Hi all,
I was thinking about Motown songs that incorporate a word, a line, lines or even a phrase sung or spoken in a language other than English.
My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
What Now My Love - The Temptations
There's gotta be more, right?
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Hi all,
I was thinking about Motown songs that incorporate a word, a line, lines or even a phrase sung or spoken in a language other than English.
My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
What Now My Love - The Temptations
There's gotta be more, right?
Ave Maria by Stevie Wonder
Ungena za Ulimwengu [Unite the World] - The Temptations [Swahili]
Ngiculela - Es una historia - I Am Singing - Stevie Wonder [Zulu/Spanish]
Danke schoen - Martha & The Vandellas [German]
It’s Wrong [Apartheid] - Stevie Wonder [Xhosa]
To Love Again [[alternate version) - Diana Ross - French
Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing - Stevie Wonder [Spanish]
"Bird Of Beauty" from Steve Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale featured lyrics in Portuguese provided by Sergio Mendes.
Teena Marie's "Portuguese Love" from It Must Be Magic.
I knew you guys would not disappoint!
All the ones on the Motown Around The World releases.
Half or more of Jose Feliciano's Motown output.
All Night Long - Lionel Richie
Don't Look Any Further - Dennis Edwards.
Smokey Robinson's "Te Quiero Como Si No Hubiera Un Mañana [I’m Gonna Love You Like There’s No Tomorrow]" from Smoke Signals.
Smokey Robinson's "Tu Me Besas Muy Rico" from Intimate.
Stevie Wonder's "Ai No Sono" & "Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye" from Secret Life Of Plants.
Don't want to see tomorrow - J5
How about that mumbo jumbo in Don’t Look Any Further? Is that even a real language? Anybody know?
Michelle - The Supremes
It is not "mumbo jumbo." It is a loose translation of the phrase "don't look any further" in Swahili.Quote:
Originally Posted by BritishTony
"Michelle"-Four Tops
On the basis that gibberish isn't strictly speaking, English, I'd like to submit for your consideration:Quote:
Originally Posted by lockhartgary
"Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo" by Diana Ross and "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" by Stevie Wonder, later by Michael Jackson.
Just My Soul Responding by Smokey with Sioux backing.
Motown had the Latino label, so that's a good place to investigate.
There are others on Rare Earth but this one my favourite. And it is original American.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWilc1d_cQU
LuLu - The Jackson 5
What about the whole song?
Velvelettes - Tu Perds Le Plus Merveileux Garçon Du Monde [[You Lost The Sweetest Boy)
The lovely Isela https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I5uZQb-HfU
Mechanical Emotion - Vanity featuring Morris Day [French]
Attachment 19797Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed H
Cal led on a whole bunch [[around 10 or more) of totally French language songs by The Velvelettes while with Motown, as she was fully fluent in Français. Those recordings were made for the French language markets of France, Québec, The French Caribbean, and all the former French colonies.
Attachment 19798
You all forgot "I Comma Zimba Zio" by Abdullah, on Soul 35051! A classic from 1968. :cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iM6-yelsTM
Attachment 19800
Attachment 19799Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Jarvis
From which language is that line? I can't tell from XIT's probably heavy American accent and notary good elocution. Certainly they are not native speakers of it.
I think Flaming Ember - Mind Body & Soul uses French at the end. Ive never quite understand the words but back in the day I would sing Je t'aime vous...not proper French though
Here's one more-
Rustix-"Free Again [Non...C'Est Rien]"
And-
Edwin Starr-"Adios Senoirta" from War & Peace
Nunca He Ido A Mi - CharleneQuote:
Originally Posted by 144man