Diana wouldn’t have liked Beyoncé dancing in a tutu either to a Motown music tribute according to what she’s said in the past. If Gladys had sung should she have worn hot pants?
Diana wouldn’t have liked Beyoncé dancing in a tutu either to a Motown music tribute according to what she’s said in the past. If Gladys had sung should she have worn hot pants?
Exactly Midnightman
I was very entertained by JLo's tribute; in the same way I enjoyed "Motown The Musical" - - for the spectacle. I thought it was nicely choreographed and she looked wonderful -- and I thought it was very tasteful. Why wouldn't she do a booty-shaking Latin dance to "Another Star"? That's what Stevie made it for. It was completely appropriate! Motown's legacy includes Marvin Gaye and Rick James so it wasn't all bible study all the time. I also appreciate that the Grammys got a genuine "star" to pay tribute to Motown. There are many [[many!) better singers but few stars in JLo's orbit.
I feel sorry that JLo clearly invested her time and energy to be at her dazzling best and yet it invited so much negativity. Clearly she is NOT a singer but it didn't take 25 years to figure that out.
I just found out J. Lo's tribute was produced by the people who help her Vegas show. So it was a calculating move to begin with.
Does anyone think this is about race rather than the fact that JLO does not have the vocal skills to carry most Motown tunes?
You're obviously not seeing some of the outright HYSTERIA some folks are expressing over this...a freaking Grammy segment. That's what's happening to our entire society today...EVERYBODY goes nuts about everything. Everyone is outraged about everything. remember...When EVERYTHING is an outrage...NOTHING is an outrage...
That the best choice [[apparently) from all American singers possible these days to interpret Motown [[!) is a Latina speaks volumes and shouldn't be a surprise to anyone following current trends.
Just as it's equally telling that all the alternate choices mentioned here in this thread are female.
If I were a conspiracist I would say how telling it is that Lopez opened her sequence with DANCING IN THE STREET.
As for me , I don't believe for a second that J-Lo did the gig to represent Motown. No, she did it to represent herself as is evidenced in the way she presented the material. She and Adam Levine both seem to think [[correctly?) the highlight of their performances is when they invoke their sexuality by removing clothing to parade around while wearing less. I think she'd take the same gig if it were a Capital Records , a CBS Records, an RCA Records or any other record label's review. And perform it exactly this same way to boot.
That Smokey Robinson was stuck in there as some sort of Motown asterisk was the ultimate insult.
Never should have been Lopez period.
Here's what I would've done , were it my decision to make. It's a Grammy show honoring Motown . Why not incorporate the two , have Smokey stand there and introduce each Grammy winning Motown song from first to last and as it briefly plays, show accompanying footage of the artists either accepting their award or performing the song from back in the day of its popularity.
This is rough concept, I'm sure better minds could fine tune it. But it least it would have been respectful and purposeful to the task , beyond having a middle-aged woman prancing around on stage amongst smoke and flashing lights trying to show us how wonderful she [[rather than the music) is.
JLo's whole CAREER as a recording artist and performer is a calculated move. She is not a singer, musician or songwriter. She is a beautiful woman and competent dancer who has exceeded all expectations of who and what she could be as an entertainer.
Her career will only be helped by this. Her fans are fans of her image and celebrity not necessarily her music. Her fanbase certainly does not include Motown purists or music fans who support R&B/Soul artists.
She is Lola Falana not Aretha Franklin.
Yet another aspiring "producer" heard from...LOL...No offense intended, but I'm ROTFLMAO...Do you think for a minute that J-Lo decided what to wear and how the performance would be structured, what songs to include and what dance moves she and the plethora of chorus dancers would perform, etc???...LOL... I was involved with NARAS on one of these Grammy segments, and trust me...they do it THEIR way with their own producers, choreographers, directors, costume designers, set designers, etc...Beyond perhaps consulting Berry Gordy and Smokey on the selection of talent for the segment...NARAS has their own people working for the months leading to the actual show on these Grammy segments...so I don't understand your point that somehow J-Lo planned, choreographed, or directed that segment???...No way...she may have had some input on certain elements once rehearsals started, but you're giving her WAY too much credit for the way the segment was presented...
Stu , I think you are making my point, the Motown music was being used simply as a vehicle to present J-Lo , not the other way around , which should have been the essence of the project.
And no offense, I know nothing about NARAS but they sound like awful people to dress a fifty year old woman in bedroom costumes and force her to parade around a stage like that.
That's on NARAS...It was a Grammy show...not a Motown show, although with the Diana Ross segment, a lot of Motown representation was involved, and they did promo the upcoming Motown Special quite a bit during the telecast...Don't forget...they have an entire Motown special coming up...taping tomorrow night for an April telecast...I believe they selected J-Lo because they believed she would be a good fit and of course, bring in viewers they want... Ratings were about the same as last year, nothing great but not horrible... I also assume that they did not want to overexpose the artists included in the Motown special they are doing... I can divulge now [[that I'd not given the details for before this) that they planned a segment to honor The Funk Brothers in 2005 after I did the nomination for their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. They proposed a segment with Stevie Wonder and Michael McDonald backed by the Funk Brothers...Why Michael McDonald???... That was NARAS decision. Michael agreed immediately, but Stevie ducked and dodged...actually running out the back door when some folks came to personally appeal to him to participate...NARAS don't mess around and didn't try to find a replacement for Stevie...They saw the segment a certain way and when Stevie refused to participate [[which was quite disappointing to me personally) and I learned of the details after it was too late...they ditched the segment and instead put in a Luther Vandross tribute [[Luther was ailing but had not yet passed at that time)… NARAS does things THEIR way... I did receive a nice note from Neil Portnow, but they don't beg anybody...they move on, which made me understand that much better why they ultimately told Ariana Grande to go pound sand when she insisted on doing things her way, claiming she could put a number together overnight. Sorry...they don't work like that Missy...
From Susaye on Facebook
The point to me about Motown was that it crossed races, genres, and overturned the status quo in the music industry. It was Berry Gordy’s dream to make Black music accessible to all people and to take the soul of Motown’s artists to the world. He made Black artists able to travel the world and spread their music and soulful class everywhere. We all know that the basis of most American music is black music. But the gift of Motown was that it changed the”Sound of Young America “ forever. Artists like Lulu, Dusty Springfield, and so many others would have never come about had it not been for Motown. We have not forgotten that Mary Wells and for that matter Diana Ross and the Supremes were chosen because of the accessibility of their voices to other races. So the fact that JLo, one of the biggest stars in the world [[whether she is one’s flavor or not) was overjoyed to do this tribute because it was her mother’s favorite music that she played for her as a youngster. Music [[ the emotional effects of it) belongs to us all, hopefully, and Motown music resonates to the world. That is why it was so successful. We each have our faves; we each have our jams and our tunes that “take us there.” I still get that chill at the beginning strains of the Temptations “Get Ready”, I still have to get up off my chair when “Dancing In The Street” comes on. I still get a thrill when those mighty handclaps start on “Where Did Our Love Go” and friends and family around the world tell me they get that feeling too, regardless of age or race or background. It was their childhood, or their teenagerey or their obsession or simple joy. So! JLo may have added her Latin flair to the mix, and Vegas spark, but Berry Gordy and Motown couldn’t wait to get his artists into those Vegas showrooms to make Motown mainstream. It’s mainstream now, so everyone gets a go. Love to all, Susaye
Very well said Susaye...I couldn't have said it better myself...
I liked the Motown tribute by Jennifer Lopez. I especially liked that early 60s songs were featured. I don't follow current music, nor have I the past 20+ years, but it seems like most of the performers seem to wear skimpy costumes. I'm glad Motown got recognized.
When Ed Sullivan broadcast an Irving Berlin tribute show in 1968 Diana Ross and The Supremes did an updated version of the love ballad "Always". My parents immediate reaction was that they "ruined" a beautiful song. lol They did feel The Supremes "redeemed" themselves with the medley of Irving Berlin songs sung as they were written.
I think I will play them the clip and see what their reaction is 50 years later. I think my mother will enjoy it but my father will stubbornly stick to his first reaction!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NglN3ja_syE
Just adding my two cents to the discussion.... I wasn't annoyed that Jennifer Lopez did the tribute. I was annoyed that they focused on her when Ne-Yo was playing and singing. I was annoyed that it had far too much focus on the butt. I liked the idea of using songs that are not typically used to showcase the Motown sound. Motown crossed boundaries and racial lines. It would have been nice to see that represented by having a true Motown artist start off the tribute then add people of other cultures into the mix so we could see the far reaching of the Motown sound. They didn't really think through the tribute and ended up with a Vegas showroom presentation. But, I felt that way about a lot of the mash-ups presented on the broadcast - they just didn't think them through and they all looked thrown together without enough rehearsal. At least J-Lo looked professional.
I watch and tape the Grammy Awards and honestly have been bored with the last few years. I have to say I rather enjoyed this year's emphasis on female content. I am fully aware of the J Lo Motown tribute controversy, and agree it should have been more connected to Motown. However, I want to make the point that all the controversy that this misstep has caused, is drawing a LOT of attention to the 60th anniversary of Motown coming up, and isn't any publicity good for the cause? Let's hope the producers get that right!
The Grammys, like most of the awards shows have always been an easy target...some of which well deserved, however, Motown received it's well deserved fair share of the 2019 edition attention, from the Diana tribute segment to the Motown tribute segment, Michelle Obama's shoutout, frequent promos for the upcoming Motown 60th anniversary special to many affiliated Motown people sitting in the primo up front seating at the event [[I even recognized a few minor Motown players and associates like road managers all dressed up sitting in the front row)...yet many will still find reasons to bitch, moan, and complain...Plus, not just here...but on other sites and Facebook posts...EVERYBODY is a "producer" who could have put together a better segment spelled out in great detail in many cases including what songs out of the thousands recorded at Motown should have been included and folks were personally insulted that THEIR favorite song was not included... I'm waiting for the accusation that the entire NARAS organization is a Mafia front...Once again, Ricky Nelsons Garden Party lyrics come to mind..."You can't please everyone, so you've gotta please yourself"...
While they begin planning for this telecast months in advance...the real work takes place in the month or two leading up once they figure out who's gonna be who. Can you imagine the work going into, even that opening segment they did with Ricky Martin, J Balvin and the great Arturo Sandoval...from the choregraphy, to the set design, to organizing the participants...and that's just one segment, which is what cheeses me about that little brat Ariana Grande who was insisting that SHE would put something together at the last minute and they should insert it into the show. She was rightfully told to go pound sand and get back to random donut licking...
I'm all over this but I see Smoke can't let this go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmH9PDclJEc
It's okay to admit you want that booty, Smoke. :)
It's all about the talent to me and Smoke, she didn't have it.
But if you wanna make it about race, then be my guest! They think he's a c**n for this but I had no issue with a NB performing Motown. Just didn't need a Salsa version of the Motown Sound lol
Would've been nice if she did You Beat Me to the Punch though. That had calypso in it. Lol
Ariana wanted to get in the Latin segment??? She does horrible versions of "black" music herself [[way worse than J. Lo I might add, who did do some decent hip-hop/R&B in the beginning of her music career despite the fact she's a two-note vocalist lol).
LOL at "random donut licking".
Didn't their vocal track skip when they were live on tour and it was broadcast on TV? Fabrice Morvan has said it wasn't a big deal but that's not what Rob Pilatus said [[can't find the Behind the Music clip but here's what he said verbatim at the time, eight years after the fact:
"I wanted to die. It stopped. [Singing]Girl you know it's, girl you know it's... I couldn't repeat it 50 times. It got all weird so I stopped, I ran off stage. Julie Brown, who used to work for MTV, ran after me. I didn't care. 80,000 people waited. I said 'I had enough, I quit.'"
Also, I think the "real" Milli Vanilli were going out to the press to talk about how they really sang on the track. But I guess to Arista and the music industry, they were just lying... until their producer said "yeah they ain't singing on it". Lol
Tell it Smokey...Motown was created for everyone on the planet to enjoy and participate in...Tell Joe Messina that his guitar shouldn't have played those amazing backbeats, tell Babbitt that his basslines on Inner City Blues or Signed, Sealed, Delivered, what business did Rare Earth ever have to record Get Ready, or what if Harry Balk never ascended to the head of Motown to CONVINCE Berry top release Whats Going On...