Valerie Simpson Interview On Early Beginnings, Motown, Nick Ashford, and Career Highl

The ultra talented Valerie Simpson

I recently read where Cary Mansfield [alumni Motown Catalog Dept.] who is now with Varest Sarabande was planning to work on a CD compilation of Martha Reeve's other songs that were on other labels, i. e. Arista, MCA, and Fantasy. This was not reported recently.

Does anyone know if it will ever surface or if it has been scrapped? Does anyone have any contact with Cary currently?

It would be great to get a CD like this as the releases on these three labels apparently did not have wide distribution and/or sales.

Thanks.

Mickey's Monkey
Twistin' Postman
Come On Do the Jerk
Can You Jerk Like Me?
Shotgun
Hitchhike

All of the above songs were original compositions released on various Motown labels, and all contain the names of dances.

I know there are more. Can you name more songs released by Motown that contain the names of dances that are NOT covers?

What non Motown label song do you think sounds most like a Motown Song?

Covers of Motown songs don’t count

I would say Cool Jerk by the Capitols but if I remember right wasn’t it all Funk Brothers playing on it? Which to me would disqualify it

I always thought that Karma Chameleon by Boy George had a Motownesque feel to it

When the Motown sound became a phenomenon a lot of labels and artists tried to emulate it

Who do you think did it the best?

I don't understand how Mr. Gordy allowed the "Motown sound" to become neutralized. He knew that the rhythm section was apart of his success...songwriters>rhythm section>singers.

Part of the genious of the master songwriter is just as he's written happy songs of love, with one stroke of his mighty pen he will write a sonnett so sad that you'll reach for the hanky...the sadness of[the tracks of my tears]the dire warning to those at[the fork in the road]the desperate plea of[oo baby baby]the loneliness of[i can't find]do you have a fav? For me the greatest song ever written about lost love is[i can't find].