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In the movie ‘Hitsville, The Making Of Motown’, Smokey and Berry have a wager on who recorded ‘Grapevine’ first and Berry wins with Marvin Gaye. Neither of them were right as there is a Miracles version completed but unreleased in August 1966, some 10 months before Marvin and 12 months before Gladys. The Miracles version finally appeared on ‘Motown Sings Motown Treasures’ in 1998. How did Smokey not know this?
Possibly because he forgot or didn't realise.Quote:
Originally Posted by masterblaster
Around 10 years ago on another forum, I saw a member taking a pop at another member. This other member happened to be the studio engineer for some classic late 60s Fleetwood Mac recordings. This engineer had been kind enough over the years to share any knowledge that he could, and still does so to this day, but he got something wrong about a picky detail from 1966, which was enough to annoy the member having the pop.
I thought "What a stupid b*st*rd." and, needless to say, it killed the thread.
So we have to allow people to not remember every piece of detail about their work lives. Hell, I can't remember much about mine, so I'd be in real trouble if I got asked the same types of questions as Smokey or any other creator of classic popular music, e.g. why did you write those two lines of code in the Despatch Note Print program in 1989?
They say you should never meet your heros.
Smokey was once interviewed on a UK tv show, and the host, apparently a Motown fan, reminded him of the 'Bond' styled " Come spy with me".
He denied all knowledge of it.
Probably because he hated the song and wants to act like it never happened! Also the fact that he recorded hundreds of songs and written thousands more, it’s understandable that he have little to no memory of some of his lesser known stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by snakepit
Nah..I reckon a song writer knows ALL his/ her stuff.
Probably just thrown by not having to re-tell the same old shop around/ tracks of tears/ my girl/ etc etc stories...robot fashion.
I believe in the Hitsville documentary, the bet wasn't on who the first was to have ever recorded the song, but who recorded it first between Gladys/Pips and Marvin.
That what I thought I heard too.Quote:
Originally Posted by bradsupremes
Agree with bradsupremes statement on the bet in question......
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Smokey even say the Miracles did it first?
I fully agree with your assessment of memory and the passage of time. We tend to forget that most recording sessions, and particularly those of the Motown 'assembly line', were work-a-day experiences and we fans shouldn't be so hard on our favorites not having the precise memories we wish they would.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sotosound
A lot of artists will tell you they don't remember every detail or song they recorded. Mary once stated the fans knew more about the group than the ladies knew themselves. I believe it was Bob Babbitt who said he remembers recording "I Want You Back" - believing it to be the Jackson 5 version, but rather it was the unreleased David Ruffin version. It's bound to happen. I don't remember the daily things I did at work 10 years ago. So, we should give them a pass. I've seen Mary get asked questions about the hits and she didn't remember a thing, but yet she remembered an obscure thing such as Diana being really fond of a set of rarely worn gowns that weren't on display. It was a head scratcher, but our minds work in mysterious ways.
That being said, I don't think its right for someone like Smokey to completely dismiss having done "Come Spy With Me" when he has no memory of it and be defiant about it. I've seen a few people get that way and it completely derails any further discussion on the topic. A simple "I'm sorry I have no recollection at all of every doing that song" or "I did that? We did so much during that time I must have forgotten all about it. Thank you for reminding me" is a quick and simple response that doesn't make yourself look bad.
You got to check out Roger Troutman's/Zapp cover of IHITTGP! Phenomenal. Came out round late 70s or early 80s. It is sooooo funky/musky that you can actually feel it. And it has a touch of jazz on the back end.
I'm sure I have the 45 "Come Spy With Me" in my record collection. In fact I thought it was the flip side of "The Love I Saw In You[[Was Just a Mirage)". It says on the 45 from the movie, which flopped.I bought the 45 before either side was played on radio & assumed "Come Spy With Me" was the A side.Weird that Smokey would not remember it.
I'm sure he remembered it...just unsure how to deal with an answer that was un-rehearsed.
Thinking about it....the issue.of "Come spy with me" may have been put to him as a.flop....Smokey was taken aback.
I watched the Hitsville documentary again this evening. Smokey actually states in it that The Miracles recorded it first....it's clearly stated by him.