Today is Funk Brother Jack Ashfords birthday.

What more can I say but Happy birthday old pal. You're the last of the legends, Jack. Have a great birthday.

Smokey Robinson accused of sexual assault by ex-housekeepers

Just tuned to ABC News and they mentioned this.
Guess there will be more details about it later..
.

https://nypost.com/2025/05/06/entert...mer-employees/

I kwould like to open that thread because in my opinion The Marvelettes treat unfair to use The Andantes. So othwer groups like Martha Reeves and The Vandellas changed the wohle Vandellas with The Andantes. So The Marvelettes were the "pioneer" female group of Motown, they startet as a quintett and reduced to a trio, the trio can´t sang in 2 voices, so they used The Andantes for the higher voices and then together , maybe they used The Andantes the most, but alone lesser, I think Martha & The Vandellas used them more only, replaced The Vandellas totally with The Andantes!

What the others think?

Anyone ever hear of this group?

JOY - High Life [[1981)

RPM, PVBL9002
Producers: Patric van Blerk, Fransua Roos & Greg Cutler
Engineer: Greg Cutler
Recorded at: RPM Studios

Made up of the late Anneline Malebo, Felicia Marion and Thoka Ndlozi, Joy pre-empted the bubblegum era with their commercially appealing sound and image, crafted by producer Patric van Blerk [[Victory, Margaret Singana), one of the first to forge a multiracial crossover sound influenced by American soul and R&B. As South Africa's answer to the Supremes, Joy supported touring acts like Lamont Dozier, Clarence Carter, Dobie Gray and Leo Sayer. They were undoubtedly best known for the massive crossover hit 'Paradise Road' in 1980, which helped them earn two Saries Awards for Best Vocal Group and Best English LP of the Year in 1980 [[a landmark moment in the ethnically divided industry) and even led to a tour of the UK. High Life followed in 1981, but lacked a hit to take the trio further. They broke up in 1983, the year that Brenda Fassie, who had once filled in for Malebo in the Joy line-up, ushered in the bubblegum era with 'Weekend Special'. Although their sound was less fresh and funky that the bubblegum acts that followed in the footsteps, Joy's contribution to the local industry should never be forgotten.

I've checked the archives and it seems the last question about Richard's career was answered pre-motown [[a producer-writer at Lupine, although his exact path to Motown was unclear); but what happened to him, presumably after the West Coast move, seems unclear. Anybody know?
I first heard of him when he was involved in Edwin Starr's Soul Master album, then seemed to work a lot with Martha.

Arguably the greatest singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer of our time.