Worst Motown songs?

[vcq]

This thread was inpired by the recent Guardian article: "[Mowest's] only hit was Tom Clay's terrible spoken-word rendition of What the World Needs Now, the portentous oration intercut with socially provocative media reports." I was listening to my favorite Motown channel on Live365 at work, and Tom Clay's "song" came on. I spent several minutes wondering what I'd just been listening to.

I've seen loads of lists of top Motown songs, but I'd love to hear what SDF thinks are the worst songs out there. Maybe it's the lyrics [[or lack thereof), off-key singers / musicians, whatever. Even a hits factory like Motown was bound to release a few less-than-stellar tracks throughout its long career.


From the hundreds of Motown songs I've listened to, my money is on Popcorn and the Mohawk's "Custer's Last Man."
2. The Valadiers' "Greetings" [[This Is Uncle Sam). Great song, but way out-of-tune.
3. "No Matter What Sign You Are" [[The Supremes). I read that this song was so bad, that Cindy and Mary aren't even on it [[it's the Andantes). Can anyone provide more info about this?

[jboy88]

The Honest Men's cherie and that b-side of theirs, a fine example of Motown's share of musical excrement. Give me a headache just thinking about that song. Debbie Dean's "Why am I loving you" and many of the songs on TCMS vol. 1 are also pretty bad!

[Jimi LaLumia]

I loved "No Matter What Sign You Are";
it made the national Top 30,and got.. airplay for a while on 77WABC AM in NY, the biggest Top 40 station in America

[johnjeb]

I think songs that are included in a worst list should be limited to when the company and/or the artists, writers, and producers hit their stride, most likely after 1964. Prior to that it was a learning experience and a revenue-building process.

I vote for "I'm Living In Shame".

[Jimi LaLumia]

I also loved "I'm Living In Shame""! what can I tell you?

[jeff9nyc]

None of the songs that the Supremes did were the "worst Motown songs." They were given some of the best material the company ever did. Even tracks that weren't as strong as some of their others weren't dogs. You might not like all their tracks, but the company had way too much money invested in the Supremes for them to record anything really awful. Personally, I can't even listen to the 2 gospel tracks on the second disc of the Lost and Found....but they were well sung and well produced.

[tamla617]

i bought that tom clay 7" on tamla motown [[uk).i was bored ,went to a department store's record dept.in oxford,so it was 1972/73.as the shop was empty i asked the girl to go thru all the tamla motown singles.which she did. i ended up with about 20 singles i either didnt have or heard of.i just bought them!the only one i can remember apart from tom clay was jimmy ruffin's "on the way out" tmg784.i played tom clay once and not all the way.thats it! its not come out the sleeve since.whats worse i still got it.look on the bright side i'm saving the planet from burnt vinyl fumes!

btw jimmy's didnt get played much more than that either,well i did say i was bored and i got all the singles that day for half price,about 20p

[robb_k]

3265"Happy Ghoul Tide" and "Randy The Newspaper Boy" by Ray Oddis on VIP from 1964 are the absolute WORST Motown recordings!+

[roger]

Well then ..

I quite like "Custer's Last Man" by RICHARD "POPCORN" WYLIE/POPCORN AND THE MOHAWKS .. its a silly novelty record of course .. but I don't think it was ever intended to be taken seriously and it has a lot of humour in it.

I also like "Living In Shame" .. fantastic backing track .. a bit of a pre-cursor to what THE JACKSON FIVE were doing a year or so later. The lyrics are a bit corny in places .. "came the telegram, mother died making home made jam" ... isn't one of Motown's finest couplets .. but I can happily listen to it two or three times in succession.

Recently "Living In Shame" was included by British musical prophet of doom and depression MORRISEY [[ formerly of THE SMITHS ) as one of his Top 10 favourite tunes of all time ..

http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2010/09/former-smiths-frontman-morrissey-lists-his-favourite-songs-of-all-time/

Best not argue with him or he might come around and perform in your front room .. :) .. actually looking at his list there are some good tunes in there!!

If I had to choose a "worst" DRATS '45 it would have to be "The Composer", it just never sounds right to me. In fact, Tamla Motown in Britain never bothered to issue it as a single, which shows how little faith they had in it.

HOWEVER .. If I exclude obvious "Novelty" tunes, songs from when Motown was "learning" [[ 1959-63 ), and songs from musical genres that do little for me [[ "Rock", "Country" etc. ) .. I come up with this little "gem" from 1968 .. which apparently we were supposed to take seriously .. at least, according to the notes in TCMS8 the performer took it and himself very seriously!!

ABDULLAH - "I Comma Zimbo Zia [[Here Stands The Mighty One)"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iM6-yelsTM

Roger

[smark21]

I like the backing track on I'm Living in Shame, and the story has potential but the lyrics are just bad camp melodrama with no root in true human feeling or emotion.

I don't care for No Matter What Sign You Are--it sounds like a cheap attempt to cash in on the success of both Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, but stripped of any big message, and the taste of the time for using Sitars in pop songs. And the background vocal arrangement of reciting the signs of the Zodiac is obvious and unmelodic.

The Young Folks is another weak Supremes song from that era. Ross/The Supremes were rudderless in the studio between the departure of HDH and the two for one split in which afterwards Ross had Ashford and Simpson and The Supremes had Frank Wilson to guide them.

[rovereab]

I never liked "Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo" by Diana Ross and considered it a poor follow-up single to I'm Still Waiting. Yes it had the same production staff [[Sorry Deke if you are reading this) but it just dragged as a song. My Place and Baby It's Love would have been better follow-up releases IMO.

Eamonn

[stephanie]

I dont know why My Place was never a single it was much better than Last Time I Saw Him! When I saw this thread I said to myself the worst Motown song I have ever heard was Ask Any Man - Tony Martin. Maybe its because I have heard the Supremes - Ask Any Girl but when I hear Tony Martin [[who can sing) I laugh so hard I cant stop. As far as Miss Ross and Doobeddoo [[dont feel like typing it out) I like it but when she would get to the part "Here it comes again"...and she would start singing the title I would laugh and go OH NO here she goes again! I like Dekes stuff especially We Need You.
Steph

[rovereab]

Stephanie, I copied and pasted Doobedoo..... from the I'm Still Waiting album track listing so no great typing skills here LOL.

I like Deke's material too but this song is weak IMO.

Eamonn

[copley]

Motown certainly released some clunkers in the midst of all the gold.

In no particular order:

Endless Gush - Ross/Richie
Hello - Lionel Richie
Three Times A Lady - Commodores
Randy The Newspaper Boy - Ray Oddis
I'm Still Waiting - Diana Ross
No Matter What Sign You Are - DRATS
Talkin' To Your Picture - Tony Martin
The Bigger Your Heart Is [[The Harder You'll Fall) -Tony Martin
Love Makes The World Go 'Round, But Money Greases The Wheel - Dee Mullins
Three Choruses Of Despair - Rick Robin & Him
We're Off To Dublin In The Green - Abbey Tavern Singers
Muck-arty Park - Soupy Sales
The Luney Landing - Captain Zap & Motortown Cut-Ups
What The World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin And John - Tom Clay
Shame And Scandal In The Family - Vin Cardinal
I've Never Been To Me - Charlene
Where Were You When The Ship went Down - Dickey & Poseidons
Please Mr Postman - Pat Boone Family
I Comma Zimba Zio [[Here I Stand The Mighty One) - Abdullah

Most Rare Earth label releases and most post 75 releases in general!

[tamla617]

copley
looks like you were lined up for this question and i think you've hit all the nails too
its not bad when you really have to think to find the bad ones from thousands is it?

[copley]

Yes indeed. There are others that I don't like and some that I've over-heard but in the main Motown did an excellent job :)

[mr soul]

I don't know about worst song...however Motown 50 must rank as one of the worst Motown compilations ever the same old same old, it was that bad the only thing you could compare it to was oldies radio playlist...a truly insipid & uninspiring compilation.

[Jimi LaLumia]

"I'm still Waiting" is fabulous, went to #1 UK. could have been a hit here;
was it even released here?

[roger]

"I'm still Waiting" is fabulous, went to #1 UK. could have been a hit here;
was it even released here?

I'm assuming you are in the U.S. Jim .. in which case the answer is Yes!!

Motown 1192 .. reached #40 R&B and #60 Pop.

Roger

[jeff9nyc]

I dont know why My Place was never a single it was much better than Last Time I Saw Him! When I saw this thread I said to myself the worst Motown song I have ever heard was Ask Any Man - Tony Martin. Maybe its because I have heard the Supremes - Ask Any Girl but when I hear Tony Martin [[who can sing) I laugh so hard I cant stop. As far as Miss Ross and Doobeddoo [[dont feel like typing it out) I like it but when she would get to the part "Here it comes again"...and she would start singing the title I would laugh and go OH NO here she goes again! I like Dekes stuff especially We Need You.
Steph

I have to agree. Ask Any Man is pretty bad! [[LOL)

[Kamasu_Jr]

I have to agree. Ask Any Man is pretty bad! [[LOL)


Anything that was recorded by Marv Johnson. He just didn't have it and got lucky with those few hits he landed on United Artists. His pitch was unsteady, his falsetto sounded strained and he was just dull. The Funks sound like they were propped up, asleep, playing behind him. I know he deserves some credit for getting Motown started, but he was a dud in my opinion.

[Jimi LaLumia]

I started paying attention to the U.K. glam//glitter records by 1970/71; T.Rex and the glitter version David Bowie sort of stole me away from Motown[[I did remain totally loyal to the Jean Supremes, somewhat loyal to the Liza Minnelli version of Miss Ross in the early/mid 70's)

[stopinthenameoflove]

Anything that was recorded by Marv Johnson. He just didn't have it and got lucky with those few hits he landed on United Artists. His pitch was unsteady, his falsetto sounded strained and he was just dull. The Funks sound like they were propped up, asleep, playing behind him. I know he deserves some credit for getting Motown started, but he was a dud in my opinion.

Sorry I'm not having that. Marv always sang really well, and 'I Miss You Baby' is one of the best Motown songs I have heard.

[soulster]

"I've Never Been To Me" - Charlene

It's so wretched that I thought of it as soon as I read the thread title! Were they all on drugs?

[marv2]

I loved Marv Johnson's work. Great singer and great guy!

[MIKEW-UK]

if you really want a copy!

http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=2455740

[copley]

Marv's new collection is a 'must have' for sure but it's different strokes for different folks. I hate 'I'm Still Waiting' with a passion and it's all Tony Blackburn's fault that it got to #1 in the UK.

[robb_k]

3269
I LOVE Marv Johnson's Tamla, Gordy and UA cuts. There were some great tracks behind him, too. What's wrong with "I Miss You Baby", "Just The Way You Are", "So Glad You Chose Me", "The Man Who Don't Believe In Love", "Come To Me", "I Love The Way You Love", "You Got What It Takes", "I'm Coming Home", "Magic Mirror", "All The Love I've Got", etc.???

"We're Off To Dublin In The Green" - Abbey Tavern Singers-was quite good, I thought. No one expects Irish music on Motown, but no one expects The Spanish Inquisition, either!

[psychedelic jacques]

It's funny - that triumvirate of 'shame' 'sign' and 'composer' seem to be often cited as the worst of the 60s Supremes singles [[along with 'run run run'), and I love all four of them. However...

if I restrict my 'worsts' to the mainstream singles from the classic 60s period [[so no Ray Oddis or Tony Martin), I would go for one Supremes track - the mawkish 'someday we'll be together', along with Stevie's 'yester-me/you/day', and Marvin's 'Pretty Little Baby'.

[luke]

Initially I liked Shame but then listened to the lyrics--ugh; Never liked Do You Love Me; even Martha said about Live Wire[["enough is enough"); Touch Me in Morning bored me to death. Ask Any Man-lolol.

[vcq]

Anything solo by young MJ [[see: Hello, World). He had some pitch issues and frequently sounds shrill to my ears [[seriously, his attempt to "cover" Edwin Starr, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder, etc. is kind of painful...he didn't have the pipes or gravitas to pull it off at that point). However, I love his later post-Motown stuff when he'd "grown into" his voice.

Ditto for a young Little Stevie Wonder and "Castles in the Sand": he was at the point where his voice was starting to break.

What's up with the weird "Chipmunks"-esque chorus on Teena Marie's "It Must Be Magic?" And I never really got into Rick James.

[BayouMotownMan]

My vote goes to Gaylord & Holiday, "Eh Cumpari." So NOT Motown...it was so bad it even charted. Runner up, Jud Strunk "Biggest Parakeets In Town." Red Jones Motown lp was also dismal, and boring.

[soulster]

Sexxappeal - Giorgio
Wild Animal [[entire album) - Vanity

[copley]

Although I like the backing track the lyrics to 'I'm Living In Shame' must be some of the worst ever written! Home made jam indeed!

DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES - "I'm Living In Shame"


Mama was cookin' bread
She wore a dirty raggedy scarf around her head
Always had her stockings low
Rolled to her feet just didn't know
She wore a sloppy dress
Oh no matter how she tried she always looked a mess
Out of the pot she ate
Never used a fork or a dinner plate
I was always so afraid that
The uptown friends would see her
Afraid one day when I was grown
That I would be her
In college town away from here
A new identity I found
That I was born elite
With maids and servants at my feet
I must have been insane
I lied and said mama died on a weekend trip to Spain
She never got out of the house
Never even boarded a train
Married a guy, was living high

I didn't want him to know her
she had a grandson two years old
That I never even showed her
I'm living in shame
Mama, I miss you
I know you're not to blame
Mama, I miss you

Got a telegram
Mama passed away while making home made jam
before she died she cried to see me by her side
She always did her best
Ah cooked and cleaned and always in the same old dress
Working hard, down on her knees
Always trying to please
Mama, mama, mama can you hear me
Mama, mama, mama can you hear me
I'm living in shame
Mama, I miss you
I know you've done your best
Mama, I miss you
Won't you forgive me mama
For all the wrong I've done
I know you've done your best
Oh I know you've done the very best you could
Mama I thought you understood
Working hard, down on your knees

[Kamasu_Jr]

3269
I LOVE Marv Johnson's Tamla, Gordy and UA cuts. There were some great tracks behind him, too. What's wrong with "I Miss You Baby", "Just The Way You Are", "So Glad You Chose Me", "The Man Who Don't Believe In Love", "Come To Me", "I Love The Way You Love", "You Got What It Takes", "I'm Coming Home", "Magic Mirror", "All The Love I've Got", etc.???

!

People wonder why he didn't continue to have hit records. Simple: He couldn't sing. They mixed the backup singers louder than he was on his records to drown him out or cover his weaknesses. At Motown, he was overshadowed by so many other better male singers. Why him when there was Jimmy Ruffin and Edwin Starr?
Listen to his take on Save My Love For A Rainy Day and then play Eddie Kendricks' version. It blows ol' Marv away.

[vcq]

I felt the same way about "Love Child," seriously depressing lyrics!

"Started my life in an old, cold, rundown tenement slum
My father left, he never even married Mom
I shared the guilt my mama knew
So afraid that others knew I had no name"

"I started school in a worn, torn dress that somebody threw out [[Somebody threw out)
I knew the way it felt to always live in doubt
To be without the simple things
So afraid my friends would see the guilt in me"

Gee, well I feel better now!

[Kamasu_Jr]

Marv's new collection is a 'must have' for sure but it's different strokes for different folks. I hate 'I'm Still Waiting' with a passion and it's all Tony Blackburn's fault that it got to #1 in the UK.



There's nothing essential on the recent Marv Johnson disc, in my opinion. I'm tempted to ask for a refund.

[mhc]

"Last Time I Saw Him".... HIDEOUS..

[vcq]

I don't know about worst song...however Motown 50 must rank as one of the worst Motown compilations ever the same old same old, it was that bad the only thing you could compare it to was oldies radio playlist...a truly insipid & uninspiring compilation.

Oh, you mean like Clear Channel radio station playlists here in the US, then ;-)

[luke]

Ben-Michael J
Supremes-Everybodys Got Right to Love, Automatically Sunshine--second rate.

[daviddesper]

I am surprised at all the negativity toward Living in Shame and No Matter What Sign You Are. Granted they were released during that tumultuous period in Motown history, but I would hardly call them terrible songs.

My vote for a huge hit that I just never personally "got" would have to be Papa Was a Rolling Stone.

[roger]

There's nothing essential on the recent Marv Johnson disc, in my opinion. I'm tempted to ask for a refund.

I never thought much of his big U.K. hit "I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose" but I've always loved the "B" side .. "You've Got The Love I Love" .. and "I Miss You Baby", which also charted in the U.K.. I'd agree that his pitch wasn't always suited to what Motown got him to record but I have his recent C.D. release and generally I like it a lot, and on the subject of pitch I can think of better known Motown artists who also recorded songs that weren't suited to their voices.

Roger

[tamla617]

i'm livin in shame lyric of the week...........i lied and said mama died on a weekend trip to spain!

[uptight]

Abdullah picture sleeve.
if you really want a copy!

http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=2455740
Mike, you have got to be kidding me with that Abdullah picture sleeve! It doesn't seem like anything he would have approved. That might be the worst Motown picture sleeve, too. LOL

If I have my iTunes music library sorted by Artist, Abdullah's are among the first tracks to play in the list. Then I have to hurry and change it. One reason I rarely sort by artist.

[splanky]

"Best" or "Worse" questions only reflect personal taste, they don't resolve anything. No matter what it is you like or hate
there will always be someone somewhere who feels the opposite of what you do. I don't care if people don't like what I like
and I don't hold any personal grudges against anyone who doesn't like songs I've enjoyed such as Love Child, I'm Living In
Shame or Papa Was A Rolling Stone. To me each of those songs tell well written stories and as a reader I don't expect every
story to be bright and sunny or have a happy ending as long as it gets its message across. In light of a lot of the garbage
most kids listen to nowadays I'd rather hear the blues....

[uptight]

The Funks make "Livin' In Shame" work for me. The lyrics made me cry, though, when I first heard it as a child. I put "Love's Gone Bad" in that category - a smokin' hot track by the Funks; depressing lyrics that I can barely stand. I end up enjoying these tunes by focusing on the backing tracks. Still neither one is the worst Motown song IMO.

[mr soul]

Vcq...I'm not familiar with US radio...however here in the UK if it ain't "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" or to a lesser degree "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" by Marvin it don't get played...so naturally it follows that if you ask the listeners which they favour perm any one from two records...begs me to ask what's going on.

[vcq]

Vcq...I'm not familiar with US radio...however here in the UK if it ain't "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" or to a lesser degree "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" by Marvin it don't get played...so naturally it follows that if you ask the listeners which they favour perm any one from two records...begs me to ask what's going on.

That's about what Clear Channel stations are like...they have a playlist of a few dozen tracks, and they get played in constant rotation [[you can hear the same song on the same channel several times a day at least). No chance of ever hearing lesser-known songs or gems from obscure artists!

[kenneth]

I think there's different definitions of bad. To be truly bad, to me the track has to come from an artist which would have been released with higher expectations and with no idea that the track was as bad as it was. A lousy track from some unknown Motown artist to me doesn't really qualify because every label has lots of misses. But to be a truly bad track is like a truly bad movie [[no one expected the film to be that bad, like "Waterworld" or that Warren Beatty-Dustin Hoffman fiasco which name blessedly escapes me) or when a good television show "jumps the shark" and out of desperation creates a really terrible plot device trying to hang on for one more season.

So to me at least, it has to be "No Matter What Sign You Are." Stupid idea, terrible arrangement, insipid vocals [[Diane Ross should never try to sound soulful...it's just not her thing), and a deservedly poor showing on the charts. I'm surprised the other reviewer said this song did so well in NYC...living in Detroit at the time I never even heard it until it came out on the album.

[mr soul]

Thanks Vcq...I had assumed the radio programme planners in UK had got the dumb idea from somewhere...you've answered the question.

Having just listened to NMWSYA it does appear to tick all the boxes for being an extremely mediocre record...even by the Supremes standard...oh well whatever floats your boat.

[tomato tom]

Baby Loves out again. JUST in case youve missed it. Aaaarrrggghh. Paulo xxxx

[thommg]

Not having heard every Motown song [[hard to believe, I know!), I would have to agree that I've Never Been To Me is the worst I've heard. It is one of the most insipid songs EVER! The only time I've liked that song is when I saw a cabaret performer do it and she got more and more deranged as she sang the song, bringing herself to hysteria at the end just screaming "I've never been to me, I've never been to me! God help me get to me!!!!"

[mr soul]

Paulo...I take it you won't be bidding on this then

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUPREMES-BABY-LOVE-ASK-ANY-GIRL-MOTOWN-SOUL-MOD-EX-/360345612646

personally it's a record I never tire of...it finishing that is.

[gordy_hunk]

There are a number of tracks that I can't stand:

baby love
I can't get next to you
- these two spring to mind immediately.

But then, since 2000, with re-issues, the stuff that I think should have been left in the vaults include:
* the velvelettes [[I struggled to listen to even the first disc I thought it was so awful, and still haven't heard the second disc as I can't cope with it)
* billy eckstine

I'm sure that there are others, but overall, I liked the vast majority of matreial issued on Motown, Rare Earth, Soul, Gordy, Tamla, Mowest, VIP.

[tamla617]

i cant dance to the music you playing...phew[[how long?) marthas way out of her vocal range it hurts my ears and gives me stomach ache.
i hear a symphony by anyone.it goes round and round and round and round and round...like that it doesnt know when to stop

i just called to say i love you.....just mush

[kenneth]

There are a number of tracks that I can't stand:

baby love
I can't get next to you
- these two spring to mind immediately.

But then, since 2000, with re-issues, the stuff that I think should have been left in the vaults include:
* the velvelettes [[I struggled to listen to even the first disc I thought it was so awful, and still haven't heard the second disc as I can't cope with it)
* billy eckstine


The Velvelettes, really? Now, I thought that was a great collection though I preferred the released version of "Sayin' Something" to the one on the Anthology. They have such a classic Motown sound, I'm surprised you would consider it better off left in the vaults! Well, I guess we have to agree to disagree on that one!

[luke]

Mama'a Pearl!

[westgrandboulevard]

kenneth

I fully agree with you on The Velvelettes 'Anthology' being a great collection [[playing now as I type this...) as it must represent most if not all of their Motown recordings. I do have my favourites of course, and find I don't fully appreciate absolutely all the tracks.

I must say I like the alternative version of 'He was really sayin' somethin' just as much as the released version! That skipping beat is very infectious, and the sax break is much funkier than on most of the released Motown tracks back in the day.

If anyone here doesn't yet have it, you might think of checking it out.

Special thanks to those who were major contributors to the project...and who regularly post here.... *smile *

No names, just read the [[very!) small print in the liner notes... and which were written by The Velvelettes themselves.....

[luke]

The Composer near the bottom of the barrel too.

[arrr&bee]

Haaaaaaaaa,this is funny because when we think of motown you don't really think of clunkers but there were some...bareback,up the creek without a paddle-the temps[the two worst songs in the temps mighty collection ever,yuk]..hold on as long as i can-the marvelettes[i love my girls but this stinker should've been burned at the stake,hehe]..get the cream off the top-eddie kendricks[say it ain't so eddie,say it ain't so]..!

[soulster]

"Last Time I Saw Him".... HIDEOUS..

You kidding? I think the lyrics are great, and funny! She gives the guy who romanced her all of her money so he can go away to "set us up", and never returns while she waits, and waits, and waits! In other words, the fool just gave all her money away! Brilliant! One of her best songs!



And, why does every thread around here somehow morph into a Supremes/Diana Ross thread. Is that all you guys listen to?

[kenneth]

kenneth

I fully agree with you on The Velvelettes 'Anthology' being a great collection [[playing now as I type this...) as it must represent most if not all of their Motown recordings. I do have my favourites of course, and find I don't fully appreciate absolutely all the tracks.

I must say I like the alternative version of 'He was really sayin' somethin' just as much as the released version! That skipping beat is very infectious, and the sax break is much funkier than on most of the released Motown tracks back in the day.

If anyone here doesn't yet have it, you might think of checking it out.

Special thanks to those who were major contributors to the project...and who regularly post here.... *smile *

No names, just read the [[very!) small print in the liner notes... and which were written by The Velvelettes themselves.....

Hey, great minds think alike!

[tamla617]

the temps version of war and their original version of its summer [[spoken rather than sung)

[theboyfromxtown]

Thank you lads. I did try my best and I still do try for them.

It was the first Motown CD to feature TOTAL input from the artist - selection of tracks, liner notes, photograph, pictures and right down to that hairstyle plonked on Cal's head on the cover cos the original picture cut it off!!!

[jobeterob]

I think we did somewhat of a poll for the worst Motown songs or perhaps it was the songs we are the most tired of ~ and I think Baby Love may have won; but Marvin's Grapevine and Martha's Dancing in the Street finished way high up that poll.

[vcq]

I think we did somewhat of a poll for the worst Motown songs or perhaps it was the songs we are the most tired of ~ and I think Baby Love may have won; but Marvin's Grapevine and Martha's Dancing in the Street finished way high up that poll.

You're right, I also contributed to that thread.

But to me, there's a marked difference between "songs you're tired of hearing" vs. "bad songs" [[due to writing, out-of-tune, whatever).

[soulster]

...and their original version of its summer [[spoken rather than sung)

I prefer that one over the later slower re-recording.

Seriously, except for being a liberal, I constantly find myself at odds with the membership here on anything that has to do with music.

[soulster]

I think we did somewhat of a poll for the worst Motown songs or perhaps it was the songs we are the most tired of ~ and I think Baby Love may have won; but Marvin's Grapevine and Martha's Dancing in the Street finished way high up that poll.

I can listen to "Baby Love" a lot more than I can Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". That Big Chill/California Raisins thing back in the 80s killed it for me.

[tamla617]

soulster
you're aloud an opinion,i cant stand it,you like it.no right or wrong.

i used to like "here come the girls"allen tousaint and the meters.then a chemist over her got hold of it.girls aloud recorded it.top 10.now its being remixed [[original version) for the ads and has become the signature for the chemist.does my head in and wrecked any enjoyment i got from a good song

[144man]

Why is "No Matter What Sign You Are" such a stupid idea? There is no scientific basis for Astrology, so it makes perfect sense to me to ignore birth-signs as the basis for a relationship.

[144man]

Debbie Dean's "I Cried All Night" is so bad it hurts my ears. It scored the minimum 1/10 on the Motown Junkies site.

[kenneth]

Why is "No Matter What Sign You Are" such a stupid idea? There is no scientific basis for Astrology, so it makes perfect sense to me to ignore birth-signs as the basis for a relationship.

Well...since you ask.

Okay, admitted, it's unlikely that people actually speak the way that a singer sings the words in a song. But the lyrics to this are absolutely inane:

"No matter what sign you are,
You're going to be mine, you are!"

I mean, I'm just sayin'...

[144man]

Kenneth,

Don't take me too seriously.......it rhymes, what more do you want?

[kenneth]

Kenneth,

Don't take me too seriously.......it rhymes, what more do you want?

Thanks 144man...!

[vcq]

I hereby nominate Little Lisa's "Puppet on a String" from 1965. Strangely enough, the flipside, "Hang on Bill," is actually a halfway decent attempt at the Crystals / Shangri-La sound.

[soulster]

Well...since you ask.

Okay, admitted, it's unlikely that people actually speak the way that a singer sings the words in a song. But the lyrics to this are absolutely inane:

"No matter what sign you are,
You're going to be mine, you are!"


But, there are people out there who really do base the success of a relationship based on astrological signs. I don't but...

[144man]

I find Tom Clay's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" incredibly moving. A lot of thought has gone into its construction. The assassination and contemporary news reports had great impact on everyone old enough to remember them, and I can't argue with the sentiments on segregation and bigotry when seen through the eyes of a little girl: "I think it's when somebody's sick".

This is in fact a rockumentary, and it's unique. There must be someone else out there who will speak up for it.

[westgrandboulevard]

Yes 144man, there is......

[jillfoster]

You kidding? I think the lyrics are great, and funny! She gives the guy who romanced her all of her money so he can go away to "set us up", and never returns while she waits, and waits, and waits! In other words, the fool just gave all her money away! Brilliant! One of her best songs!



And, why does every thread around here somehow morph into a Supremes/Diana Ross thread. Is that all you guys listen to?

I don't care for it, either. It stems from the song being a country song, and not being sung that way. Dottie West's version is the definitive version of that song.

[RossHolloway]

I find Tom Clay's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" incredibly moving. A lot of thought has gone into its construction. The assassination and contemporary news reports had great impact on everyone old enough to remember them, and I can't argue with the sentiments on segregation and bigotry when seen through the eyes of a little girl: "I think it's when somebody's sick".

This is in fact a rockumentary, and it's unique. There must be someone else out there who will speak up for it.

I agree with you 100%. The very first time I heard this song was in 1986 and it brought tears to my eyes. I thought it was a very powerful and moving song. I still do.

[skooldem1]

The worst Motown song is "Buttered Popcorn".

[RossHolloway]

Although I like the backing track the lyrics to 'I'm Living In Shame' must be some of the worst ever written! Home made jam indeed!

DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES - "I'm Living In Shame"


Mama was cookin' bread
She wore a dirty raggedy scarf around her head
Always had her stockings low
Rolled to her feet just didn't know
She wore a sloppy dress
Oh no matter how she tried she always looked a mess
Out of the pot she ate
Never used a fork or a dinner plate
I was always so afraid that
The uptown friends would see her
Afraid one day when I was grown
That I would be her
In college town away from here
A new identity I found
That I was born elite
With maids and servants at my feet
I must have been insane
I lied and said mama died on a weekend trip to Spain
She never got out of the house
Never even boarded a train
Married a guy, was living high

I didn't want him to know her
she had a grandson two years old
That I never even showed her
I'm living in shame
Mama, I miss you
I know you're not to blame
Mama, I miss you

Got a telegram
Mama passed away while making home made jam
before she died she cried to see me by her side
She always did her best
Ah cooked and cleaned and always in the same old dress
Working hard, down on her knees
Always trying to please
Mama, mama, mama can you hear me
Mama, mama, mama can you hear me
I'm living in shame
Mama, I miss you
I know you've done your best
Mama, I miss you
Won't you forgive me mama
For all the wrong I've done
I know you've done your best
Oh I know you've done the very best you could
Mama I thought you understood
Working hard, down on your knees

YEP, I still love this song. It really is an underappreciated record. I understood the message and intent behind the song.

[soulster]

My vote for a huge hit that I just never personally "got" would have to be Papa Was a Rolling Stone.

Think of it as a blues song and it may make sense to you.

[kenneth]

YEP, I still love this song. It really is an underappreciated record. I understood the message and intent behind the song.

You know, the Shangri-Las could have probably pulled off "Living in Shame" a few years before. It was right in line with their "3 minute melodramas" like "Leader of the Pack" and "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" [[which has a similar them to "Shame"). But even they would have had to change the arrangement...it's way too frenetic and also changes tempo too much for the song content and lyrics, in my opinion.

[roger]

I find Tom Clay's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" incredibly moving. A lot of thought has gone into its construction. The assassination and contemporary news reports had great impact on everyone old enough to remember them, and I can't argue with the sentiments on segregation and bigotry when seen through the eyes of a little girl: "I think it's when somebody's sick".

This is in fact a rockumentary, and it's unique. There must be someone else out there who will speak up for it.

Yes .. I like it a lot too, though I have to in the right kind of mood to really appreciate it.

I like the much maligned "Hello" by LIONEL RICHIE too .. :)

Roger

[jobeterob]

And while no one puts Baby Love on their worst song list, it appears on a lot of lists of songs we are really tired of..............but still, in concert, it is one of the songs that gets a huge reaction from all the grey haired men and women who flock to Diana's concerts.

[smark21]

You know, the Shangri-Las could have probably pulled off "Living in Shame" a few years before. It was right in line with their "3 minute melodramas" like "Leader of the Pack" and "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" [[which has a similar them to "Shame"). But even they would have had to change the arrangement...it's way too frenetic and also changes tempo too much for the song content and lyrics, in my opinion.

I'm not sure that The Shangri Las, a group of white girls, could have convincingly sold a song about a Black woman who passes for white.

[jeff9nyc]

I'm not sure that The Shangri Las, a group of white girls, could have convincingly sold a song about a Black woman who passes for white.

It wasn't a song about a black woman who passes for white! It was about a black woman who "married up" being embarrassed of her poor past and not wanting it discovered.

[smark21]

It wasn't a song about a black woman who passes for white! It was about a black woman who "married up" being embarrassed of her poor past and not wanting it discovered.

In interviews, Diana Ross said the song was based on the character Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life.

[thisoldheart]

what were motown & smokey thinking when they put out "the composer" for the supremes? bad move all the way around!

[mark speck]

"I've been undressed by kings and seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see..."...tripe like this should've stayed buried in the Motown vaults, but for some godawful reason it got a second lease on life, giving Charlene 15 minutes of fame that [[deservedly) ticked away VERY fast, and also enabled her to sing an equally execrable duet with Stevie Wonder [["Used to Be", which I haven't seen mentioned yet).

Do you have to ask me what MY least favorite Motown song is now? ;)

Best,

Mark

[soulster]

"I've been undressed by kings and seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see..."...tripe like this should've stayed buried in the Motown vaults, but for some godawful reason it got a second lease on life, giving Charlene 15 minutes of fame that [[deservedly) ticked away VERY fast, and also enabled her to sing an equally execrable duet with Stevie Wonder [["Used to Be", which I haven't seen mentioned yet).

Do you have to ask me what MY least favorite Motown song is now? ;)

Best,

Mark

Thank you! Thanks for someone around here who finally agrees with me. This song has to be the worst piece of shit anyone ever wasted tape on. Either someone was on drugs or owed someone a very big favor to get this turkey on wax!

[Glenpwood]

I'll come out of the closet as a fan of I've Never Been To Me, probably because it's always sounded to me like an old Diana Ross record. Ron Miller probably wrote it for her and someone rejected it but it has all the markings of the Ross sound. The pronunciation of " hey " borrowed from Touch Me In The Morning, the recitation in the middle done dramatically ala Aint No Mountain High Enough, and the whole woman searching for herself that was prevalent in seventies feminism. Dave Berry and every Drag Queen with a hot roller certainly haven't helped it's reputation but there are far worse offenders in the Motown catalog. I do agree that Used To Be is pure dreck though....

[jillfoster]

What exactly is wrong with Tom Clay's "What The World Needs Now" ? It makes a statement, it's a song that is ponderous and serious as a heart attack, but sometimes that kind of thing needs to be heard. So there. I heard it for the first time probably just a year or two after it came out, and always knew at that young age, that this song was making a very serious statement. I don't find it overwrought or melodramatic......"Livin In Shame" or "In The Ghetto" is in that category. Ironically "Livin In Shame" might have been a good song had it been given a harder edged production and had someone sing it who didn't have such a bright, chipper voice.

[jillfoster]

Glenpwood... I don't mind "I've Never Been To Me" at all. When it comes on the radio, I listen to it, as opposed to when "My Girl" or Marvin's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" come on..... then I promptly change the station. I STILL don't understand the appeal of Marvin's version of that song. It just sucks donkey balls... while I could listen to Gladys' version all day and not get tired of it. But back to Charlene. She's a perfectly good singer, but more in the folksie kind of vein. At the time of it's original release, "I've Never Been To Me" predated Mary Macgregor's "Torn Between Two Lovers" by several months, and both songs are very similar. For me.... the spoken interludes pushed Charlene's song into schlocky territory. If the spoken parts were edited out, i'd really like it a whole lot more. And besides, I can't believe you guys are slaggin on Charlene, when Motown put out stuff like this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_uHZggFS8U

[MIKEW-UK]

Jill,

I've Never was good enough to be recorded by many others Inc Walter Jackson and The Temptations......full story on the song here

http://my.opera.com/n_august/blog/show.dml/413722

[kenneth]

What exactly is wrong with Tom Clay's "What The World Needs Now" ? It makes a statement, it's a song that is ponderous and serious as a heart attack, but sometimes that kind of thing needs to be heard. So there. I heard it for the first time probably just a year or two after it came out, and always knew at that young age, that this song was making a very serious statement. I don't find it overwrought or melodramatic......"Livin In Shame" or "In The Ghetto" is in that category. Ironically "Livin In Shame" might have been a good song had it been given a harder edged production and had someone sing it who didn't have such a bright, chipper voice.

If you think about it, Stevie Wonder used the same device of a background "soundtrack" in the extended version of "Livin' for the City." I actually like both songs, though I definitely like the edited version of Wonder's better than the long version. I'm not familiar with the single edit of Clay's, if there was one, but I find the version on "Motown Sings Bacharach" a little too long.

[kenneth]

Jill,

I've Never was good enough to be recorded by many others Inc Walter Jackson and The Temptations......full story on the song here

http://my.opera.com/n_august/blog/show.dml/413722

Okay , now that others have blazed the trail first, I will chime in and admit I like "Never Been to Me" as well, though the spoken bridge version does cross the line a bit. Very interesting blog about it quoted by Mikew-UK...I had no idea the Temptations did this. The "male" lyrics I think are actually more interesting than the more predictable "female" lyrics. Quite a find.

[MIKEW-UK]

Here's The Temptations version off the R-E-U-N-I-O-N- album for lovers of the song! Dennis does a very nice lead and it ain't schlocky. I'll have to post Walter Jackson as it's not on YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tBd2Tn3seI

[MIKEW-UK]

And if you're really brave, try this with its opening rap and ad libs. If you think Charlene's version is bad, feast on this! Kenneth, quite a find, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhnq0VH4eSk&feature=related

[jboy88]

I can't get next to you? Marvins I heard it through the Grapevine?, some people have no taste!

i've only heard Charlene's version once! I was nine and didn't pay it much attention. but I liked the Tempts and Nancy Wilson's version [[Those Nancy can make anything tolerable).

[kenneth]

And if you're really brave, try this with its opening rap and ad libs. If you think Charlene's version is bad, feast on this! Kenneth, quite a find, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhnq0VH4eSk&feature=related

As the kids say...OMG...Howard Keel??? Okay, doing "Make Believe" makes sense, but "Never Been to Me?" This must have been during his "Dallas" days as an elderly matinee idol!

[jobeterob]

It's pretty hard to understand what Berry or Motown was thinking about with Irene Ryan unless they were just big fans of hers................like I was. But the song clearly wasn't going to be a pop or R & B hit.

I don't know if I'd class it as "bad" either though.

And I think I'd rather hear it than Marvin's Grapevine again. But Gladys all day long is fine for me too.

[kenneth]

It's pretty hard to understand what Berry or Motown was thinking about with Irene Ryan unless they were just big fans of hers................like I was. But the song clearly wasn't going to be a pop or R & B hit.

I don't know if I'd class it as "bad" either though.

And I think I'd rather hear it than Marvin's Grapevine again. But Gladys all day long is fine for me too.

Is the Irene Ryan track her song from "Pippin"? She was in the original cast on Broadway.

[jobeterob]

That definitely was her song from Pippin.

[tamla617]

jillfoster

i dont know what happened in the states but in the uk torn between two lovers was a 77 release'charlene's hit was 1982

[roger]

jillfoster

i dont know what happened in the states but in the uk torn between two lovers was a 77 release'charlene's hit was 1982

Tamla617 ..

"I've Never Been To Me" camo out on the Motown distributed Prodigal label in 1977 .. both in the U.S and U.K. I even remember hearing it on the radio a few times back then .. I'd have been living in sunny Leicester at the time so my guess is I heard it on the U.S. chart countdown show on Beacon Radio out of Wolverhampton, as it was a minor U.S hit .. peaking at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was one of those records that became a late-night radio favourite on a number of radio stations and Motown decided to reissue it in 1982 .. in the U.S. it got to #3 in the U.K. it got to #1.

Its not really my taste in music but I wouldn't call it a "bad" record, I'm sure if it had never been released on Motown people on this forum would have no thoughts on it one way or the other.

Roger

P.S. Bit of trivia here .. CHARLENE decided to retire from singing in the late '70s after she married an Englishman and she moved to London. She was actually working in a newsagents at Bromley By Bow and living in Ilford when the record broke big in 1982

[luke]

I remember Irene doing No Time At All and it was great!

[luke]

Is No Matter What Sign You Are so different from Aquarius/Let Sunshine In? When the moon is in the ...then peace will guide the planet...

[soulster]

The only thing about bashing music you don't like is that there is always someone out there who gets something out of what you don't like. So, there is nothing that is totally worthless even that Charlene song that is worthless! :)

[smark21]

Is No Matter What Sign You Are so different from Aquarius/Let Sunshine In? When the moon is in the ...then peace will guide the planet...

Acquarius/Let the Sunshine In is more of a message/inspirational song, it's trying to make a statement. No Matter What Sign You Are is just about a girl who's all horny for a guy so much so that she won't pay attention to what sign of the zodiac he might be.

[MIKEW-UK]

Charlene still going strong....... in interview she claims to be the first white woman signed to Motown.....thought it was Chris Clark? [[Christine Schumacher doesn't strictly qualify).

http://www.blogher.com/abortion-domestic-violence-drug-use-and-motown-records-racism-too

http://charlenesongs.com/

[roger]

Charlene still going strong....... in interview she claims to be the first white woman signed to Motown.....thought it was Chris Clark? [[Christine Schumacher doesn't strictly qualify).

http://www.blogher.com/abortion-domestic-violence-drug-use-and-motown-records-racism-too

http://charlenesongs.com/

Wasn't it DEBBIE DEAN who was the first white woman signed to Motown? She recorded "Don't Let Him Shop Around" in 1961. Then there was CONNIE HAINES who turned up in 1966, about the same time as CHRIS CLARK.

I think it was CHRIS CLARK who was the first white woman to have any degree of commercial success with Motown.

Roger

[MIKEW-UK]

Roger, you are absolutely correct! I didn't realise Debbie Dean came back to Motown as a songwriter...

http://soulstrutter.blogspot.com/2009/11/ns587-debbie-dean-1968-why-am-i-loving.html

[randy_russi]

Almost anything by the J5 beginning with ABC--can't stand it!!!!! Mama's Pearl too and the Love You Save--horrible!!!!
That entire ABC lp and their Christmas lp--can't stand either.

[soulster]

Almost anything by the J5 beginning with ABC--can't stand it!!!!!


I think you might be kind of lonely there.

[vcq]

R. Dean Taylor, "There's A Ghost In My House"

[thisoldheart]

i love "there's a ghost in my house". it fits right in with the tops "7 rooms of gloom"!

[jillfoster]

jillfoster

i dont know what happened in the states but in the uk torn between two lovers was a 77 release'charlene's hit was 1982

Charlene's original release in the US was late 76 according to what I read.... I know wikipedia says it was 77, but my copy of "Hard to find Motown Classics" lists the copyright as 76. I for one, would be interested in the exact release date. I find conflicting stuff like that all the time, I saw Kiki Dee's "Great Expectations" listed as released in the summer of 1970, and I also found a site that listed it's release date as Janaury 1, 1971.

[roger]

Charlene's original release in the US was late 76 according to what I read.... I know wikipedia says it was 77, but my copy of "Hard to find Motown Classics" lists the copyright as 76. I for one, would be interested in the exact release date. I find conflicting stuff like that all the time, I saw Kiki Dee's "Great Expectations" listed as released in the summer of 1970, and I also found a site that listed it's release date as Janaury 1, 1971.

According to Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles 1955-1990" ..

"Ive Never Been to Me" debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 on 24 September 1977 on Prodigal 0636. Earlier that year she had two other records on the Billboard Hot 100 .. "It Ain't Easy Coming Down" [[ Prodigal 0632 ) and "Freddie [[ Prodigal 1633 ).

And according to the discographies in Sharon Davis's book "Motown The History" the release dates were as follows ..

Prodigal 632 .. "It Ain't Easy Coming Down" ... November 1976
Prodigal 633 .. "Freddie" ............................ March 1977
Prodigal 636 .. "I've Never Been To Me" ....... July 1977

Sharon Davis's book also lists two L.P.s by CHARLENE ..

Prodigal 10015 .. "Charlene" .......... November 1976
Prodigal 10018 .. "Songs Of Love" .. May 1977

If Wikipedia is to be believed "Songs of Love" was a repackaging of the first L.P.

So .. it looks like "I've Never Been To Me" first came out on an L.P. in November 1976 but wasn't released as a single until nine months later ..

Roger

[tamla617]

jillfoster
i dont understand why motown uk waited 'till 82 to release never been...seems an odd thing to dig up 5 years after the states.and on prodigal too not the mighty motown!but they were vindicated by the #1 chart success here.
i just cant imagine the conversation at motown uk when this song came up for release.was there a radio station here that "discovered" never been..?.or a club hit,which i cant imagine at all,which led to a demand for it

[roger]

jillfoster
i dont understand why motown uk waited 'till 82 to release never been...seems an odd thing to dig up 5 years after the states.and on prodigal too not the mighty motown!but they were vindicated by the #1 chart success here.
i just cant imagine the conversation at motown uk when this song came up for release.was there a radio station here that "discovered" never been..?.or a club hit,which i cant imagine at all,which led to a demand for it

Sharon Davis, in the discography section in her book, has the U.S. reissue release date as February 1982, and the U.K. reissue release a month later in March 1982.

In the write up on CHARLENE in Sharon Davis' book, Charelene is quoted as saying that the U.S. reissue was prompted by public demand due to extensive radio play of "I've Never Been To Me" in Tampa, Florida by a D.J. called Scott Shannon.

However, as I implied in my earlier post, the song had received some airplay in Britain back in 1977 and I'm pretty sure that it also received a number of spins as a "forgotten radio turntable hit" in the [[English) Midlands in the 1978-82 period.

Roger

[tamla617]

roger
cheers,that would explain it.i remember it all over radio 1,i didnt know it was a motown record until a while after.
you could have knocked me down with a feather when i eventually found that out.i realised then complete ism isnt going to be 100% pleasure!

[ExGuyParis]

Motown certainly released some clunkers in the midst of all the gold.

In no particular order:

I'm Still Waiting - Diana Ross

Most Rare Earth label releases and most post 75 releases in general!

WHAT?!? I love that song. Most of the others... OK.

[kenneth]

WHAT?!? I love that song. Most of the others... OK.

I agree, "Still Waiting" is one of her best, with a more vulnerable quality than you tend to hear from Ross.

[jobeterob]

I'm Still Waiting is way down my list of favorite Ross songs; but it is no where near being one of Motown's worst songs.

Upon thinking about it, the kind of Motown songs that I didn't like were ones that sounded contrived and over produced without an effective hook ~ a song like What It Is by Undisputed Truth comes to mind.

[TomatoTom123]

People wonder why he didn't continue to have hit records. Simple: He couldn't sing. They mixed the backup singers louder than he was on his records to drown him out or cover his weaknesses. At Motown, he was overshadowed by so many other better male singers. Why him when there was Jimmy Ruffin and Edwin Starr?
Listen to his take on Save My Love For A Rainy Day and then play Eddie Kendricks' version. It blows ol' Marv away.

I know this thread is five years old but I was reading through it with no intention of posting until I saw this piece of utter nonsense [[jokin) and couldn't resist. For me, Marv Johnson's version of "Save My Love For A Rainy" is the best, hands down. He may not have been the world's greatest singer but he had a lovely, distinctive and likeable voice that works particularly well on that song. "I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose", "I Miss You Baby", "So Glad You Chose Me", "I'm Not A Plaything" and "Another Lonely Night" are all brilliant tracks too! :)

[soulwally]

Indeed this thread is a blast past from the past, Tom. It does prompt the thought... whatever happened to Copley?

[jobeterob]

There are some other people on this thread that were friends with the Gordys. People come and go; they get tired of the hash and rehash. And some wouldn't put up with the bickering.

[Jaap]

[QUOTE=vcq;55724]Anything solo by young MJ [[see: Hello, World). He had some pitch issues and frequently sounds shrill to my ears [[seriously, his attempt to "cover" Edwin Starr, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder, etc. is kind of painful...he didn't have the pipes or gravitas to pull it off at that point). /QUOTE]
In case of the young MJ solo, I would agree, with some very notable exceptions, such as "AIn't No Sunshine When She's Gone." With most Bill Wither's songs, it is difficult to come even close to the original, but the then 13-year-old MJ sings his version with so much maturity and really showcases his raw talent that indeed came to full bloom is his later solo work [[particularly the Off The Wall album).
On the topic of worst Motown song, the biggest mystery to me has always been Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You." As many will agree, Wonder made some of the best and most innovative music, particularly in the 1970s, and then he did this song... and it became one of his most popular and best selling hit singles. To me, the song always sound like music that is performed in hotel lounges. But then, so many people love the song, so it must have something that I apparently don't recognize.

[Motown Eddie]

My pick for the worst Motown song is "Angel In Blue/Blue Cinderella" by Joel Sebastian. Joel was a popular DJ in Detroit at the time and as the notes for the song on "TCMS Vol. 1" state, "BG understood the value of friends in radio as well as anyone in the business". That pretty much sums it up.

[sup_fan]

Motown songs I don't like:

Love Is Here and Now You're Gone - Supremes. I don't like the harpsichord and bouncy bass line
Beyond Myself - Supremes. Jean is horribly shrill and out of tune. also don't like the choral effect of the backgrounds. but could have had potential if redone
My Cherie Amour - just find it corny and annoying.
Twistin Postman
Some of Mary Well's and Marvelettes very early recordings. Like their various album filler from first couple lps
Marvellets Live - out of tune and out of sync with the band.
Joy To the World - Supremes.
Silent Night and O Holy Night - Supremes [[Flo). these are so freaking slow that she struggles with intonation and pitch.
Martha - late 60s. for some reason on many of Martha's tracks from Sugar & Spice and Nat Res, she gets a very peculiar vibrato going. not all the time but often. Still present on Black Magic but seems to be a bit more covered up by the overall production

[soulster]

Motown songs I don't like:

Love Is Here and Now You're Gone - Supremes. I don't like the harpsichord and bouncy bass line


And I think that is one of the best Motown productions they ever did.

[TomatoTom123]

And I think that is one of the best Motown productions they ever did.

Wow, you see, sometimes two people people listen to the same song and hear two different songs altogether! :)

[luke]

Twistin Postman. Yuk

[waynesville]

Motown certainly released some clunkers in the midst of all the gold.

In no particular order:

Endless Gush - Ross/Richie
Hello - Lionel Richie
Three Times A Lady - Commodores
Randy The Newspaper Boy - Ray Oddis
I'm Still Waiting - Diana Ross
No Matter What Sign You Are - DRATS
Talkin' To Your Picture - Tony Martin
The Bigger Your Heart Is [[The Harder You'll Fall) -Tony Martin
Love Makes The World Go 'Round, But Money Greases The Wheel - Dee Mullins
Three Choruses Of Despair - Rick Robin & Him
We're Off To Dublin In The Green - Abbey Tavern Singers
Muck-arty Park - Soupy Sales
The Luney Landing - Captain Zap & Motortown Cut-Ups
What The World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin And John - Tom Clay
Shame And Scandal In The Family - Vin Cardinal
I've Never Been To Me - Charlene
Where Were You When The Ship went Down - Dickey & Poseidons
Please Mr Postman - Pat Boone Family
I Comma Zimba Zio [[Here I Stand The Mighty One) - Abdullah

Most Rare Earth label releases and most post 75 releases in general!

Oh Lord, I had managed to forget the awfulness of Three Times A Lady! Thanks [[not!!!) for reminding me. But entirely disagree about I'm still Waiting - I though that an excellent tune!

[nomis]

Rockin Robin...dire Im a huge MJ fan but just hearing the opening bars of it gives me a cold sweat

[luke]

Shake Sherry. Quite monotonous

[jakaa123]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Classic_5_Temptations_circa_1965.jpg The Classic Five!!

[jakaa123]

I'm sorry folks! Wrong Thread! I'm A Rookie On This Site😆

[144man]

Was the discussion we had on "I've Never Been to Me" really five years ago? Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself!

I never saw the point of picking novelty records like "Happy Ghoul Tide" for this thread as they were hardly meant to be masterpieces in the first place.

[rovereab]

R. Dean Taylor, "There's A Ghost In My House"

I dislike the stereo mix of this song [[especially the intro) but love the mono mix!

[Motown Eddie]

Another entry in the Worst Motown Songs list;

"He's A Good Guy [[Yes He Is)" -The Marvelettes

[lockhartgary]

I could never get into "Stuck On You" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

[thommg]

That definitely was her song from Pippin.

The single was not directly from the Pippin cast recording. It was a new pop version with a chorus behind her. I'm surprised that it wasn't included on the remastered version of the cast recording a few years back. They did include the pop versions of songs by Michael Jackson & The Supremes. That would have been the place to put Irene's novelty version.

[imakicola]

This thread was inpired by the recent Guardian article: "[Mowest's] only hit was Tom Clay's terrible spoken-word rendition of What the World Needs Now, the portentous oration intercut with socially provocative media reports." I was listening to my favorite Motown channel on Live365 at work, and Tom Clay's "song" came on. I spent several minutes wondering what I'd just been listening to.

I've seen loads of lists of top Motown songs, but I'd love to hear what SDF thinks are the worst songs out there. Maybe it's the lyrics [[or lack thereof), off-key singers / musicians, whatever. Even a hits factory like Motown was bound to release a few less-than-stellar tracks throughout its long career.


From the hundreds of Motown songs I've listened to, my money is on Popcorn and the Mohawk's "Custer's Last Man."
2. The Valadiers' "Greetings" [[This Is Uncle Sam). Great song, but way out-of-tune.
3. "No Matter What Sign You Are" [[The Supremes). I read that this song was so bad, that Cindy and Mary aren't even on it [[it's the Andantes). Can anyone provide more info about this?

Cindy and Mary aren't on "In and Out of Love" or "Forever Came Today" or "Love Child" or "I'm Living in Shame" OR "No Matter What Sign You Are" OR "Someday We'll Be Together"!

And Cindy isn't on "Reflections." Just Mary [[and Marlene/Flo/disputed). And "In and Out" is allegedly Mary, Flo, and the Andantes.

[Circa 1824]

1. Stone Liberty - Diana Ross
2. I Will Survive - Diana Ross

[144man]

1. Stone Liberty - Diana Ross
2. I Will Survive - Diana Ross

I rather like "Stone Liberty".

[icustomboxes]

Some of the songs given below :
Mama, I miss you
Won't you forgive me mama
For all the wrong I have done
I know you've done your best
Oh I know you've done the very best you could
Mama I thought you under
I am living in shame
Mama, I miss you

[Boogiedown]

:rolleyes: I'll go along with the Charlene song as the line

"I've been to paradise , but I've never been to me":p

never fails to trigger the gag reflex !!

[luke]

Abc baby you and me...[[One bad apple.. seems deep in comparison!). mamas pearl...no idea of the rest of it. I think Ive blocked it out

[Circa 1824]

Red Hot by that Wilson gal. Dreadful.

[blackguy69]

Call me Diana Ross never liked her version of Aretha's hit

[RanRan79]

Call me Diana Ross never liked her version of Aretha's hit

Really BG? I love it. I always thought the two did each other's songs very well considering how different their voices are.

In any case, there's quite a few Motown songs I dislike but very few I would consider bad enough to make a worse lists. I wonder if the majority of all of these posts are songs that people just don't like, compared to thinking they are actually bad?

[blackguy69]

Really BG? I love it. I always thought the two did each other's songs very well considering how different their voices are.

In any case, there's quite a few Motown songs I dislike but very few I would consider bad enough to make a worse lists. I wonder if the majority of all of these posts are songs that people just don't like, compared to thinking they are actually bad?
There's something in Diana's interpretation that just didn't get it for me. But also even though the backup vocals were great , was a bit too much.
Maybe I just like Diana doing original material and not remakes.

[RanRan79]

There's something in Diana's interpretation that just didn't get it for me. But also even though the backup vocals were great , was a bit too much.
Maybe I just like Diana doing original material and not remakes.

I can understand that.