [[1964) - Berry Gordy
The Velvelettes & The Funk Brothers - 'Ain't No Place Like Motown' [[1964) - Motown
Martha & The Vandellas - 'Motoring' [[1965) - Detroit
The Supremes - 'We Couldn't Get Along Without You' [[1966) - Berry Gordy
Willie Horton w/ The Supremes - 'Detroit Is Happening' [[1967) - Detroit
Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers - 'Ode To The Supremes' [[1968) - The Supremes
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - 'I Care About Detroit' [[1968) - Detroit
The Funk Brothers - 'Fever In The Funkhouse' [[1969) - Motown
Smokey Robinson - 'Sweet Harmony' [[1973) - The Miracles
Teena Marie - 'White Soul' [[1976) - Motown artists
Jose Feliciano - 'The Drought Is Over' [[1981) - Berry Gordy
Sammy Davis Jr. - 'Hello Detroit' [[1984) - Detroit
The Temptations & The Four Tops - 'The Battle Song [[I'm The One)' [[1984) - Motown
Smokey Robinson - 'Do You Know' [[1995) - Berry Gordy
Smokey Robinson - 'Really Gonna Miss You' [[1998) - Melvin Franklin
India Arie - 'Wonderful' [[2001) - Stevie Wonder


And of there were various touching tributes to Gordy family family members such as 'It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday' and 'Pops, We Love You'.

Anyone know much about The Four Tops ' The Four Of Us' Song?

Of course there are many songs tributing Motown by artists not signed to the label [[George Harrison, Rod Stewart etc) and some ex-Motowners referencing back [[Teena Marie 'Luv Letter').

What other recorded Motown on Motown tributes are there... a downright unashamed love leter, or maybe snuck into a line or two of a song?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBEM5oIbqGs

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Paulo, here's a direct reference to Motown:

JR. WALKER & THE ALL STARS - "Hip City [[Part 2)"
https://youtu.be/U-JTkzsdRlQ

in which Jr. sings, "Don't put Detroit down; it's the home of The Motown Sound".

[RanRan79]

What other recorded Motown on Motown tributes are there... a downright unashamed love leter, or maybe snuck into a line or two of a song?


The Supremes' "Havin A Party" from the Sam Cooke album mentions "Shotgun" and "My Girl".

Commodores "Night Shift" tribute to Marvin and Jackie Wilson.

"My Dear Mr. Gaye" by Teena Marie.

[reese]

Martha and the Vandellas' version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC replaces all of the artists mentioned in Arthur Conley's original with their Motown colleagues like the Supremes, the Pips, etc.

[snakepit]

baby that's a groove....Roy Handy

[PauloRich]

That's some good one's there! How could I forget Nightshift?! Most are pretty self explanatory but for fun I edited my post to list what the songs pay tribute to. I can't think of any more in songs lyrically...

Carrying on the theme of Detroit [[and somewhat using artistic license) there is...

Jack Ashford and The Sound of New Detroit with 'Do The Choo-Choo Prt I' on Prodigal [[1975).

Chico Lavert and The Ryaber Voices of Detroit [[you betta name check yo hometown) with 'Solid Sender' on Tamla [[1959).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SundZcjHtbc

Other name checks on Motown are; The Detroit Wheels, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra [[various), The Detroit Fischer Theatre Strings [[Leslie Uggams).

And of course Gil Scott Heron's prophetic non-Motown 'We Almost Lost Detroit'.

It got me thinking... where could Detroit be in the top named US cities in songs? It's not listed in the top 10. Unsuprisingly the top spot goes to New York.